My sand-sifting star got sucked into my SEIO!!!

[Porkibear]

I walked into my office this morning and made my regular round of checking the tank first thing in the morning. I find my sand-sifting star HANGING from my SEIO with three of its arms sucked deep into the intake slits!!!!! OH NOOOOOO!!!!

So I unplugged the SEIO, and the star was still stuck in the intake slits. I gently rocked the starfish back and forth to see if it would become dislodged. At first inspection, the arms didn't seem badly damaged, but when it became fully released from the SEIO it looks like there's more damage. Two of its arms are heavily damaged up to about 30% of the arm length. The third arm that was stuck in the intake is damaged only at the tip.

I gently placed the sand-sifter on the sandbed, and it seemed like it started moving. After watching it for a while (I'm still watching it right now), it has climbed vertically to the base of the front wall of the tank. Seems like it's still "alive", but not moving as fast as before. I see its little tentacles under the arms are moving.

Do you think the starfish is going to make it???? =(

[SaltyDr]

Starfish can loose their arms and they will regrow. As long as he's still moving I would expect him to make a full recovery.

[AZDesertRat]

I would venture to say if he was up out of the sandbed crawling on the glass he was already starving and looking for food. Unfortunately, its probably not long for the world no matter what you do.

[barbra]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10074921#post10074921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Porkibear
Seems like it's still "alive", but not moving as fast as before.

Of course not. Let's remove a few of your legs and see how you do :)

[Porkibear]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10074997#post10074997 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AZDesertRat
I would venture to say if he was up out of the sandbed crawling on the glass he was already starving and looking for food. Unfortunately, its probably not long for the world no matter what you do.

I've already had the starfish for about a year and a half. It's grown quite large compared to the size I bought him at, so I think he's been pretty well fed from the pods in my tank. I rarely see it climb the walls of the tank...usually it just goes back and forth along the sandbed and finds a good place to sink into it.

[Porkibear]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10075008#post10075008 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by barbra
Of course not. Let's remove a few of your legs and see how you do :)

Poor little guy....I hope he makes it. =(

[AquaReeferMan]

It should. They regenerate their arms so give it some time. What has me confused is why a sand sifting star was climbing on the glass.

[Porkibear]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10075157#post10075157 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AquaReeferMan
It should. They regenerate their arms so give it some time. What has me confused is why a sand sifting star was climbing on the glass.


Hard to say why it would be climbing the sides of the tank. I've only seen it do that maybe 3-4 times in the past year and a half, so when it DOES do that, I'm always watching it. Since I'm usually not in the office on Sundays, I don't really know if it climbs the glass more often than what I've witnessed.

Right now, I'm watching it as I'm typing, and it's moving fairly well. All its "feet" are out, but the damaged arms are curled upwards a bit. *ouch*....

[trae]

[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10075239#post10075239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Porkibear
[B]Hard to say why it would be climbing the sides of the tank. I've only seen it do that maybe 3-4 times in the past year and a half, so when it DOES do that, I'm always watching it. Since I'm usually not in the office on Sundays, I don't really know if it climbs the glass more often than what I've witnessed.


Mine has done this a lot recently. I want to say because it's hungry, if that is the reason then thats bad for the star.