blue starfish in trouble

[badlands25]

So I got up this morning and my blue starfish has a leg hanging off. It is torn from the center down the side of the arm. One of my cleaner shrimp has been picking on the hanging leg. I know that starfish regenerate legs, but I am worried with the shrimp picking at it. Any suggestions?

 

[pillowfish]

Remove the starfish, cut the leg off, dip cut portion in betadine for few seconds then rinse in RO/DI and replace in the tank. It should be fine. The cleaner shrimp is just doing it's job and picking off the dying tissue. If you have a fuge you can place the starfish in there for a few days to recover as well. I had a blue linkia that I did this too and he survived just fine. Good luck!

 

[badlands25]

The tear is starting on another leg. Should I cut off both or hope that the second tear will heal?

 

[MisFit]

Chances are no matter what you do its not going to make it. They are very poor home aquarium animals and pretty much just deteriorate away.

 

[kshliapa]

Chances are no matter what you do its not going to make it. They are very poor home aquarium animals and pretty much just deteriorate away.

I have heard this a lot. Even though I already know the answer, I wonder why so many LFS carry them. The folks at Krystal Kleer in auburn does not carry them, and when I first started in the hobby I asked about them and they said they almost never survive in the home aquarium.

 

[pillowfish]

Chances are no matter what you do its not going to make it. They are very poor home aquarium animals and pretty much just deteriorate away.

Odd. I guess I just really lucked out, mine lasted for four years before the fire.

 

[badlands25]

I wish I would have known that ahead of time! I am holding out hope that he makes it though!

 

[joefitz]

I had a blue linkia for several years. It lost a leg at one point and lasted quite a while after that... Starfish are delicate but I think if you have a healthy tank and are able to take action quickly when things look to be going south, they can last for quite a while.

 

[frank180reef]

I agree I think they fare very poorly in captivity