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FAQs about Chocolate Chip Sea Star
Behavior Related Articles:
Chocolate Chip Stars, Asterina Stars,
An Introduction to the Echinoderms: The Sea Stars, Sea
Urchins, Sea Cucumbers and More... By
James W. Fatherree, M.Sc.
Related FAQs:
Seastar Behavior, Chocolate
Chip Stars 1, Chocolate Chip Stars 2,
CC Star Identification, CC Star
Compatibility,
CC Star Selection, CC Star Systems,
CC Star Feeding, CC Star
Disease/Health, CC Star
Reproduction, Sea Stars 1,
Sea Stars 2, Sea Stars 3,
Sea Stars 4, Sea Stars 5,
Seastar Selection, Seastar
Compatibility, Seastar Systems,
Seastar Feeding, Seastar
Reproduction, Seastar Disease, Asterina
Stars, Crown of Thorns Stars,
Fromia Stars, Linckia Stars,
Linckia Stars 2, Sand-Sifting Stars,
Is something bugging your Star?
Meiacanthus grammistes (Valenciennes
1836), the Striped Poison Fang Blenny. | 
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Chocolate Chip Starfish Went
Into Overflow Box!! 8/12/09
Hi,
<Hello Mike>
I have an overflow box and my Chocolate Chip Starfish has gone down and
back up. He now sits on top of the inside. Will (can) it get back out on
its own?
<Yes, he got in there, correct?>
I have thought about shutting down the return pump and putting a shrimp
inside the overflow box, to coax it back down and possibly getting him
out that way. Any Suggestion
<I'd do as you mentioned, but would not shut down the pump. Starfish are
great at locating food and the smell of the shrimp will be an invitation
to dinner.>
He's rather large, as big as my hand. He seems to be doing fine in there
but it's not so cool to say you have a starfish living in your overflow
box.:)
Thanks,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Mike Smith
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Question about Chocolate Chip
Starfish – 03/29/09
I have a chocolate chip starfish who has been pretty lazy. But when we
talked to the person we bought it from they said he was very active.
<Generally they only get fast when smelling food.>
So we turned off the light to see if it would de-stress him and he curled up
into a ball. So we turned the light back on and he flattened back out. He
did this a few more days. And then stopped. So today we decided we were
going to change our stupid rock to Natural Coral Sand. And so he curled up
and now he wont uncurl. While he was curled he rolled over so we saw his
underside(stomach?) and something was coming out of it...Is he dead or just
VERY stressed?
<Need more information about your setup, how old is the system, what is in
it, what are the water parameters (e.g. ammonia, nitrates, pH, KH), how was
the star transferred into the new tank, did you give him the time to close
its vascular system? It is possible the star is dying, especially if this
curling up remains unchanged for several hours, but they also lift the ends
of their arms to smell the new environment. Indigestible parts of their prey
are expelled by the mouth in the center of the star. >
Thanks, Michelle and Michael
P.s. The pictures are of him after he was moved. And he SEEMS to have
uncurled a bit...
<Please see here for further information and the environmental parameters to
keep them thriving:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm
and the linked FAQs. Cheers, Marco.>
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Question about Chocolate Chip Starfish II – 03/30/09
I have a 10 gallons tank. There are two live rocks in it, two maroon
clown fish and a coral shrimp. The parameters all read fine(ideal) we
tested them this morning. When we were transferring him, we just placed
the bag he was in and let it sit in the water for about 2 hours so he
could get used to the different temps. The system is about two weeks old
now.
<The system is too small for this sea star species. It is also very
young, which makes it very difficult for a Chocolate chip sea star to
survive. Please also see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimat.htm and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimcrllgtfaqs.htm for proper
acclimation e.g. drip acclimation. Adjusting temperature is fine, but
not enough for many invertebrates and aside the young age of the system
likely a cause of its curling up reaction. Nonetheless, I do wish you
luck with your star, hopefully it is possible to get him and the clowns
into a bigger home in the long run. Cheers, Marco.>
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Chocolate Chip Starfish Question, beh. – 08/31/07
Hello!! First of all, Thanks for taking the time to read this. The
site is wonderful!
<Wunderbar!>
I just bought a Chocolate Chip
Star yesterday and honestly did not know as much as I thought I did.
<Isn't life grand?>
(I don't suppose that is unusual here is it?)
<Heeee heee! Far from it>
Anyway, Once I acclimated him he went
down on a large rock then slid off and promptly went over to my
camelback shrimp (kind of snuck up on it actually) then once the
shrimp skittered off he headed to the side of the tank and promptly
climbed to the very top. He has made almost a complete lap around
the tank (55 gal) and still is right up top. Literally with one arm
upside down and his tubes out of the water and moving. Is this
normal?
<Mmm, yes... normal for a stressed specimen... in a
setting it's trying to escape>
I have seen that it is for some
stars but was unable to find if the Choc Chip was one of those
species. I know the movement is but what is up with that arm? I had
seen this particular star fish at the store for over 2 months and
his behaviour has been similar but I never noticed the arm in that
position before. Currently the only thing in the tank with him is
the shrimp. The set up is fairly new (about 2 months) with my going
VERY slowly and checking all levels frequently. Also is there any
one thing in particular that can help ensure this creatures
survival?
<All sorts... Live rock for one... refugium, DSB,
macroalgae...>
How long should I wait before I try to introduce
any thing else to the tank?
<A couple weeks...>
Thanks Again!
Melissa
<Please (re?)read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ccstarbehfaqs.htm
and the linked files
above. Bob Fenner>
Chocolate Chip Star Question, beh. – 08/31/07
Just
thought I would add that I did see this question:
Chocolate Chip
Starfish 11/29/05
Hey Bob,
<James today>
I just bought a
chocolate star fish and acclimated it right and I just wanted to
know it is normal for them to get to the top and have two arms above
water? I am assuming that it would not do this if it wasn't going to
survive. Am I right? Please email me back.
Thanks, Jake
<Jake, nothing out of the ordinary, no need to worry. In future
queries, please do a spelling/grammar check before sending. It takes
much more time to respond to the query as we have to edit these
before they are posted in the daily FAQ's. James (Salty Dog)><<RMF
disagrees... behavior indicative of something wrong... trouble>>
However I was curious as to the disagreement.
<<As it states...
seastars that approach the air-water interface are signaling that
something is amiss... Water quality of some sort usual>>
Also,
http://wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm appears to have nothing but
pic on it.
<<That's all there is thus far. BobF>>
Thanks
Again,
Melissa
Re: Chocolate Chip Starfish Question 9/1/07
Bob~
I
had already read the behavior FAQ's. Thank you for the direct link
however. There have been some positive signs with the chip; Last
night once I turned out ALL the lights. I do mean all!! LOL
including the T.V. the only light was coming in from the street
through the window although it did allow me to see a little bit.
Anyway, the chip came down and did a pretty good exploration and
stayed down for most of the night.
<Good>
He made a thorough
trip of the live rock starting at one end of the tank and basically
going to the other end all along the length of the rock. He then got
about 3 inches up on the back glass and cruised back around the tank
staying at that level.
I thought that was encouraging. Today
however finds him back in his position. I have noticed though that
the arm is no longer out of the water with the tubes moving. It is
curled over though. I had planned on doing a 10% water change today
as well as trying to hand feed him. Do you think 3 days is long
enough to have waited before trying to feed him directly or should I
have done so before now?
<I think it's time now>
Also you
mention a refugium. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with
that and the idea scares the hell outta me.
<A step at a time...
read for now...>
Can you point me towards a refugium for dummies
reference so that I can at least begin to make a bit of sense out of
it?
<Mmm, WWM has pretty good coverage... though tis easier to
see written out in a book for now... Reef Invertebrates by myself
and Anthony Calfo... the first quarter of this work is pretty much
dedicated to refugiums>
I should point out that the tank was
started with AragAlive 75 lbs and crushed coral 30lbs which I
allowed to cycle for almost 2 months. I also used the instant ocean
salt. Since then I have added 50 lbs of live rock.
I definitely
want to add some Maiden's hair but at this point I am scared to
death of doing too much too soon. I apologise if I am asking the
same old questions.
Thanks again!
<No worries... take your
time. Bob Fenner>
Re: Chocolate Chip Starfish Question 9/1/07
Bob~ He
moved right onto the shrimp and is happily eating. I am afraid I may
have given him too large a piece though. Should I just let him be?
<Yes... will eat its full... Don't feed for another week or so...
then a smaller amount ongoing>
Dunno why I keep referring to it
as a him. :)
<Echinoderms are separate sexes... perhaps there are
elements of its appearance, behavior that reflect your judgment as
being "male">
Once again Thank You so very very much for your
help!!!
<A pleasure. BobF>
Re: Chocolate Chip Starfish Question - 9/3/07
Bob~
Thanks
so much for your wisdom!! I watched the chip for the last few days
and he seems to be doing fine. Although I had noticed him with his
belly out quite a bit trying to feed. I went ahead and gave him a
small piece of shrimp. I took some pics of him eating. Thought you
might enjoy them.
Melissa
<Very nice; thank you for this
update. BobF> |  .JPG)
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Question re CCS beh. 12/14/06
I just purchased a ccs and have
noticed that when I shut the light off he curls his leg up but if I turn
it back on he flattens out is this normal
--schouinard
<Not
atypical behavior... You have read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ccstarbehfaqs.htm
and the linked
files above? Bob Fenner> Starfish being Starfish - 03/02/2006
Dear WWM Crew, Every so often my Chocolate Chip Starfish attaches to the
live rock. Is this ok?
<Uh...yep. Just walkin' around.>
Thanks
for the information.
<Sure. - Josh> Chocolate chip sea star
2/26/06
Dear Mr. Fenner, <James with you today Linda.>
I have
had my chocolate chip starfish since April '05. He is currently in a 16
gal aquarium with a Rusty Dwarf Angel, a tomato clown, and one turbo
snail. <Much too small a tank for these fish.> At first, the starfish
was very active - moved all over the tank - sides, rocks, filter,
plants, anything at all. When I dropped in food, it moved quickly
toward it. For about 2-3 months, I have noticed a drastic decrease in
his activity, and lately, he hardly moves at all - what I would call
"failure to thrive." His appearance used to be okay, but this week he
looks smaller, and his arms are curled up at the tips. He "appears" to
eat - shrimp pellets and pieces of cooked shrimp that I place right next
to him. The water quality seems OK - pH, alkalinity, nitrites, and
nitrates are in range, although I do keep the sg a little low - about
1.019 - 1.020. I would greatly appreciate any help you could offer to
save my sea star. <Well, since you have had him since April 05 it
appears he was shipped and acclimated well. I'd get the SG up to
1.024-25 for starters and ensure food is available on a daily
basis. The size of your tank doesn't help much since starfish are very
sensitive to water parameter changes which will occur in a 16 gallon
tank, especially one that is overstocked with fish. Read here for more
info on starfish. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seastars.htm
Thank you, <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Linda Kozlowsky
<Ahh, the co-star in the Crocodile Dundee flicks.>
CCS During
Tank Cycle!? - 02/20/2006
My boss just got a new aquarium about
a week ago, and so far it seems everything has been running fine, but
recently I noticed our Chocolate Chip Starfish hasn't been as active as
usual and he's taken to curling up his arms and just staying like that
for hours.
<This tank hasn't even been cycled yet! This starfish is
doomed.>
I removed him from the tank and in the net he straightens
out his arms but when we set him back in the aquarium he curls up
immediately. For a moment the tank was too hot so we lowered the temp,
but nothing has changed. All of our other fish (eel, puffer, wrasse,)
have been just fine.
<This will change.>
Please help. Thank you!
<Wish I could! Please review WWM on tank cycling. These fish should be
removed if they are to live. - Josh> 2 sick starfish... CC
health, beh. 2/14/06
Hi i am a new saltwater tank
owner. I have had my bigger cc starfish for awhile now, but here lately
it is acting strange. It curls up, it takes his legs and like puts them
all in the air. What does this mean?
<Usually either that it's
looking for food, oxygen, or taking a dislike to conditions>
My
other star looks like its decomposing the little things inside its leg
are turning white and some of its skin is coming off what should i do?
<Look to improving the above>
sorry for the lack off terms i am new
to the hobby
<No worries. Have you read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm
The linked files... in
blue.
Bob Fenner> Chocolate Chip Starfish 11/29/05
Hey Bob,
<James today>
I just bought a chocolate star fish and
acclimated it right and I just wanted to know it is normal for them to
get to the top and have two arms above water? I am assuming that it
would not do this if it wasn't going to survive. Am I right? Please
email me back.
Thanks, Jake
<Jake, nothing out of the ordinary,
no need to worry. In future queries, please do a spelling/grammar check
before sending. It takes much more time to respond to the query as we
have to edit these before they are posted in the daily FAQ's. James
(Salty Dog)><<RMF disagrees... behavior indicative of something wrong...
trouble>> Chocolate Chip Starfish
I recently
had to move my tank. In doing so we removed some of the water. Our
chocolate Chip Starfish fell off the wall during the
process. Everything was fine at first. Then we notice the crab over by
him and the starfish was turning white. He has gotten himself back up
on the wall but he is still white where his black spots were. Can you
tell me what's wrong with him and is there anything I can do for
him? Thank
<Hmm, he may have been stressed, but falling off a wall
or any object is normal activity for starfish at times. Was the crab
attacking him? If he is back where he wants to be he should regain his
normal coloration. This could be the normal result of thinking he is
under attack and being disrupted. These starfish are quite hardy. They
do need regular feeding of meaty foods like shrimp, (a small piece of
regular prawn), etc. and they are very vigorous eaters. They are not
reef safe but fine for fish only set-ups. I hope he is getting
better. Craig> Seastar Staying Put (3/2/04)
Hello!! It would take me a dictionary size document to tell you all
the help you and your website have done for me and my aquatic
friends. I have a 44 gallon saltwater tank, presently its only
occupants are a Chocolate Chip Starfish <Nice, reasonably hardy seastar.
I have been enjoying mine for more that six months now.> and a false
Percula. I lost a Yellow Tailed Blue tang after a long fight with Ich.
(my fault for not recognizing the problem and solution earlier than I
did). Either way, my Chocolate Chip Starfish for the last week has
stayed in about the same place for about a week. Prior to this he was
all over the tank! (as I've heard they are prone to do) Should I be
alarmed? He seems to be eating well and he is moving about, just in
about a 4-5 inch radius. Any help would be appreciated! Could the Ich
have gotten him? <No> From what I've heard they are not susceptible to
Ich. <Correct. Echinoderms do not suffer from the same parasitic
pathogens as fish.> I had to quarantine the Percula for about a month
because he was starting to show signs of Ich. All of those signs have
been gone for a little under a month though. <fingers crossed> Anyways,
thanks for your website!! You've made this hobby an even more enjoyable
experience <A pleasure for all involved. I've learned a great deal here
too. As for your star, I would not be overly concerned if it moves about
some, is eating well, and appears normal. It may just like things where
it is, especially if you're hand feeding it in the same spot all the
time. They are trainable. I'd suggest a check of all the key water
parameters to be sure. Maintaining pristine water conditions is very
important. If everything appears fine, then no need for hasty actions
yet. Just keep taking good care of your tank and all should remain
well.> Shawn
Starfish Stomach Eversion (2/24/04)
Sir,
<Just Steve tonight>
Sorry, the last email I sent I forgot the pic.
Anyway, what
is this starfish doing? I have 2 other chips in the
tank.
These 2 hang together all the time. What is that stuff in
the middle of it? This "stuff" got a lot bigger than this pic
shows.
This is wild!! Thanks, Craig Cornett
<Your starfish has everted its
stomach. This is how they eat. I'd bet it found something on the glass
it wanted to eat. They evert their stomachs around the food and do a
good portion of their digesting outside of the body before sucking
everything back in. I suppose this could also be a response to stress,
but if conditions in your tank are good, I would expect this star to
pull it's stomach back in and move on within 24 hours.>
Chocolate Chips (3/8/04)
Hi. <Howdy. Steve Allen tonight.> I
have had a chocolate chip starfish <Protoreastor nodosus> for 2 months.
Recently, I have noticed that it's "chips" are turning from brown to
almost black and I also noticed that it has a "bubble" on its arm. What
is causing his "chips" to turn color and what is the bubble?
Please
let me know. Thank you. Cori <Well, darkening of the "chips" is
probably not a problem if uniform and if it's eating & acting normally.
I can't really say much about the "bubble" without seeing it. Can you
send a digital picture? I am concerned that this could be an infection
or parasite.>
Dropping Chips, or Friends Off at the Pool?
Starfish
>I have a chocolate chip starfish. the other day I was
looking in the tank & I noticed he had part of a point missing! I'm not
really sure how it happened. I don't have any type of fish that would
attack it. (I made sure of that when I bought it) my biggest question..
will it live, & if so will the point grow back or will he just have a
lil nub?? Angy
>>Angy, starfishes are among the most delicate
creatures we can keep in our tanks. Even very small changes in salinity
can cause their demise. What you must determine is whether or not the
animal appears to be disintegrating. If so, it is dying, and you must
make sure you've got the best water quality possible to help it along.
If it isn't disintegrating, then chances are it got itself caught
somewhere, and just needs time to heal. With good water quality their
regenerative abilities are almost as amazing as those of sponges. Marina
Upside-Down Chocolate Chip Star (7/25/04)
Every morning my
starfish is laying on its back. We give it time to turn over but it does
not seem to want to or able to. Is this normal? Does this mean something
is wrong with this Chocolate chip starfish? Should we continue to turn
him over or leave him alone?
Thank you for your help! Sincerely,
Robin Hirschi
<Well Robin, where does he start out the night before?
It is rather common for stars to fall off of the glass, especially in a
high-flow tank. However, they can almost always right themselves because
they are impressively flexible. I do find that they have a much harder
time righting if there is not a nearby rock or glass to grab. Lying flat
on its back on sand, it may not be able to right. If it appears intact
and healthy and moves normally and eats well, then it is likely OK and
it should be fine for you to turn it over as needed. Hope this helps.
Steve Allen.> Lethargic Chocolate Chip Star (1/23/04)
I've read through just about everything I could find on your website
about chocolate chip starfishes (and there was a lot) and I am still not
certain what is wrong with mine. My starfish has been rather lethargic
for about two weeks now. I have a 55gal aquarium with the starfish, a
Clarkii clown, 5 small damsels, and a peppermint shrimp. The salinity is
1.023 and the temperature is 78.
I have had the starfish for about
6 months now. He is not missing any limbs or any pieces, he's his normal
color, but he won't move. I have tried placing food beside him but he
will not go to it to eat, so I have had to put him on top of it. <Does
he eat it then?> I know starfish move slow, but this one has only been
moving about an inch per day. I have noticed very tiny spots of a red
colored algae in the tank recently, is this a sign of a bad water
condition that could be affecting my starfish? <Could be that your
nitrate level is high enough to be toxic to it. I'd check ammonia,
nitrite, nitrate, and pH for sure. A water changes would be a good idea,
maybe 20-30%. Just make sure you keep the SG the same. Also, if the pH
if out of whack, fix it slowly. Sea stars are very sensitive to changes
in SG & pH. That said, it can be very difficult to figure out what's
wrong with a sea star. Hope this helps, Steve Allen.>
Chocolate Chip Questions (11/21/04)
Hello, <Steve Allen today.>
I just recently (about three days ago) purchased a chocolate chip star
fish and for the first few days he was all over the tank but today he
didn't move as much and for about the last few hours he seems to get
bloated (in the middle) and then it will go away and now he was bloated
but it looked like it moved to his arm is getting swollen. Is this
normal? Thanks, Brittney <Sounds like it might be eating some sort of
chunky food. They will remain still over food for may hours while they
evert their stomachs and digest their food. They often pull a chunk of
food inside themselves, thus causing a large bulge. This is most likely
what is going on, in which case it will start moving and shrink down
again as it digests the food. If not, then you will have to consider
other possibilities. Let us know.> Chocolate Chip Star Problem?
(6/14/05)
I purchased 2 ccs fish 6/13. <Chocolate Chip Starfish
per your e-mail subject line. I would not know that by the term "ccs
fish."> The smaller one is all over the aquarium, but the larger one is
just sitting there. His chips seem to fold up in the middle until I pick
him up then everything seems to go back to normal looking. Is he just
stressed out to the new aquarium or should I look for something else
wrong? <Impossible to say for sure. Did you acclimate slowly over
several hours, as starfish require? Starfish aren't always active, and
may sit in one place for a while. Try to feed it and see what happens.
Keep a close eye on it. BTW, these are voracious eaters that are not
reef-safe and need to be in a fairly big tank long-term. Hope this
helps, Steve Allen.>
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