I don't think your source of ammonia is the starfish. If your tank is showing nitrates then the cycle is well on its way. A small amount of ammonia like you have can linger in the tank for a few weeks before it seems to "break", but I am not convinced as there is so little live rock in your tank. Even the 17 ppm of nitrates seems questionable to me. Let us know what the LFS says about your testings. The dip strips that you are using aren't very accurate, and I have never liked API, others do though. Hopefully your LFS will use high-quality test kits like Elos or Salifert.
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~ Mindy
SPS fanatic.
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