melev

I'm folding laundry while watching tv when suddenly I hear some type of rumbling sound. Quickly pausing the show, i tried to ascertain the source of the noise, but none of the pumps sounded abnormal. I head over to the other end of the tank to check the Vortech pumps and it does sound like one is louder than expected, but not the noise I heard at first. As I peer into the dark reef, I see my red serpent starfish heading away like a wounded animal, pulling itself across the sand with four legs. I saw the stump were leg #5 should have been, and with a flashlight I can see the fifth leg whirling around within the MP60 strainer basket.

I feel badly for the starfish, but odds are it will recover and grow back that leg. It was interesting how it chose to head away from the pump at such a swift pace, considering they don't have a forwards nor backwards sense of direction like we do. It may be thinking retreat, but it just seemed to be very directionally oriented.

The leg was extracted from the pump and the flow has resumed. I left the leg in the tank, but don't expect any life to sprout from that segment.