Starfish are some of the most beautiful creatures that the ocean has to offer. Therefore, hobbyist see this invert and immediately wants to own it! A home aquarium is a perfect place to house this creature for a healthy and happy life. The sand, rocks, and walls provide a perfect place for the starfish to graze for algae and other food! However, the starfish can sometimes require a ton of attention to make sure they are happy and healthy. For example, some species of starfish need almost perfect water parameters to stay alive. However, some hardy starfish exist, such as the sand sifting starfish. It is crucial to research the starfish that you are buying. Ask your local fish store as many questions as possible to make sure your aquarium is a good fit for a starfish.
The best part about starfish is that they can live with just about anything in your home aquarium. Most of the time, starfish are a fantastic fit for housing with corals. I have personally tested the two together, and the results were perfect! I have even kept a horseshoe crab with a serpent and sand sifting starfish! You may not believe it, but I even housed a baby shark with a starfish!
I wouldn’t recommend this because as fish get bigger, they tend to become more aggressive! However, starfish can go with almost any community fish in a saltwater aquarium! Unfortunately, they are relatively sensitive to water parameters. You may notice your starfish not acting the same as it usually does. When this occurs, the starfish usually stays in one place. The odd behavior drives the hobbyist to ask themselves, why is my starfish not moving? Keep reading to see the answer below!
Reasons why Your Starfish not Moving?
When you notice your starfish not moving, the worst thoughts come to your head. However, the best tactic is to remain calm and diagnose the issue so that you can fix it! On this list, we will be going over the possible reasons why your starfish is not moving. I have owned about 15 starfish in my life, so I want to provide the knowledge and experience I have on them! Here is the list of reasons why your starfish isn’t moving!
The Starfish is Dead
We started with the most extreme case since it’s the most obvious. This outcome is the most unfortunate, but it must be tested to make sure your starfish isn’t dead. If your starfish have gone several days without moving, the most likely situation is that the fish is dead. You can check this by carefully reaching into your tank and placing your hand on the aquatic animal. If your starfish doesn’t move after touching it, the fish is most likely dead. After touching a live starfish, they tend to move as a defensive instinct. In their eyes, you are the predator, and they are trying to get away from you! Usually, a dead starfish is relatively obvious to the human eye. A dead starfish has skin that is falling apart and looks putrid.
A dead starfish usually has a disgusting smell that is almost unbearable. To test the smell, take your starfish out of the aquarium. If your hand stinks, the starfish is most likely dead! If you place your hand in the aquarium and the starfish moves, you have some studying to do. Keep reading for other possible explanations for your starfish not moving in the home aquarium.
The Starfish is Eating
The concept may seem elementary, but many people don’t know how starfish eat! When starfish eat, they tend to stay in one place and graze on the food they consume. When the starfish isn’t moving, the starfish may be dead. However, this aspect is not the case! The starfish are enjoying a delicious meal! After a couple of hours, the starfish will soon start moving again.
The longer that the starfish is staying stationary, the bigger the meal is for the fish. For example, if a fish dies in your aquarium, the starfish will be on top of the dead fish until the dead fish is gone. The cleanup ability makes the starfish one of the best clean up crew members available for an aquarium. The starfish has a diet that consists of mostly algae and leftover food in the aquarium. When having a saltwater aquarium, this fish should be one of the first ones you get!
Excessive Flow
Starfish don’t like excessive flow in the water. The fish prefer a home aquarium that offers a slow water flow that allows them to move around freely. If the water flow is excessive, starfish will remain in one place. Like the ocean, the starfish are often present in crashing waves. During the crashing waves, starfish stay present and wait for the waves to stop. However, in a home aquarium, there are no waves in the tank. The only water flow is the water flow device that acts as waves in your aquarium. If the excessive water flow doesn’t stop, the starfish will be stressed out and begin to stop moving. If the aquarium continues to have excessive water flow, the starfish’s life will result in death due to stress. Therefore, it is crucial to limit the amount and rate of water flow that is present in your home aquarium.
The Starfish is Stressed
When starfish are stressed, they begin to stay in one place. Like a pet dog, when healthy, they move around a lot. However, when stressed or sick they tend to stay in one place. Starfish are the same when it comes to stress! Different situations trigger various levels of stress. If stress levels become too high, it becomes unbearable for anyone. Therefore, if the starfish is stressed, they should be placed in a better environment. Check your home aquarium for water parameters to see if the tank is healthy. If the water parameters are off, make sure to conduct a water change of 30 percent to create a better environment.
In Conclusion
Starfish are some of the most beautiful creatures that the ocean has to offer for a home aquarium. Therefore, most aquarium hobbyists want to house one at their own home. At times they can be difficult to keep because of how to delegate they are to keep.
One day you might find your starfish not moving in your aquarium. If the starfish isn’t active for a couple of hours, you most likely have nothing to worry about. However, if they haven’t moved for a couple of days, this may be a bigger problem. If there is a disgusting smell, inspect your starfish to make sure the fish isn’t dead. If the starfish is barely alive, go to your local fish store for an immediate diagnosis on why the starfish isn’t moving. Going to your local fish store for a diagnosis might save the fish’s life. We hope that your starfish will be okay! Send us a message if you need help diagnosing the problem!
