Chocolate Chip Starfish is Sick. :(

[Snow_Phoenix]

Hi everyone, I need your expertise. My Chocolate Chip Starfish, Nim, has deteriorated tremendously over the past few hours. He was initially in a 12G FOWLR tank with a Daum's Reef lobster and some CUC. I fed him a piece of squid two days ago, and I was about to feed him some freeze-dried Tubifex dipped in Selcon tonight (his favorite treat) when I noticed he was flopped over in the sand. I gently flipped him back up and I realized that some parts of his arms were literally decaying - I could see white flesh peeling off them in strips.

 

Nim's eight months old and he had been living in the sump of my 30G reef all this while. I only shifted him to the new 12G FOWLR tank six days ago.

 

Parameters of the 12G FOWLR: SG: 1.023, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate = 0ppm, Phosphate = 0ppm, dKH = 8.9, Ca = 520ppm, Mg = 1380ppm

 

Parameters of the 30G Reef tank : SG : 1.025, Ammonia, Nitrite = 0ppm, Nitrate = 5ppm, Phosphate = 0.015ppm, dKH = 8.1, Ca = 580ppm, Mg = 1480ppm.

 

I reacclimated him to the 30G (drip acclimation for two hours) before putting him in the sump. His suction cups are still mobile, but feeding response is incredibly poor. Mobility has been reduced by 50%.

 

Is there a particular cause for his sudden decay? Is he salvageable? I really don't want to lose him.

 

[Tamberav]

My guesses:

 

1. Temp swings

2. Stray voltage

3. Changing parameters between tanks (probably this since he was changed over just 6 days ago).

4. Nitrate spike

5. Unknown pollutant in the 12g

[Snow_Phoenix]

My guesses:

 

1. Temp swings

2. Stray voltage

3. Changing parameters between tanks (probably this since he was changed over just 6 days ago).

4. Nitrate spike

5. Unknown pollutant in the 12g

 

Tam, I consulted a few local reefers and they came over to have a look. They said it was most likely a kH swing. I did a 50% WC in the 12G to bring down my levels back to normal. Nim's recovering in the 30G's sump. He's more active today and roaming across the fuge box and LRs, but his flesh is still peeling off in certain places. I'm hoping he'll bounce back. I'd hate to lose him.