skunk shrimp eats the linkia What the heck!

[SharkLover]

I must be blind because I can't find a single thread talking about skunk shrimp feeding off Linkia sea stars and at the moment my shrimp is having a field day with him. I'd say that he's splitting but sitting home last night I watched him peck at the white portion.

 

[marine mike]

My guess would be the Linkia is having issues and the skunk is doing his job cleaning him up or at least trying to. I've never seen a cleaner go after anything healthy, but once they have a problem they will move right in. I would not be surprised if others soon follow as well, hermits etc. Linkias can be on the fragile side and cleaners will go after damaged areas trying to help.

 

[Joel A]

My guess would be the Linkia is having issues and the skunk is doing his job cleaning him up or at least trying to. I've never seen a cleaner go after anything healthy, but once they have a problem they will move right in. I would not be surprised if others soon follow as well, hermits etc. Linkias can be on the fragile side and cleaners will go after damaged areas trying to help.

i've never personally seen or heard of that with cleaner.. at least not like i have hermits, but that really is the only explanation that makes sense to me as well...

skunks don't just attack things out of the blue...

 

[fanaglethebagle]

The linkia is probably on his way out and the cleaner is taking advantage.

 

[this is me]

I agree with everyone else. The problem with having scavenger like nasarius snail, cleaner shrimp, bristle worms, etc. is that once they sense the rotten smell, they're go straight for it. And if the victim is not healthy enough to pull itself together, it'll end up eaten as well.

 

[JohnK]

Yea, what they all said. Linkas have a tendency to die in captivity quite frequently. IMO that's probably the problem here

 

[SharkLover]

When i took him out of the box overnight shipping he had a spot of white torn away. its been getting worse

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Anthony, I hate to say this but your tank is still very young. Even if the star was already damaged, adding it to a system that isn't mature may have been a big part of the problem.

 

[SharkLover]

Anthony, I hate to say this but your tank is still very young. Even if the star was already damaged, adding it to a system that isn't mature may have been a big part of the problem.

I waited 3 months , I honestly do not know what the good time to wait is for an established tank. Is 3 too short for a tank to establish, not fully of course.

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

At least 6 months before adding high dollar/delicate inverts/fish is average.

 

[JohnK]

And to add,

it's often reccomended to wait much longer before adding Linkas specifically, as they depend on bacterial slime and other foods that take an extended time to develop in a captive system.

 

[SharkLover]

Thanks all for the information. I'll be taking this new information very seriously as i'm very serious about the nature of keeping animals. Sad to say that last night the linkia passed. I promise I will not make the same mistake twice.

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Don't beat yourself up too bad. Everyone here was new to this at one time. We've ALL made mistakes.