Sand Sifter Star Missing 3 Legs

[Santos]

Hello-

I have a 55 gal reed tank with 1 hippo tang and lots of scarlet crabs and turbo snails. I also have a serpent star.

I have had my tank about 7 years, This morning my sand sifting star is missing 3 legs. I have had the star for about a year.

Who could have done this to her?

Thanks

Santos

[Dave66]

I'm scratching my head. If it was a mantis shrimp, you'd have had other mysteries. I'll give this a think.

Dave

[TowBoater]

Hippo tang is called that for a reason, I don't recommend keeping it in anything less than a 100g. Can be anything on a star, they just do that. It's nothing major to worry about, it will grow back, sometimes they just shed them just because or if they are in stress.

[cocoa_pleco]

stars naturally do that sometimes, and the arms regrow back, but once with my purple star he had that, lost a arm, and got a flesh eating disease where you could see into his head, and half his head skin was missing.

[jeffs99dime]

welcome to a.c.
Santos, please post your threads in the proper categories. thanks
i moved the thread to "saltwater"

[2manyfish]

We need more information.
I am confused by your statement:

I also have a serpent star.

I have had my tank about 7 years, This morning my sand sifting star is...

You are asking about the sand sifter right? How is the serpent star doing? Or are you saying these are one and the same? If so, which one do you actually have??


Okay, this is a 55g, what is your pH, salinity, alk, calcium levels, ammonia, nitrite, nitrates? Do you dose the tank with anything? Iodine? Have you ever fed the starfish? If so, what? Have you had a severe fluctuation in your salinity lately? The hippo tang is the only fish in the tank? Why?

[Santos]

We need more information.
I am confused by your statement:


You are asking about the sand sifter right? How is the serpent star doing? Or are you saying these are one and the same? If so, which one do you actually have??


Okay, this is a 55g, what is your pH, salinity, alk, calcium levels, ammonia, nitrite, nitrates? Do you dose the tank with anything? Iodine? Have you ever fed the starfish? If so, what? Have you had a severe fluctuation in your salinity lately? The hippo tang is the only fish in the tank? Why?

Hi 2manyfish,

Yes I'm asking about the sand sifter. I have two and the other is fine. The serpent is fine too.

I don't test for calcium or alkaline.

My:
PH is 8.2
Ammonia .25
Nitrate 0
Nitrate 10
Temp 75

I add iodine and calcium and just started adding Reef Solution about a month ago because my Hippo has HALE. The hippo I've had since I set-up the tank 7 years ago. I used to be very negligent until about a year ago when I switch from a fish tank to a reef tank. The HALE was really bad. Now it's much better but it seems to have stopped improving.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I feel much better now.

Santos

[cocoa_pleco]

uh oh, you should always have 0 ammonia. the ammonia is the cause

[Santos]

What is a good ammonia test? I use a test kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals and and the increments are from 00.00 to 0.25.

Thanks

[cocoa_pleco]

is it a liquid test kit? if so it should be correct. if its a strip test kit, its probably wrong

[2manyfish]

Exactly like Cocoa said, you should always have a 0 reading of ammonia. Are your test kits outdated? Could you take a sample of your water to the LFS to see what they get??

Most times poor water quality or salinity fluctuations will cause stars to lose their limbs, but sometimes it can be caused by starvation too. Have you ever tried to feed the sandsifter? How long have you had it?

As far as your hippo tang are you feeding it any nori? I'm sure the ammonia (if it's really there) wouldn't help matters. You might want to start doing an extra water change here and there to help with the HLLE.

:c3: