Fishing Q&A

how often does a red general star fish eat? I have a forty gallon tank...I've had the star for a 8 days.?

I'm worried that it's not eating. I have meaty and waffer (veggie) food. I've tried placing the food in the middle of the star only for it to stay a little while then the star pushes it out and I find the food on the bottom of the tank.Is this normal or should I not worry and it will eat when it's ready.I have other fishes and live and dead rock.my tank was just cleaned about two weeks ago and I have a shrimp, hermits and snails.The tank temp stay around 79 degrees.

Public Comments

1. though that is a while, it's still not cause for much worry. Give it time. I would also check with the store you bought it from and see what they were feeding it. Some animals get hooked to one particular type of food. (you may have to switch to some type of frozen food like sardines, anchovies or squid)
2. He should be eating everyday. They are carnivores (meat eaters). They are not reef safe due to them eating clams and things. Maybe go the your local fish store and pick up some clams or mussles and see if he wants something live to eat.
3. It's not normal for them not to eat. Rather than pelleted food, have you tried a piece of something meaty (shrimp, krill, squid, fresh fish)? I'f also advise checking the other water parameters - especially ammonia and nitrites (both should be = 0), nitrate (less than 30, even lower is better), pH (8.0-8.4), salinity (1.024-1.026). If the problem is water quality, especially since you have a small tank, I would suggest cleaning and water changes of about 25% every week.
4. i wouldnt worry to much about it not eating for these few days, and yes clams, scallops, oysters, and cocktail shrimp should be offered about 2-3 times weekly