what the? turbo snail eating my starfish?!

[umbrellacorp]

So i woke up this morning and noticed a bunch of chunks missing from my starfish.. then i look over an hour later and notice one of my turbo snails trying to munch on him.. what the heck!?

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[acroholic]

Might have appeared that way, but Turbos don't eat meat.

 

[umbrellacorp]

i didnt think so.. but i dont have anything in my tank that would eat pieces off my starfish.. at least that i know of..

 

[jennm]

How long had you had the sea star? And how did you acclimate it? What specie is it? Hard to tell from the pic.

Turbos don't eat meat, so I think he accidentally picked up the smoking gun, and got caught with it, so to speak.

 

[umbrellacorp]

its a chocolate chip, ive had him for about 5 days. Hes been doing great.. no problems what-so-ever then this morning i wake up and there are big pieces of him missing and a little piece still hanging off him. I drip acclimated him for about an hour and 10 minutes.

btw Jenn, did my top come in yet?

 

[jennm]

Do you know that Chocolate Chips aren't reef safe? They eat soft corals.

5 days... could be improper acclimation - not necessarily on your part, but if anyone along the chain of custody didn't do it right, it can take several days to a couple of weeks for the issue to become apparent.

Did you compare the parameters of the bag it came in, with yours, to determine how long to acclimate it?

Jenn

 

[umbrellacorp]

no but to be honest.. they had another CC at the store that they got at the same time, i noticed it dead and all melted looking when i go tthis one. But it was is a completely different tank... i just dont see how it can do so well then all of a sudden die. My water parameters are top notch *knock on wood* and no i didnt compare the water, i just always drip acclimate for one hour or until the water level has doubled. They eat soft corrals? You think it might eat my GSPs? They are the only corral i have and the only kind i was planning to get. Other than that, just a couple fish, cleaner shrimp, rose tip anemone, and cleaner shrimp. Plus CUC of course.

 

[jennm]

Chances are the "process" had begun before you got it, it only now became apparent.

Chocolate Chips are usually pretty tough, versus some of the other, more delicate species.

The other one you saw was a "red flag", IMO.

Sorry about your loss - in this instance it's probably not anything you did or didn't do - likely the fault of someone else along the chain of custody.

Jenn

 

[umbrellacorp]

JennM;689234 wrote: Chances are the "process" had begun before you got it, it only now became apparent.

Chocolate Chips are usually pretty tough, versus some of the other, more delicate species.

The other one you saw was a "red flag", IMO.

Sorry about your loss - in this instance it's probably not anything you did or didn't do - likely the fault of someone else along the chain of custody.

Jenn

well i mean.. its still alive and moving around. So im not giving up on him yet.. maybe he will recover. Guess ill see. But hey did u get my glass top yet?

 

[jennm]

It's in the process of dying. Rarely one bounces back and regenerates, but that's the exception, not the rule.

Glass top is still on back-order I've been checking for it but no luck yet.

Jenn

 

[umbrellacorp]

JennM;689246 wrote: It's in the process of dying. Rarely one bounces back and regenerates, but that's the exception, not the rule.

Glass top is still on back-order I've been checking for it but no luck yet.

Jenn

oh okay.. well ill keep an eye on him i guess. you got any other stars in stock? might drive up there to your store then the other one.. isnt it optimum aquarium thats close to you?

 

[jennm]

Optimum and Creation are along the same "path" north on the way to me.

If you keep corals, I wouldn't recommend a Chocolate Chip, BTW.

I don't have any stars in stock right now.

Jenn

 

[jhutto]

It may just be the picture but that star looks very big for that size tank. My concern is will one that size get enough to eat over the long term.

 

[umbrellacorp]

jhutto;689261 wrote: It may just be the picture but that star looks very big for that size tank. My concern is will one that size get enough to eat over the long term.

oh no its just the picture.. he is(was) very small. Only like 2-3 inches from arm to arm.

The thing i like about chocolate chips is that you can just hand feed them. When they're at the top of the tank.. take a little slice of silver side and put it in his little tentacles and he will move it on down to his mouth.

Update though: He was looking very rough last night.. like he was about to just fall apart.. he was still alive but i could tell he wasnt going to make it. So i took him out and put h im in the freezer.. poor thing. I feel so horrible when i have to do things like that.

 

[miami dolfan]

Chocolate chip stars will eat soft corals. I know from experience. I had one for 2 years and never bothered anything until on day, when I saw him perched over my pumping zenia eating away.