melting chocolate star... no data, reading    6/26/09
Your website was the only site with any helpful information about what was happening to our star. we did everything that your site said pristine hospital tank, antibacterial added. i have only one question has any
chocolate chip star recovered?
<? Rarely>
three of his legs are nearly completely melted the other two on their way.
this morning it was only one leg. it was so fast. he still raises his legs, should we try to feed him? usually when he raises his legs he wants to eat.
thanks Pam c
<A poor species for aquarium use... and you proffer no useful data. Bob Fenner>

Six-legged Chocolate Chip Starfish - 05/14/09
Hi!
<Hello Savanna.>
I have a few questions concerning my 6-legged chocolate chip starfish.
First of all, is it common for them to have 6 legs?
<No, very uncommon for this species.>
I happened to find mine while I was walking through a pet store, and he caught my attention because of his extra leg and very distinct chocolate chips. I have him housed in a 29-gallon tank that also has 2 false
Perculas, one red honey damsel, a mandarin goby, a couple very small hermit crabs, and a few turbo snails. I've been giving him one frozen krill 2 times a week, along with a mixture of flying roe fish eggs, marine cuisine, and formula 2. Is this a good enough variety or should I be adding something more to his diet?
<Should be sufficient. For its natural diet please see
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm .>
One last thing is I am considering getting either an electric flame scallop or a clam and am wondering if my ccs is going to be a threat to them.
<Yes, as well as a possible threat to corals and other slow or sessile invertebrates.>
If you could please get back to me on these questions, that'd be great! :)
Thank you, Savanna
<Welcome. Marco.>

Star fish... CC, reading, gen.    4/9/09 Hi. <Saludo> I have a starfish that I have not been able to identify. He is shaped exactly like the cc star but is a beautiful red/ orange color. <Mmm, could still be a Protoreastor nodosus... Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/seastars2.htm> If you can help me identify the guy I'd truly appreciate it. <A photo? Need this... > Also, I have been reading through your site looking for more information about the white patches that have appeared on it's body. He/ she has been falling off the glass lately and been unable to get back upright. <... very bad> It is eating frozen krill (which is all I've been able to locate in our area to feed him/ her) <Insufficient> and is very active once I put it back in the upright position. The tank which houses him is 80 gallons or so and all the levels are good. <?> I typically give ¼ water change every other week and also supplement trace elements weekly. I feel that I am an experienced aquarist and have had little to no problems maintaining aquariums for 18 years however this guy has me stumped. Please help us. Thanks D <Help yourself. Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> Re: star fish, ID plus, P. lincki    4/10/09 Here's a pic of the star fish in question. Water conditions in 80 gallon tank Salinity 1.025 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 10 Ammonia 0 PH 8.2 Temp 76 Feeding him 3 times a week the krill and sea veggies. Thanks again for all your help <Oh! Another of the same genus... Is where you were referred previously to read. Go there. BobF>

Chocolate Chip Starfish... gen. bio. questions... no reading  4/7/09
Hi,
<Hello>
I am doing a biology presentation for my university's General Biology Lab.
There are a few questions that I could not find on the Internet, so I was wondering if you all could help me. I was wondering if the Chocolate Chip Star had an obvious history, what exactly defines echinoderms
<See any good biology book or even Wikipedia for echinoderms or Echinodermata and their symmetry and organs.>
, what exactly defines a starfish,
<See above.>
why do the stars climb to the top of the aquarium and bend over the edge but yet they don't climb out of the tank,
<Most likely eating biofilms at the water surface.>
where can you find these stars in the wild (ex. range map?),
<See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm .>
and what animals are they prey to?
<See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/chocchipstars.htm too.>
I know that is quite a few questions but those are the main ones I have yet to find research on. If you could help me out at all, I would be forever grateful. I like to get my answers from accredited people (or I could be shallow and make them up, but I am not so I am asking). Thank you, Halee
<What you ask is mostly already answered on WWM, I hope you find the references above useful. For more details see the literature at the end of our Protoreaster nodosus article. Cheers, Marco.>

Re: Sick Maroon Clown... Now CCstar hlth.   4/17/08
Would you suggest putting the star back in the tank where he came from? I had him in a 8g bio cube and he did great. How do I help him? I read that page you sent to me and there is nothing about a brown balloon looking pin head on the outside of his body.
Spencer
<Keep reading... re CCstar Systems... B>

Chocolate chip sea star... reading    10/6/06
Hi,
<Salud>
I have a Chocolate chip sea star and he seems to be getting lethargic and skinnier.  He also has a tear between two of the legs.
<Bad indications>
its pretty big  and I thought he was dead but when I moved him he was moving his legs.  I  am not sure what to do with it.  None of the other fish
<?>
seem to be  bothering it.  Can the tare heal itself?  What do you think?  Let  me know.  Thanks.
Sandra
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ccstardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>

Chocolate chip starfish help Fish Stocking   4/21/06
Hi,
   My chocolate chip starfish has been in my 29 gallon tank for a couple of months now. It is fed properly and everything... I feed him tuna chunks.
<... just like in the wild...>
I noticed this morning when I fed him that he is peeling off his underbelly. It is white underneath and i am worried. Is he sick or is this normal. He crawls around the tank as normal but I don't know what to do. I have a 12 gal. tank with nothing in it but cycled water. Should i put the starfish in there....and if so what should i treat him with?
Thanks a bunch!!
Clarissa
<... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ccstardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

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.>

I just started a S/W/ tank (about two weeks ago), today I bought a CCS,  - 01/12/2006
<Chocolate Ship Star? Not easily kept...>
I read a lot of the Q & A that were posted about CCS.  Now I wish I would not have bought him,
<What would your granny say? "Look before you leap?">
sounds hard to keep them healthy.  The pet store where I buy all my stuff has been very helpful, but they did not tell me that I have to feed him anything special.  Do I?  
<... posted>
I have a 46 gallon tank with two clownfish, 3 damsels, a tang and a sea urchin.   Is just the algae enough for him!!  I feed the tank flakes and shrimp brine?
<How would I/we know what you feed?>
Thanks,
Melissa
<Will likely perish... go, read "small sweet one"... on WWM. Bob Fenner>

Chocolate Chip Starfish  12/12/05
Hello, <Hello Penny> I was wondering, I have a chocolate chip star fish for about 6 months now, he has always moved about, but now for the past 4 days he has not been moving but maybe an inch. I picked it up and the bottom was all closed and I started to rub him a little and it started to open up and the little feet started to come out, so I put it back on the coral and its still not moving.. what could be wrong and what can I do?  Please help..<Penny, have you placed some food under him such as a small piece of prepared food (frozen variety)?  I'm thinking this guy could be starving.  Am posting a link on the chocolate chip starfish for your reading.  http://www.google.com/custom?q=Chocolate+chip+starfish&sa=Google+Search&sitesearch=wetwebmedia.com  James (Salty Dog)> Penny

Chocolate Chip Star Fish  9/26/05
I have three questions 1st question is: Can small hermit crabs be a threat to Chocolate Chip Star Fish or can the hermit crabs be kept with them? <Yes>
Second: What is the minimum size tank suggested for keeping one Chocolate Chip Star Fish in? <I'd recommend a minimum of 10 gallons, reason being that starfish are very sensitive to changes in water parameters which can occur easily in smaller tanks.> and my 3rd question is :  Can Brittle Stars be kept with the
Chocolate Chips ones? <Yes> If you can get back with me on these questions I appreciate it a lot...just having a lil difficulty and need few answers on what
I asked Email back A.S.A.P and thanks a million !!! <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Chocolate chip star problem... are problems  8/14/05
We have had our tank up and running for about 3 months.  All of our fish are thriving beautifully as well as our sponge and 2 anemones.  Our chocolate star however has been developing white spots in the last week and a half or so and today I noticed a "film-like" substance on his underside, covering his mouth and a lot of his feet.  It has veiny looking lines in it an looks like it might spread.  I was wondering if you could help me out, if you had ever seen anything like this and if you could give advice.  He is my favorite of our stars and I would hate to lose him.  Also, if you don't think there's much I can do, how should I "put him out of his misery" so to speak? Thanks for your time.
-Courtney
<... up to you. Please read here re this species, use in our interest: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/chocchipfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Chocolate chip starfish
We have 3 CC starfish in our tank (sorry I don't know the size my husband's the one who set it up and maintains it).  One of the starfish recently started looking shriveled on two of its legs , eventually he looked so sick we removed him from the tank.  Any ideas what caused this and should we be concerned about the other two?  We have had all 3 for about a year and no new fish or other creature have been added to the tank recently.  Thanks , Kim 
 <<Kim, a common problem in tanks where 10% weekly (or equivalent) water changes aren't being made to replenish the trace elements most animals require.  I'd also add an iodine supplement weekly.  Starfish are sensitive to changes in pH, oxygen, and specific gravity.  This tends to cause rapid bacterial infections that cause necrosis of the legs or whole body.  I'm thinking this is what you are seeing.  It's a good idea to place small bits of crab/clam meat under the star weekly to make sure it is getting enough food.  James (Salty Dog)>

Dying CC starfish
I have had a cc star for about a month.  I have a 12 gal.
<Too small for this species...>
Eclipse system that has been up for a year.  I have 2 yellow-tail blue damsels, 1 hermit and a  Strawberry Pseudochromis.   One of the chips has fallen off of the cc star.  I placed him in a wire dome in the center of my tank to keep him from biting.
<What?>
Is he going to die anyways?
<Maybe... please read on WWM re CCS... they rarely "make it" in captivity>
In your opinion, should I avoid adding another starfish (of any kind) in this small environment? If I did can it eat regular fish food?
<... please read re asteroids period... on WWM. Bob Fenner>
Sorry for my ignorance- Mel

Star dying and clownfish purchase
Hey crew, I must first off say that your website is a godsend and I use it all the time.  Two quick
questions.  One my CCS has not been doing good and some of his skin had been opening. I know that
Starfish diseases are almost always irreversible but to make matters worse this morning when I turned on my lights I saw that my poor CCS had two legs stuck in my powerhead water intake and he is in bad shape.
Infection is imminent I believe from the looks of him and I was wondering what could I do with him.
<If possible, isolate this specimen...>
I don’t want the possibility of unneeded infection in my tank. Are there any ways of peacefully "putting him down"?
<Place in a plastic bag with a small amount of water, put in freezer...>
Also, question number two.  I was interested in purchasing a clownfish for my LFS but there are two
small regular clowns, I cannot remember whether they are ocellaris or percula.  They are tiny, probably
not more than and inch in length.  Would they be too small for my 29 gallon tank (30"long x12"wide x18"deep)?
I currently am housing a 2 inch Banggai and a 3-4inch engineer goby, which is doing good and I noticed that its coloring is changing from the horizontal stripes to the vertical bands % Coloration I believe).  I also have a Mithrax crab, 2 turbo snails, and 4 hermit crabs. I feed my fish the San Francisco Bay Brand Saltwater multipack, which I soak in Selcon nightly before feeding. Any thoughts or suggestions on these two topics would be greatly
appreciated.
Cheers, Aaron Loboda
<The clowns are not too small... I would keep an eye on the Mithraculus and Hermits... Bob Fenner>