My Urchin is Eating my Starfish!

[Finn]

Well today the pencil urchin is going to our LFS. He officially ate the starfish. He hunted him down a few nights in a row, munching on several legs, and finished the job overnight.
He certainly didn't do it due to hunger, he was well fed. Just hand a hankering for a starfish I guess.

No more pencil urchins for us!

 

[DianaKay]

Sure can't say that I blame you one tiny bit for returning the pencil urchin!

I was just about to add pictures of my (NEW-ADDED TODAY) Tuxedo Urchin to my tank thread when I saw your post.
I hope "Tux" loves Bryopsis & GHA...if so, He will be my favorite CUC.

 

[Oxylebius]

Sorry for missing this, was offline for a couple of weeks. Sorry to hear about your sea star. Urchins are omnivores for the most part. So, yes, urchins will eat a variety of things including stars. They will also eat critters that are already in decline.

 

[Tiffany000]

So I have a beautiful cushion starfish he is red and white. (Not the knobb) he has always been very active. I noticed for about 4 days he crammed him self into a corner up against the heater. I could not get him to eat and it appeared like the sides of his legs where possibly getting burned by the heater because the red color was turning white. I have had him for about 2 months. I got a purple urchin about 1 month ago and they have been leaving peacefully until yesterday. While my starfish was in that corner. The urchin began to eat 2 of his legs at once! We where able to separate them I put the starfish is a hard to get to spot in the tank. He looks sick his color is awful and won't do anything this morning he was where I put him just laying up side down. As far as the urchin he ate a 3 inch by 3 inch section of alge every day and ate one of our snails. Why would he do this? Could he sense something wrong with my starfish? And what is wrong with my starfish. I would hate to see him die but that's what it is looking like.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

Hopefully soon can advise on the why...

 

[Oxylebius]

Yes, many animals will take advantage of a sick or dieing tank mate. There was obviously some wrong with the star before you saw any signs on it. As you say, it became inactive and crammed itself in a space behind the heater. The urchin was taking advantage of that (and the snail as well). A healthy star and healthy snail can run away and keep their distance from an urchin. But, it sounds like this didn't happen.

What are your water quality parameters (we want numbers)? If you are loosing stars and snails, you may want to look into water quality.

 

[Manbearpig]

So i have a sifter starfish and a pencil urcin.
Well i came home from work one day and the pencil urchin had the star by one of his legs. He was holding him with his little dull spikes. I didnt interfere as they are both cheap and well...i didnt wanna upset my urchin because when i first got him he didnt move for 2 weeks. Also i didn't think it was eating him alive at the time...figured he was just checking him out. The next day the starfish was in pieces. Leg here leg there...does this mean im gonna get a few more starfish from. All the pieces? Anyways, it was pretty strange.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

does this mean im gonna get a few more starfish from. All the pieces?

I don't think so...

to RS

post us some pics !

 

[StevesLEDs]

To get more starfish from one, you'll need to split it where each leg has a piece of the core intact. They you get multiple starfish that will regenerate partially. I'm not sure I've ever seen one fully regrow to the exact size of the original.

-Jeff

 

[Uncle99]

While some may disagree, I have found out over the years that urchins are like crabs in as much as they can and will eat anything it can catch, even eating the hard purple algae on rock. Starfish, yup, will eat them. Had a horseshoe crab years ago and the urchin ate right through the shell. Avoid unless you have a fish only tank and stick to the long spine urchins.