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Knobby Sea Star woes


SquishyFishy

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SquishyFishy

My newish red knobby sea star (Asteroides Sp) has developed some type of wasting flesh on one of its arms. Should I clip it off or what. I like this guy and don't want to lose him. :wub:

 

Anyone have any knowledge of what to do?

 

Thx

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SquishyFishy

I was told this variety only gets around 3 to 4 inches....in an IM 16. Right now it is about 2 inches arm to arm. I have been researching and there are quite of few different knobby stars. He seems to be feeling good, moving about well from one end of the tank to the other. He could have been picked on by someone else in the tank, I have several hermits and an emerald crab, but I noticed this whitish lesion on one tip of one arm and today it is worse with some of his top flesh floating around.

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You can try cutting it off...but IME once the arms start going you cant save it. That being said, I know some people have said that cutting off that part has saved their starfish.

 

Stars are hard. They're really touchey on changing PH, salinity, and temperature. In a smaller tank its even more difficult.

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SquishyFishy

Well I performed it tonight instead and he was hurting for a few but now moving around well again. I hope he can regenerate it.

 

Guess another lesson learned but so many on here have them so I thought I'd get one to help out with the hair algae. I also feed freeze dried seaweed/algae. Hope he hangs on, but I will not get another one if he doesn't.

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SquishyFishy

Surgery successful but this morning, more tissue is sloughing and now I see a small lesion on another arm :(

 

So sad! I think I just made another $20 mistake.

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SquishyFishy

Why, when he had been fine at the lfs, would he suddenly develop this condition? Was the bacteria in my tank or did stress play a factor...I was especially careful about acclimating him, slow drip and no air exposure!

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SquishyFishy

My tank is 8 months old. I have a nem that is thriving along with most everything else.

 

He's still sloughing the arm though....guess I'll have to send him to seaheaven.

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SquishyFishy

Well, I decided to wait a day or two and now the star is much better. All of the offending arm is completely gone, my nitrates are still zero and nothing on his other arms. He seems to be fine, moving around well and plenty of algae for him to munch on including the other trash in the tank.

 

Glad I waited....I'll be watching him for any signs of it returning.

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SquishyFishy

Star is still hanging on. He now resides permanently it seems on the under side of a GSP rock, but I can see him and nothings seems to be sloughing any more. I figure he's regenerating the arm and just want peace while doing so...if he doesn't come out during the night in a couple days, I'm gonna turn the rock over and check him out...but so far tank params are fine.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well I think he's all healed and is out and about finally...still no sign of the replacement arm, glad I gave him a chance now.

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that's awesome that you were able to get your star passed that arm degeneration. I have never had any luck with star fish. They usually live and seem great for a few months and then just start degenerating like that.. No more starfish for me. :(

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  • 2 weeks later...

He is doing very well now. He looks gimpy with only 4 legs but after weeks under the rocks he is now out and on the front glass a lot now.

Looks very healthy, I do not see a nib or any start of a replacement leg appearing so I guess they can do O.K. without an arm.

Happy he hung on, he's a cutey.

 

I now suspect that I tried to handle him too much in the initial introduction to the tank and that some bacteria from my hands may have been the cause of his loss :( Once you put them in, I now recommend you don't touch them.

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