Chocolate Chip Starfish won’t eat
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2351
Printed Date: January 13 2026 at 2:01am
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Topic: Chocolate Chip Starfish won’t eat
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Subject: Chocolate Chip Starfish won’t eat
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 2:14pm
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I have had my starfish for about 4 months. He stopped eating krill a few weeks ago, and now he looks smaller and his color is fading. He used to eat every couple days and hang out on the glass, but now he just lays on the sand bed with his arms curled up. Does anybody have any feeding suggestions? ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Replies:
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:04pm
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Have you tried other foods? ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:14pm
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I don't know what else he can eat, what do you suggest? I don't want him to starve. ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:16pm
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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. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: chrisslc
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:20pm
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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) ------------- Murray, Utah just north of the park. "It's all the same to the clam" -Shel Silverstein |
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:23pm
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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. ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:24pm
I have never heard about Chocolate Chip Stars eating other starfish. In the wild the are opportunistic feeder and will eat almost anything. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
chrisslc wrote:Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:27pm
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I tried to feed him ghost shrimp yesterday without any luck. He doesn't seem to have a appetite for anything. ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 3:57pm
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I just tried to feed him a piece of frozen scallop under his leg but he won't move it at all. ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: chrisslc
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 4:22pm
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.... ------------- Murray, Utah just north of the park. "It's all the same to the clam" -Shel Silverstein |
Posted By: tomason
Date Posted: April 16 2004 at 5:44pm
It could be that "he" isn't a "he" but rather a "she." If so, then she's probably just about sick of seafood and just wants some chocolate. 
-Tom |
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 17 2004 at 7:44am
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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? ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: Skyetone
Date Posted: April 22 2004 at 10:13pm
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so what ever happened? I just got two today......... ------------- I will just give my warning that your system will flood, bulbs will burn out, and things will take continuous maintenance... get over it. Magna |
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 23 2004 at 12:11pm
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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? ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: April 23 2004 at 3:09pm
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He probably didn't "have" anything. He most likely was slowing dissolving away. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Skyetone
Date Posted: April 23 2004 at 4:14pm
I hope your kidding.... DESOLVING AWAY???????? ------------- I will just give my warning that your system will flood, bulbs will burn out, and things will take continuous maintenance... get over it. Magna |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: April 23 2004 at 4:25pm
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I don't think Jake was kidding, because I agree with him. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: fishgirlheather
Date Posted: April 23 2004 at 5:47pm
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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. ------------- 55G barebottom reef w/ dual 250 watt MH 45 pounds LR, 3 Damsels, Green Spotted Puffer, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Dusters, Sun Polyps, various mushrooms, zoos, leathers, softies, Lps, and SPS |
Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: April 23 2004 at 11:16pm
| On one of the National Geographic specials they showed a starfish disintegrate on timelapse film. It was pretty icky, but still rather interesting to watch. |
Posted By: Weimers
Date Posted: April 24 2004 at 8:06am
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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. ------------- Renee and Damon Weimer Tankless in Hawaii |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: April 24 2004 at 8:40am
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Renee, Yes Sea Stars is a much better term. Would you believe that our first newsletter way back 8 years ago was called the SeaStar.... and here we are 8 years later and most stores still sell them as Starfish. Oh well. I'm not sure what the taxonomic division is, but in general brittle stars have long skinny appendages, joined to a small oral disc. Other sea stars (which I don't think have a cool name) are wide bodied, and the appendages usually are wide enough to join each other, where they connect to the central oriface. This sounds confusing, but basically them fat stars are seastars, and the skinny legged stars are brittle stars. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: Weimers
Date Posted: April 24 2004 at 8:50am
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I usually see brittle stars among the LR in peoples' tanks, so they seem fairly self-sufficient. On the board, it sounds like seastars need feeding (shrimp, scallops, etc.). We got a seastar from Arjen about a month ago. When we put him in the tank, he sunk himself below the sand. I've seen him about 4 times since then. He's white, and seems to come out just after "sunset," when the actinics are on. He walks along the sand a ways, and then sinks again. Usually in an area where the sand is pretty dark. Does it sound like he's doing okay? I tried to feed him a little piece of shrimp one day, but he didn't care. He was on a wandering mission. I gave the piece to him 3 times, and he cruised over it. Is that bad? ------------- Renee and Damon Weimer Tankless in Hawaii |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 24 2004 at 11:16am
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I'm sorry to read of the problems Fishgirlheather is having with Sea Stars. Sea Stars have particular nutrient needs that may not be fully recognized. Unfotunately they are too easy to lose and too easy to replace.
Fishgirlheather has had two that died. At what point do we admit that we don't know enough about providing for their needs and ought to be more careful not to buy something that we cannot adequately support in the long term? Goniapora/Flowerpot coral, Cleaner Wrasse, Scooter Blenny, Mandarin Goby and the Nudibranch are examples of other organisms that also fall in this category at various times in various tanks. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: April 24 2004 at 1:03pm
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Renee, you have a sand sifting star. He likely won't be interested in anything you feed him. They sift through the sand and find what they want there. I understand they eat the "good" things in the sand so it's not a good idea to have to many. I keep 1 in my 180 gallon tank and probably won't get anymore. Every now and then if you keep an eye out you may see him cruize up the glass. Mine almost made it to the top of the tank yesterday, but it didn't last long. Next thing I knew it had let go and was floating to the substrate. Within 5 minutes he was buried to the point I couldn't see him anymore. I think they are pretty cool myself. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 24 2004 at 1:33pm
Will, I would ask myself if it was searching for food?
 Has anyone tried burying same small pieces of shrimp in the sand and watching to see if the Sand Sifting Star goes after them?
You know how they say that a chick must poke it's own way out of a shell or it will later die. I wonder if feeding some Sea Stars makes then weak and die? In the wild they have to exert great force to pry apart a bivalve to eat it. A fun thing I used to do at the MFSI was to bury Miss Dwight's food in the sand and watch her root for it. Miss Dwight is the 30" Nurse Shark I caught and delivered to the MFSI. I wonder if she is still alive? I hope so.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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