Peach the Starfish

**Missy** · 03-22-2009, 09:37 AM

2 days ago we bought an Orange Fromia sp. starfish. I spent 3 hours slowing adding my water to hers and put her in. The next morning she was on the glass and seemed to be doing great, by afternoon she was at the top of my overflow cover and just sat there until this morning. Now, she is either floating under the water in tubes

or is crawling under them, I can't tell. She seems to want out or at least to stay at the top of the tank, is this a normal part of settling in or is something wrong?

Are these particular type of stars hard to keep?

**Skurvey Dog** · 03-22-2009, 11:05 AM

Hello Missy and

to TR. My first guess would be to ask you a little bit about your tank, live rock, sand, etc and what your water parameters are along with the temperature. From what I have read, this star is rated "Moderate" and requires good water quality and has a low tolerance to any changes in it's environment, ie. salinity, ph, oxygen content and definately doesn't handle nitrates well. It likes LR and a sand based substrate. What are your tank readings?

**Missy** · 03-22-2009, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Skurvey Dog

Hello Missy and

to TR. My first guess would be to ask you a little bit about your tank, live rock, sand, etc and what your water parameters are along with the temperature. From what I have read, this star is rated "Moderate" and requires good water quality and has a low tolerance to any changes in it's environment, ie. salinity, ph, oxygen content and definately doesn't handle nitrates well. It likes LR and a sand based substrate. What are your tank readings?

Thanks for the welcome. She has now moved but still is right up at the top of the tank like she wants out. The tank is 150g with 40g sump and 20g fuge, it has 5" dsb and 110lbs of rock, sugar size sand except for the top inch which is a little bigger. Amonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, PH 8.2, Calcuim 400, Kh 7, Salinity 1.026. I also have a snail at the top right now. Is my salinity too high?

The tank only has 2 corals (new), 3 shrimp, 10 snails, and 10 bluelegged hermits and the star.

**rayme07** · 03-22-2009, 12:33 PM

Hi Missy I have heard of chocos doing this but not a Orange Fromia. It could be that hes just stressed from the move from the LFS to your tank. Your salinity is fine it normally should be around 1.25 but others may disagree. .

**Missy** · 03-22-2009, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by rayme07

Hi Missy I have heard of chocos doing this but not a Orange Fromia. It could be that hes just stressed from the move from the LFS to your tank. Your salinity is fine it normally should be around 1.25 but others may disagree. .

I hope your right, I guess time will tell.

**Skurvey Dog** · 03-22-2009, 07:15 PM

I'm sorry Missy, but I just don't know what to tell you.

It sounds as though you did right with the acclimation. It is always difficult to tell an animals health short of a visual and behavior. Have you tried to offer her something to eat? Hopefully it's as Ray said and she's adjusting to her new home.

also.... has your tank ever been given copper treatments in the past?

**Missy** · 03-22-2009, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Skurvey Dog

I'm sorry Missy, but I just don't know what to tell you.

It sounds as though you did right with the acclimation. It is always difficult to tell an animals health short of a visual and behavior. Have you tried to offer her something to eat? Hopefully it's as Ray said and she's adjusting to her new home.

also.... has your tank ever been given copper treatments in the past?

She has now moved and is on the glass but still up at the top of the tank. What should I offer her to eat? I have flakes, frozen blood worms or frozen brine shrimp.

**Phurst** · 03-22-2009, 08:05 PM

Fromia's and Linkias in particular have very poor survival rates in captivity. We don't really understand what their dietary requirements are and they pretty much invariably starve over time. If yours has been out of the ocean for a while, it may well be on it's way out.

**Skurvey Dog** · 03-22-2009, 08:07 PM

You could offer her a very small piece of shrimp, clam, or scallop. If you can soak it in garlic it might enhance the offering. She may refuse it because she is trying to adjust, but I'd still offer it. Even though she is a scavenger, supplemental feeding is desired.

**Missy** · 03-23-2009, 01:13 PM

I offered her a piece of mysis shrimp soaked in garlic and I'm not sure if she hung onto it for awhile or if it just stuck to her but then it dropped. She is alive though. Thanks for your help.