Chocolate Chip Starfish won’t eat

Have you tried other foods?

I would go to the grocery store and buy some raw shrimp (tiger shrimp works well) and cut it into pieces.

The love it.  If he still doesn't eat you may want to test you water. 

Thanks, I'll have to try that. My water tests were all right around perfect and I would think the other inverts would be more sensitive to the water quality, but I'll check again.

I tried to feed him ghost shrimp yesterday without any luck. He doesn't seem to have a appetite for anything.

Jake Pehrson wrote: chrisslc wrote: I may be wrong, but don't chocolate chip stars eat other stars? would it be a good idea to offer it some mini-stars? or perhaps a sacrificial part of an arm of any other types of stars? (this sounds a little sick but I know of people who do it to feed sexy shrimp) I have never heard about Chocolate Chip Stars eating other starfish.  In the wild the are opportunistic feeder and will eat almost anything.

Ok, So I just ran through the internet to see if I could find why I thought they were starfish eaters, one in 8 links mentioned starfish eating and I'd say the more reputable ones said they were pretty safe for other mobile inverts. The majority consensus seemed to be that they would eat clams, scallops, and soft coral though. maybe you could feed it some corals.... if your priorities are so inclined .

Edited by chrisslc

When I looked at him this morning, one of his chocolate chips had fallen off, and three of the other ones have a white tip. They look like somebody bit them off but no invert has been near him and the fish have no interest in him. Should I move him out of my display tank?

He died a few days ago. He was covered is some sort fo white stuff and his legs were eaten off. I know nothing else could have got to him because he was by himself. Now I'm worried about my other fish and inverts. Does anybody know what he could have had, and how to treat it?

I hope your kidding.... DESOLVING AWAY????????

I have had a starfish dissolve before, and this one definately had some kind of bacteria covering it, but thanks for all of your help in trying to save him. I just hope whatever killed him doesn't affect any of my other fish or inverts.

Fishgirlheather, I am really sorry to hear that he died.  Those chocolate chip starfish are really neat.  Does anyone know of a good website on the care of starfish?  Actually we're not supposed to call them starfish any more - right?  Arjen mentioned to me that they're now known as sea stars or brittle stars.  Am I safe in assuming that the sea stars are the smooth kind and brittle stars are the ones with spiny looking "burrs" on their arms?  I'm so clueless on these wonderful creatures.  I need to learn.