Orange Sea Star Ripped Apart?

alexabretske · 11/24/2013, 01:09 AM

So I've had an orange sea star in my tank for a good 4 months now, but I've had the star itself for almost a year.

Today I came home and found pieces of it all over my tank.

I did just go out and buy a new clean-up crew yesterday. I can't imagine anything tearing the limbs off my star, but here's what I got.
-20 Hermit Crabs (a few are walking around without shells on... weird)
-A large brittle star
-5 Throwing star snails
-6 Turbos
-3 Emerald Crabs

I tested the water when I went to the store and everything came back fine. The only equipment I have is a few power heads, a protein skimmer, and my light. The poor little guy was hanging out with 2 clowns, a green chromis, a peppermint and a cleaner shrimp.

Anyone have any clue what could have done that?

JenC2012 · 11/26/2013, 09:06 PM

Does it look like the limbs are viable, he could be asexually reproducing, it is common for them to drop a limb to grow an offspring.

alexabretske · 11/27/2013, 07:32 PM

Nope. There were bits of him scattered. Now my fish are slowly disappearing.

Calappidae · 11/27/2013, 07:53 PM

Check it for parasitic snails. I forget the name of them but there are several parasitic hitchhikers that love starfish.

Dodgy Russian · 11/28/2013, 02:02 PM

It's the emerald crabs, they might eat algae but eat fish and inverts as well my lfs always loses fish to them. Find the crabs and get rid of them at least sump them I lost a $300 teardrop maxima to a emerald crab once

mayjong · 12/02/2013, 02:07 PM

ummmm

1 large brittle star.

what kind?

tanked_life · 12/02/2013, 08:23 PM

+1 on the emerald crab those guys are ruthless and have been known to eat other inverts and corals in some cases

rssjsb · 12/03/2013, 08:16 PM

what kind of star is it? If it's fromia or linckia, they often they fall apart or lose limbs months after addition to the tank as a result of starvation or improper acclimation.

11/24/2013, 01:09 AM	#1
alexabretske Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7	Orange Sea Star Ripped Apart? So I've had an orange sea star in my tank for a good 4 months now, but I've had the star itself for almost a year. Today I came home and found pieces of it all over my tank. I did just go out and buy a new clean-up crew yesterday. I can't imagine anything tearing the limbs off my star, but here's what I got. -20 Hermit Crabs (a few are walking around without shells on... weird) -A large brittle star -5 Throwing star snails -6 Turbos -3 Emerald Crabs I tested the water when I went to the store and everything came back fine. The only equipment I have is a few power heads, a protein skimmer, and my light. The poor little guy was hanging out with 2 clowns, a green chromis, a peppermint and a cleaner shrimp. Anyone have any clue what could have done that?

11/27/2013, 07:53 PM	#4
Calappidae Harlequin Shrimp Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Somewhere Posts: 3,814	Check it for parasitic snails. I forget the name of them but there are several parasitic hitchhikers that love starfish. __________________ Joe

12/02/2013, 02:07 PM	#6
mayjong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sacramento CA Posts: 2,426	ummmm 1 large brittle star. what kind? __________________ No Tanks... I'm out! still lurking, though...

12/03/2013, 08:16 PM	#8
rssjsb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,243	what kind of star is it? If it's fromia or linckia, they often they fall apart or lose limbs months after addition to the tank as a result of starvation or improper acclimation. __________________ Robin

11/26/2013, 09:06 PM	#2
JenC2012 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Edgewood, WA Posts: 54	Does it look like the limbs are viable, he could be asexually reproducing, it is common for them to drop a limb to grow an offspring.

11/27/2013, 07:32 PM	#3
alexabretske Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7	Nope. There were bits of him scattered. Now my fish are slowly disappearing.

11/28/2013, 02:02 PM	#5
Dodgy Russian Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 49	It's the emerald crabs, they might eat algae but eat fish and inverts as well my lfs always loses fish to them. Find the crabs and get rid of them at least sump them I lost a $300 teardrop maxima to a emerald crab once

12/02/2013, 08:23 PM	#7
tanked_life Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 231	+1 on the emerald crab those guys are ruthless and have been known to eat other inverts and corals in some cases