Blue Linckia questions UPDATE.

[SanguinesDream]

So, today a fuzzy white spot formed on one of the legs of the Linckia and now it has progresses to a lesion nearly straight across the leg and looks like it is infected with brown slime.

It looks like one of those situations where it was doomed before I got it so, should I yank it before it messes up my QT tank or let it be and see where it goes. It was moving all around today feeding , no issues with mobility but this lesion continues to grow.

[naesco]

So, today a fuzzy white spot formed on one of the legs of the Linckia and now it has progresses to a lesion nearly straight across the leg and looks like it is infected with brown slime.

It looks like one of those situations where it was doomed before I got it so, should I yank it before it messes up my QT tank or let it be and see where it goes. It was moving all around today feeding , no issues with mobility but this lesion continues to grow.

These guys are only moderately difficult to keep.

Provided you acclimate them very very slowly and place them in a mature tank with salinity on the higher side you should not have had any problem.

"Yank it" because it is suffering and humanely but and end to it.

[SanguinesDream]

They can't be saved? My salinity is bang on and has been constant since I got it on Wednesday.

[naesco]

They can't be saved? My salinity is bang on and has been constant since I got it on Wednesday.

How mature is the water in your Qt? How was it acclimatized?
What you are describing is typical. Whitening, lesions starting on one leg. The leg will 'fall off" and than it will spread to the other legs. There is nothing in a QT to eat and I am not aware of any medication but maybe someone has another idea.

[SanguinesDream]

It came with a large piece of liverock that has a mysis colony on it and I fed the tank mysis and phytoplex last night. There are several other pieces of liverock in too and it has been feeding well since I purchased it, so I really don't think that it is for a lack of food.

As I stated I the other thread, my salinity and other parameters were exactly as needed prior to purchase. The only thing I did not do was to drip acclimate. My QT tank is 20 gallons and 18 months old.

[naesco]

Poor acclimatization will do it but it could have started going downhill in the lfs

[MMAX]

What you are describing is typical. Whitening, lesions starting on one leg. The leg will 'fall off" and than it will spread to the other legs.

Exactly the same thing that happened to my sand sifting star after I didn't acclimatize him properly.

[howdy20012002]

linkias in particular are extremely picky to any change in salinity.
you definitely need to drip them for several hours for acclimitization.
I have actually seen them react to being hit with water from the sump when toping up with fresh water and then a day or two later - same thing - slowly start to detoriate.
IMO, it is done, pull it out before it makes a mess of your QT.
most types of starfish are particularly prone to death by too rapid of acclimitizatoin, but in my experience Linkias are by far the worst.

[kien]

your linckia is definitely in trouble. He is not done yet, but certainly on its way..

One of three things can happen at this point.

1. The deterioration will continue and will spread to the rest of his body and he will start to melt away. This will happen rather rapidly if he is in fact dying.

2. His affect leg will fall of but it is possible he can recover from this. I've seen this with my starfish. If they are healthy they can recover from the loss of one or two legs.

3. The leg will fall off and regrow a whole new starfish. This is very unlikly but totally possible. I've witnessed this in my tank once.

Here's a baby Blue Linckia growing from a leg that fell off of the parent starfish.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4035/4583267132_52b1d73c11_o.jpg

and the same baby linckia a few months later..

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4047/5075735059_9e136318af_o.jpg

You will truly know if your starfish is done if his main body (mouth area) starts to deteriorate. It'll be evident once you start to see the flesh melting and turning white. At that point it would be safe to say that your starfish is truly done :(

[SanguinesDream]

When I initially posted about adding it to my tank, I had lots of "don't worry, I just plunk them in too" and now that it is disintegrating I'm told it's because it wasn't'drip acclimated? :neutral:

Is there any other reasons or plans of action I can take? TIA.

[SanguinesDream]

Btw, it is still moving around and eating. I just removed it from a piece of liverock it was on and it's remaining arms were attached firmly with their suckers all out.

[intarsiabox]

When I initially posted about adding it to my tank, I had lots of "don't worry, I just plunk them in too" and now that it is disintegrating I'm told it's because it wasn't'drip acclimated? :neutral:

Is there any other reasons or plans of action I can take? TIA.

I read your other post. You stated "but I didn't research about acclimating prior to putting it in my tank", and I only saw one person say that they just throw them in their tank provided salinity was the same but also said it was bad advice to do so. There is not much you can do at this point accept keep feeding it as you say it is still eating. You could try soaking the food in Selcon, it helps with fish but I'm not sure about the benefits with a starfish. If it looks like it is getting worse you should remove it. Nobody like to get rid of something still alive in the tank but if it is deteriating then for the sake of the other inhabitants it should be done before it is too late.