My Coch Chip ate my sandsifter star : (

[RLLEMMON]

My choc chip star ate my sandsifter....is this usual and will it hurt him ? Is he going to eat others in the tank as well? I have a decent amount of cleaner snails , crabs, clams , previously the sandsifter as well

[ToddTT]

No first hand experience, but here is some info:

Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)

It is not reef compatible, as it will eat soft corals, sponges, tubeworms, clams, and other starfish. It can grow up to 15 inches in diameter, so is only appropriate for very large aquariums.

On the flip side, some crabs will harm the choc chip.

What else is in the tank? Fish? Corals? Anemones?

[RLLEMMON]

Right now its fowlr, I am not to the experience level id like to be at for trying anemonies and corals, but when I do I know my star cant live with them. For now I have 2 black percula, 1 Hawkfsh, 1 Engineer Goby, 1 sea urchin, Choc Chip star,3 peppermint shrimp and an assortment of cleaner snails and crabs etc. I am new at this and have depended on honest advice. I want to eventually get an anemonie for my clowns , but not very soon. I will have to trade the choc chip in at that point ,or start a second setup ... if I decide to try.

[ToddTT]

I am new at this and have depended on honest advice.

Assume that anything your local fish shop tells you needs to be double-checked. Some of them are knowledgeable, and some can be trusted, but all of them want to make money.

Never purchase livestock without having researched it first, including asking questions on forums like this.

LiveAquaria has a lot of decent info on requirements and compatibilities:

Saltwater Fish: Marine Aquarium Fish for Saltwater Aquariums


You want to get these two books:

Find The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists (Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional) 2nd Edition 2008 Robert M. Fenner 1890087998 9781890087999 - Direct Textbook

Find A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species 1999 Scott W. Michael 1890087386 9781890087388 - Direct Textbook


And you want to read every sticky on this forum of course!

[ToddTT]

2 black percula, 1 Hawkfsh, 1 Engineer Goby, 1 sea urchin, Choc Chip star,3 peppermint shrimp and an assortment of cleaner snails and crabs etc.

Beware that hawk. What kind is it?

Hawkfish

You may start to notice shrimp and snails disappearing. And make sure your goby has a lot of hiding places.

[RLLEMMON]

Its odd that I should find this forum and then all hell brakes loose. I just ( literally ) flushed my hawkfish...I dont know what happened, I was watchig him move about and literally looked away and then looked back, and he was dead. My clowns are acting strange ...staying at the top sucking air. And the goby looks weak, moving with the current in the tank. I just tested my water this afternoon and all was well....amonia was a little high but nothing serious, they gave me amonia lock and I brought home some bio media for the filter on my powerhead. I dont know what is going on but that is all that is new...oh and I did add buffer, as advised. I am not sure what to do but assuming that its the water somehow, I just took a gallon of natural live salt water and placed them in that, what can I do right now if anything for them. this has to be something with the water...eventhough they tested it today and it was quite normal.I know it matters so I will add that the tank has been up for 6 months. It wouldnt have anything to do with the new star would it? He is fine and quite healthy.

[RLLEMMON]

Beware that hawk. What kind is it?

Hawkfish

You may start to notice shrimp and snails disappearing. And make sure your goby has a lot of hiding places.

He Was A Falco Hawkfish, really fun to watch

[ToddTT]

I just tested my water this afternoon and all was well....amonia was a little high but nothing serious, they gave me amonia lock and I brought home some bio media for the filter on my powerhead. I dont know what is going on but that is all that is new...oh and I did add buffer, as advised. I am not sure what to do but assuming that its the water somehow, I just took a gallon of natural live salt water and placed them in that

Ammonia should be undetectable. Did anything die in the tank, prior to these new, sudden deaths?

Changing the bio media could impact the bacteria concentration, and cause spikes in ammonia and nitrites. What size is your tank, and do you have live rock? How much?

Fish are sensitive to any sudden changes, especially PH and temperature. What buffer did you add, and how much?

If you removed the remaining fish from the tank and placed them in a gallon of natural saltwater, that is another sudden change, and a lot of stress. Are any still alive today?

I would have recommended identifying the source of the original ammonia, and doing a large water change using a quality salt mix, following the advice for water changes in the forum sticky.

If you have more questions, and you should, fire away. And good luck.

[ToddTT]

My choc chip star ate my sandsifter

Was your sandsifter alive when the choc chip ate him? Could he have already been dead for some length of time?

Also, what are your water change and feeding regimens? How often, and how much?

[ToddTT]

This thread has moved to:

Sudden Total Chaos

[leebca]

the Choc Chip Star is a strick carnivore. The Red Star is not suitable for aquariums anyway -- we really don't know how to keep them alive for very long.

This Choc Chip Star will eat any flesh it can get a grip on. Loves clam meat BTW.

[RLLEMMON]

Ammonia should be undetectable. Did anything die in the tank, prior to these new, sudden deaths?

Changing the bio media could impact the bacteria concentration, and cause spikes in ammonia and nitrites. What size is your tank, and do you have live rock? How much?

Fish are sensitive to any sudden changes, especially PH and temperature. What buffer did you add, and how much?

If you removed the remaining fish from the tank and placed them in a gallon of natural saltwater, that is another sudden change, and a lot of stress. Are any still alive today?

I would have recommended identifying the source of the original ammonia, and doing a large water change using a quality salt mix, following the advice for water changes in the forum sticky.

If you have more questions, and you should, fire away. And good luck.

Tank is 100 gal, Live rock approx 50 lbs + ....
The buffer, Seachem Marine Buffer, 5 tsp
The sand sifter died when the choc chip ate him but I removed asap
They are alive, I returned them to the tank when they perked up...so far I only lost the Hawk fish, and all in the tank look well
I buy my salt water by the gallon at the shop...I thought it was better than mixing it myself ?

[RLLEMMON]

the Choc Chip Star is a strick carnivore. The Red Star is not suitable for aquariums anyway -- we really don't know how to keep them alive for very long.

This Choc Chip Star will eat any flesh it can get a grip on. Loves clam meat BTW.

I have never owned a red star......

[RLLEMMON]

Was your sandsifter alive when the choc chip ate him? Could he have already been dead for some length of time?

Also, what are your water change and feeding regimens? How often, and how much?

I suppose its possible, But I had just seen the sifter moving about aprox an hour earlier...I change out 25%