Moral dilemma on a dying animal

[tzylak]

When I got my tank several months ago I got talked into getting a Feather Star. -A beautiful creature that should have never been picked off the ocean floor and now is starving in the aquarium environment.
Well, after 3 months is now starting to fall apart driving the nitrate way up.
Do I:
1. Leave it in the tank and deal with the water changes?
2. Acknowledge the proximity of its demise and remove it from the tank?
3. Put it in the QT tank for the duration of its existence?

Yeah, this is an individual decision kind of thing but I am reaching for advise from those who have dealt with this issue.
Thanks!
Tom

Fish: 1 Ocellaris Clown, 1 B&W Clown, 1 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Fire Shrimp, 1 Corral Banded Shrimp, 1 Arrow Crab, 2 Peppermint Shrimp, bunch of Bristle Worms and CUC.
Reef: 150 lb. Sand, 70 lb. Rock, Frog Spawn, Button Polyps, Mushrooms, Kenya Trees, Feather Star, and several aiptasias. . . .
Tank: 50g hex, overflow, 20um filter, 23 gal sump, 2 pumps, 3 in-tank circulators, 5 UH fluorescent, chiller 650, heater 150W, skimmer 65, I got it on 7/18/2014 but it has been established for over 15 years!!
BTW, Getting the Feather Star was an ignorant rookie mistake on my part. . . .

[Royce7586]

For the sake of your other animals I would remove it and dispose of it I don't know if it can experience misery but put it out of its misery

[gone fishin]

unfortunately I would go with option 2.

[shesacharmer]

Yes, that's sad. I got an RBTA as a newbie and in less than 12 hours it was stuck inside my powerhead being chopped to bits. Of course it wasn't dead when I found it but there was no way to remove it without doing further damage so I had to just cut it up and out of there and get it over with. Sucks making those kinds of mistakes at a creature's expense.

[albano]

unfortunately I would go with option 2.

+1... Hopefully others see this, and don't make the mistake of purchasing these stars.

[Jeff210]

Euthanize it...

For the sake of the creatures that are still thriving...

[Crooked Reef]

#2. If you are truly unsure if it will make it in a different tank you can try to give it to your lfs or another reefer with a super large tank in your area. I don't know what they eat but it may be something that someone else has in their tank.

[Pomacanthus1]

If it's half-dead and decomposing then it's a lost cause, get that thing out of there! You might have gotten it out if ignorance but now you can be responsible and think of all the other livestock in the tank that's being put at risk for no good reason.

[graemeh]

Welcome to fishkeeping. Unfortunately one day you will have to kill one of your pets. This seems harsh but if there is no chance of recovery you need to end its suffering.