Sick Brittlestar?

[jill]

I have had an ordinary tan colored brittlestar for 3+ years. I got him when he was 3" in total diameter (including leg span). He has grown to over at least 18" and has always hid under the rocks with his legs sometimes sticking out between the rocks doing what I assume a brittle star does when it is healthy. I have rarely seem him in total.

Last week he came out onto the sand an crawled around and tried to climb out of the tank. After he fell back in he crept to the side of a rock and is huddled against it. He hasn't moved in three days and I thought he was dead so I tried to grab him with some tongs. He moved his leg out of the way, yet stayed put. I realized that he is still alive so I left him alone but he still hasn't moved at all. I can see his whole body.

Nothing has changed with my water parameters over the last 6 months and everyone else is fine. That includes the fish, snails, shrimp and corals. Nothing looks sick except for him.

I can find any information on lifespan. Could he just be dying of old age?

Can I do anything to help him?

 

[jezzeaepi]

Normally I would suspect some sort of poisoning(possibly some metal leaching in to your water somehow), but if your shrimp are doing fine then I would discount that idea. My next best guess would be lack of food. Do you do direct feedings? It could just be that hes eaten most of the food and detritus in your tank and now that he is large, needs more food then he is able to find.

My oldest tank critter is my serpent starfish as well. Ive had him for 7 years now, and he was full grown when I got him, so suspect that he is at least 10. About a years ago I noticed that he wasn't looking as good. His coloration has suffered, his skin looked a little blotchy in parts, and he seemed a bit skinny. Ever since I have started feeding him small pieces of shrimp every few days and he is looking a lot more healthy now.

 

[Jozee]

When I had Lurch (my 20 inch green brittle) I had to feed him at least every other day, or I would see him lying in wait for my fish... The green ones in particular are hunters if they don't get enough to eat. He would move all around the tank during the night and knock things over - the last straw for me was when he ripped apart one of my carpet anemones during his nightly lap around the tank. I hated to do it, but had to give him up.

 

[jill]

Thank you for the ideas. I tried to feed him last night but the shrimp just stayed stuck on his tentacle and he didn't move. He is still in the same spot this morning. I guess I will just continue to poke him every day to see if he is still alive. I don't know what else to do.

Normally I would suspect some sort of poisoning(possibly some metal leaching in to your water somehow), but if your shrimp are doing fine then I would discount that idea. My next best guess would be lack of food. Do you do direct feedings? It could just be that hes eaten most of the food and detritus in your tank and now that he is large, needs more food then he is able to find.

My oldest tank critter is my serpent starfish as well. Ive had him for 7 years now, and he was full grown when I got him, so suspect that he is at least 10. About a years ago I noticed that he wasn't looking as good. His coloration has suffered, his skin looked a little blotchy in parts, and he seemed a bit skinny. Ever since I have started feeding him small pieces of shrimp every few days and he is looking a lot more healthy now.

 

[jill]

When I had Lurch (my 20 inch green brittle) I had to feed him at least every other day, or I would see him lying in wait for my fish... The green ones in particular are hunters if they don't get enough to eat. He would move all around the tank during the night and knock things over - the last straw for me was when he ripped apart one of my carpet anemones during his nightly lap around the tank. I hated to do it, but had to give him up.

"Lurch" is a beautiful creature and I can understand why you put up with him for so long but I wouldn't have a fish eating star. Hope Lurch got a good home!

 

[jezzeaepi]

Have you tried running carbon yet? It is possible that there is some other type of pollutant in the water that the starfish is more sensitive too then the other inverts. Maybe try running a polyfilter as well?

 

[1guydude]

did lurch end up with nata or eartaker? Those are awsome when they get that big!
+1 id try and feed him off and on for a week... see how he looks after.
-d

 

[jill]

Have you tried running carbon yet? It is possible that there is some other type of pollutant in the water that the starfish is more sensitive too then the other inverts. Maybe try running a polyfilter as well?

Good idea. I'll try it and let you know.

 

[Jozee]

did lurch end up with nata or eartaker? Those are awsome when they get that big!
+1 id try and feed him off and on for a week... see how he looks after.
-d

Eartaker has him now - He was definitely awesome! I hated to see him go, he was really cool - but he was starting to hang out trying to "trap" fish. He's go into big spaces where the fish would swim and kind of hover over where the fish would swim through, and then when they would go to sleep, I was worried that he would get them. Plus in his nightly laps, he started really knocking stuff over and pulling things apart because he was so big, and I didn't want to see any more nems or softies get snagged on his spines and ripped apart.

 

[jill]

Well, I did the carbon and new poly filters and don't know if that did it but he has moved to his normal cave and is sending his legs out - waving them. I continue to send food his way so we will just have to wait and see. Thank you guys for your help!

 

[Holygral]

I give mine a small piece of silversides every once in a while, the 2 I have are 7-9 years old so I don't think it is old age

 

[eartaker]

Eartaker has him now - He was definitely awesome! I hated to see him go, he was really cool - but he was starting to hang out trying to "trap" fish. He's go into big spaces where the fish would swim and kind of hover over where the fish would swim through, and then when they would go to sleep, I was worried that he would get them. Plus in his nightly laps, he started really knocking stuff over and pulling things apart because he was so big, and I didn't want to see any more nems or softies get snagged on his spines and ripped apart.

Lurch is an awesome star and is still doing great =] I feed him a mussel, krill or a silverside everyday. I have a cavity behind all of my rock he hangs out at. I have not had any issues or seen that he was wanting to trap any fish. I know he could if he wanted since I have fish as small as a 1" green chromis and as large as a 5-6" niger trigger. Anyway Sometimes when they get stressed they wont move or seem to want to eat for a couple days. I would try to give them some kind of nice stinky food like a mussel or a smashed silverside. If he was trying to crawl out that could be a sign that something in your tank isn't right. What is your temp, salinity, alk, PH, maybe Nitrate?

I started a Lurch thread here http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f14/lurch-20-green-brittle-star-64950/

 

[Jozee]

Lurch's absolute favorite is a clam on the halfshell, then he has to work for it a little bit, plus the hermits clean up the shell afterwards. Mind you, this is NOT recommended if you have live clams or ever intend to have them in the tank with your brittlestar.

 

[jill]

I think he was probably hungry. The LFS that I bought him from 3 years ago told me I never had to worry about feeding him because there was plenty of detritus in the tank so I never did. But then we upgraded to the 360 and I got 3 sand sifting starfish. I will bet that any extra food laying around is scarfed up by them now and now I realize I need to make sure I feed HIM and make sure he gets the food. I have been doing this and he is showing signs of life. I feel so bad but at least I know what to do now and I think he is going to make it.

Lurch is an awesome star and is still doing great =] I feed him a mussel, krill or a silverside everyday. I have a cavity behind all of my rock he hangs out at. I have not had any issues or seen that he was wanting to trap any fish. I know he could if he wanted since I have fish as small as a 1" green chromis and as large as a 5-6" niger trigger. Anyway Sometimes when they get stressed they wont move or seem to want to eat for a couple days. I would try to give them some kind of nice stinky food like a mussel or a smashed silverside. If he was trying to crawl out that could be a sign that something in your tank isn't right. What is your temp, salinity, alk, PH, maybe Nitrate?

I started a Lurch thread here http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f14/lurch-20-green-brittle-star-64950/

 

[Jozee]

Outstanding - glad that your brittlestar is improving - they are super cool to watch, especially if you treat them with a clam on the half-shell, etc. so they actually have to peel the meat out of the shell and work for their food.

Eartaker - thank you again for giving my big green Lurch-dude a good home. I will always have a special affinity for him and am glad you appreciate his unique and entertaining qualities.