FishyCat

I have a 12 gallon Nano. I was given a serpent star fish that was doing really well until yesterday. I found it in one the back chambers on the far right. It was really diffficult to get him out. Getting the top off is not as easy as it sounds. So, after lights out I check on him and found him back on top of the sponge filter. (This was only a few hours later.) At least he was easier to get back into the tank and I didn't have to remove the lid again. He has never done this before. His cave buddy, a strawberry crab, died and did not smell very good to say the least. So, maybe he went on this little trip while the cave "aired out"? There was a slight rise in the ammonia levels but it's back to zero again. Any thoughts? BTW, he was back in the cave when I got up this morning. Thanks in advance.

Wolfgang8810

starfish especially serpent stars are sensitive to ammonia levels and oxygen levels they really dont like change of any kind eg: SG ammonia o2 nitrate so i think he was just a little bit stressed also they shouldnt be exposed to air. Just keep an eye on him and hope for the best

sirdarksol

Yeah, if the starfish is climbing out of the water, it's trying to get away from something, likely poor water quality. Starfish live in tide pools, and when the tide goes out, the pools can be pretty small. The only time a starfish would leave such a pool is if it is either starving or suffocating. Keep the water quality good and it will probably stay in the water. (By the way, it's a good thing the lid is tight. Starfish are escape artists.)

FishyCat

He was never out of the water thank goodness. After the strawberry crab died there was a small ammonia spike, it went from 0 to .25 for about a day. (Took care of the spike as soon as I found the crab.) But they shared the same cave so that's where the spike started. So, I think he wanted away from there until things were back to normal. He hasn't done this again and appears to be back to normal. Thanks for the advice! I was just afraid this might become a common practice for him but at this point he doesn't seem interested in anymore.