Blue Linkia Starfish Damaged

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

I copied and pasted these posts from my thread to see if I can get additional feedback.
these posts were from yesterday...

My wife called me a while ago and said a couple of my star fish's arms were damaged like something has been eating it. She thought it was dead. The last time I saw it was 2 days ago. It looked normal then. Later that night I saw it cramming itself into a tunnel in one of my rocks. My wife saw it today coming out of the other side of the rock, damaged on 2 arms. She couldn't see the other arms or the body. There is a small green striped shroom at the enterance of the tunnel. Could it have done the damage? If not, its gotta be poor health or an unknown predator. I'm still at work but ilk get some pics up when I get home. Just thought I would give you guys a heads up.

May have scraped some sharp piece of rock real hard, or maybe a crab???????, they will regrow lost appendages

It is possible because the holwasnt very big. Probably the diameter of a quarter at its narrowest. If it was a crab, I've never seen it or its molt. I had that emerald a while back but evicted it after it ate my shrimp. I figure if it is another hitchhiker like a crab, I woulda seen it by now. I still don't know how bad it is yet.

I came home and could barely see it. It was behind a rock and under a ledge. I had to move the rockwork around to get to it. I was able to gentley pull it off. It didnt put up mich of a fight. It seems most of the damaged tissue is underneath all of the arms, more towart the tips. I initially thought it was dead but it started to move so I put it down. Im not so sure it was self inflicted wounds because it was on all arms but I don't know. I know these don't do well in home aquariums. I've seen it eat pieces of silversides or at least be on top of them on occasion (whenever the BTA drops a piece). Would a starving linkia deteriorate like this? It seemed so rapid. Like I said, It didn't show any signs of damage when I saw it a couple of nights ago. I sampled the perameters...
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: undetectable
Ph: 8.4
KH: 9 dkh
CAL: 440
PHOS: undetectable
MAG: 1275
Temp: 79.9 F
Salinity: 1.026
Last fish addition was the mandy ( Jan 10) after 4 weeks in QT. Last coral addition was Acan (just after Christmas). Had the linkia since Oct. of last year.
No additives to the water. Frozen foods rinsed (Ro/Di) and soaked in Kent Zoe. Ro/Di for top off with the occasional addition of Cal Hydrox (none lately). Water changes done weekley (5gal)
Ill have to watch closely and see if the wounds get worse or heal.

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

I checked on it this morning, before going to work. Its still attached to the rock and has moved a little.
it didn't seem as if the tissue damage was any worse. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Jessie Nicoletti]

just a guess but it could of got caught between rocks causeing the abrasions visable, unless you have a mantid shrimp hideing somewhere and honestly it dosent look like damage done by another animal as the damage would more likely be chunks missing. one way you can tell if the marks are long rather then blotchy it would indicate the starfish pulling away from the rockwork after geting stuck judgeing by the underside of the starfish this seems very likely.

btw incase yall havent figured out i mostly suck at spelling and always miss my mistakes lol

[Parrothead]

just a guess but it could of got caught between rocks causeing the abrasions visable, unless you have a mantid shrimp hideing somewhere and honestly it dosent look like damage done by another animal as the damage would more likely be chunks missing. one way you can tell if the marks are long rather then blotchy it would indicate the starfish pulling away from the rockwork after geting stuck judgeing by the underside of the starfish this seems very likely.

btw incase yall havent figured out i mostly suck at spelling and always miss my mistakes lol

Thats what I said a couple of posts back

[reeferbill]

Hi FoMoCoMasterTeck : I lost a couple of nice red serpent stars to this same type of infection , I hope it stops and heals itself. I now have a maroon bittle starfish thats doing fine. Good Luck and Happy Reefing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

Hi FoMoCoMasterTeck : I lost a couple of nice red serpent stars to this same type of infection , I hope it stops and heals itself. I now have a maroon bittle starfish thats doing fine. Good Luck and Happy Reefing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Bill.