HELP!!! Something wrong w/ my brittle star

[pikelk]

Ok, so my brittle star has been coming out a little more everyday while the lights are on for about the last week. During this time I noticed that he has gotten very large since I purchased him almost a year ago. Well I got home last night and noticed that four of it's legs were spread around the sand in my tank. WHAT HAPPENED???

I tested my water and everything is perfect. Salinity, ph, temp, nitrates, etc. I can't find the actual body anywhere. When I tried to remove the legs from the tank, they moved!!! VERY SCI-FI and I gotta admit it really freaked me out. Nothing new has been added to the tank for some time. I just cannot understand what has happened that all of a sudden he fell apart. Any insight?

Also, should I remove the creepy legs?

[sir_dudeguy]

what else is in the tank?

[maroun.c]

Isn't that how they reproduce?

[Scuba_Steve]

Stars do that for a few reasons, but usually when they are not happy, and something is wrong to them. BTW, as long as the legs have part of the central disk on them, they will all grow new legs and become full stars again.

[hogben]

This is now a four star thread.

[pikelk]

It's only a 12 gal aqua pod so I have a bubble anenome, mushroom, 2 percs, 1 coral beauty, zoo frags, small watchman goby and a small toadstool leather.

BTW the legs have this white fluffy/gushy stuff at the tops...would that be part of the disc?

[ludnix]

I'd be willing to guess that might be part of the disk. I think you should wait it out and see if they start to decompose (which should be pretty easy to tell and if so remove them).

[sjfishguy]

You have 4 fish and an anemone in a 12g tank? Not saying this is the reason, but that is a pretty big bioload.

[pikelk]

Ya, but if that was the case than wouldn't the amount of fish & anemone have affected it like 6 months ago when the last fish was added? They are 4 very small fish & anemone.

Everything else checks out...water wise.