Star fish help, falling apart

So I bought a purple star yesterday, the store said linkia, but from my research true purple linkia's are very rare. It was a somewhat large star, 6-7 inches across. He was healthy looking in the store.

When I got him home I dripped acclimated him for 4-5 hrs, way longer than I was told needed. I put him in the tank without being exposed to air and when only the actinic lights were on. He quickly clung to a large piece of rock and was clearly moving around on it throughout the evening.

When I woke up this morning he is still attached to the same rock but in different places. The star has split into four pieces, by shedding 3 of its five legs. The weird part is all the pieces are still clung to the vertical parts of rock. The largest piece with two legs is still moving around the tank.

The areas where the legs split are obvisously open, but seem to already be somewhat covered with new flesh.

The only thing I could think of that affected it was kalk dripping. I dripped 3/4 of a gallon of saturated kalk over night. 2 tsp per gallon. I know the drip did not get out of hand and dump because it was still at a slow drip 1/sec in the morning.

Is this normal, is my starfish giong to make it, or do i need to take it out.

Tank parameters b4 addition

ammonia 0
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
phosphate 0
dkh 8
ca 420
mag 1425
salinity 1.025
ph 8, but stable

all parameters were the same in the morning when i tested.

I'll be really po'd if this thing does not make it, it was not cheap.

 

it sounds like its spltting (reproducing) but a picture would be very help full if you can

 

Unfortunately it sounds bad. I would remove it.

With a Linkia it could have been so many things. Shipping stress, acclimation stress on and on and on.

If the starfish was down stream from the alk drip for any period of time, I can see that being an issue as well.

 

I thought that is how linkia's reproduce? I could be wrong though



Did your look like this before it fell apart? If so its a purple linkia

 

My wife said it was together in the mornin when she left at 0600 when i saw it at 1000 it was in the four separate pieces. Iknow they can regenerate, but have read it is very rare in home tanks. I would find it extremely unlikely that within 24 hrs of buying it and acclimating it my parameters are so ideal that he split to 4 pieces.

As said in the emergency forum the only piece that is moving is the main body with 2 legs. Even though the other pieces are still attached they area not moving and begining to ooz so ill be taking those out.

I'll keep watching it, but i think its dieing quickly

 

Yes, you are correct it's one means of reproduction.

The problem I see is that it broke into multiple pieces, not a good sign. It happened quickly after introduction to the tank. The overall size of the star fish with some if not all decaying parts could compromise the water quality.

I am the last person to lightly say, just assume the worst and remove it. A few arms may stay what appears to be active for awhile, I might keep one put it in the sump.

Hopefully someone else will chime in with a success story but IME it did not end well for the starfish.

 

I agree, i dont think hes going to make it. he was 50$ so i figure each leg i flush is a 10$ bill. He's now down to a 20$ piece.
I would rather take teh loss than risk losing other tank inhabitants

 

Starfish is out of tank completely in a quarantine bucket of tank water. I literally watched the main body shedone of the last two legs. As it climbed to a new rock it had to bridge a 3 inch gap of sand. It grabbed it with one arm and began to pull itself to the other side. It left one of the legs on the original rock. As It pulled over, it separated itself from the the leg.

I removed the old legs first, all the legs and the main body were still very attached to the rock, but the ooz was coming out more and more.

Im no expert but in my minimal experience. Anything that degenerates that fast is not good.

I put it in a bucket to observe for a while but i have a feeling it will be toilet water in a few hours.

 

Sorry about the loss, I know that pink4miss has had success with blue linkias, which are probably just as hard to keep. Send her a PM and see if she'll tell you about it.

 

i think it will be a while b4 i try again. That was way too fast.