Even if your tank is well established, do not introduce a starfish to a tank where copper medication has been used recently. Copper is toxic to starfish.
Most tropical fish tanks should be kept at between 25° to 27°C (76° to 80°F), so you should not have to adjust the temperature much to accommodate the starfish. [3] X Research source
Keeping the starfish in the same salinity that it is used to will require that your other aquarium residents can thrive in that salinity as well. If they can’t, then you will need to adjust the starfish to a new salinity.
In most cases, your starfish will come in a plastic bag. If this is sealed tight, it can be floated on the top of the tank water to equalize the temperature.
Drip lines are typically available at aquarium stores and online aquarium suppliers. They typically come with parts at the end that can control the flow of liquid.
Plan for at least 2 hours when introducing a starfish to its new environment. Starfish are very fragile during the acclimation phase to a new aquarium, and the whole process must be taken slowly.
When you dump out half of the water, put it down the drain, not back into the tank. This will assure that the tank levels remain balanced.
While the starfish should have been shipped in a container that kept it at a reasonable temperature, it is likely that the temperature is not ideal. However, even if the temperature is not ideal, do not speed up the acclimation process. Your starfish needs time to get used to changes, even if they are for the good of the creature.
Adding the tank water in gradually will give the starfish the chance to get used to its new environment.
Removing the water will give you room to add more tank water to the starfish’s shipping container. It is allowing you to continue gradually acclimating your starfish to its new water. You can use the same cup you were using to add water to remove the water.
Then dump half of the water out of the shipping container and begin filling it from the tank once again. Repeat this process several times.
Do not expose the starfish to the air during the acclimation process since starfish are very sensitive to changes in oxygen. Watch to see that the starfish move around on the rock. This could take a few minutes.
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If the creature is less stressed when shipped, it is more likely to survive.
Contact your supplier immediately if you notice anything that may be suspicious or wrong.
