Feather duster

[Mandymae]

I bought a feather duster about two months ago. It looked like it was flourishing. .. can there be more than one worm in the tube?

Does it molt?
It lost its crown about a week after being added to the tank but it has regrown the crown. But now it looks like the actual tube has gotten smaller. The crown is still attached.

Is it dying?

 

[bang guy]

They will try to match their crown with the available food. If food is abundant they will go through the effort to support a very large crown. If food is sparse then they will toss the large crown and grow a smaller one. Of course, the smaller crown won't support a large body so the actual worm will shrink as well.

There is a minimum food requirement so they cannot shrink indefinitely. At some point they will die.

Is it a Hawaiian you have?

 

[Mandymae]

Not really sure what kind but some of the casing came off. It still has its crown

 

[pegasus]

Yep, it's a Hawaiian feather duster. If it still has it's crown, it's alive. I wouldn't worry too much about the casing. As long as it's a healthy worm, it will rebuild it. As BG mentioned, the newly formed crown is smaller, so the worm may shrink in size just a bit. You should feed it occasionally to keep it in good health. Plankton, phytoplankton, and/or marine snow are good for filter feeders like feather dusters. I always mixed phyto and marine snow (50/50) to feed mine. While very beautiful, they don't have a long lifespan. A couple of years or so is a good stretch...

 

[Mandymae]

It's rebuilding it's casing. How cool!

Thanks for all of you

 

[pegasus]

Awesome! That's a healthy looking duster, Mandy! I think it's going to be just fine. Don't forget about supplementing it's diet...

 

[Mandymae]

I usually feed Phyto plankton and I've had the smaller ones in the tank for quite a while that's what made me look into getting a bigger version. But when I changed tanks about two weeks ago and this happen I started to worry a bit. But now being witness to the rebuild I feel much better. Again thanks

 

[pegasus]

I usually feed Phyto plankton and I've had the smaller ones in the tank for quite a while that's what made me look into getting a bigger version. But when I changed tanks about two weeks ago and this happen I started to worry a bit. But now being witness to the rebuild I feel much better. Again thanks

You're welcome. Moving and handling them causes stress, so it's not unusual for them to cast their crowns at that time. It's a huge relief when you see that tiny new crown start coming out, isn't it? You got to witness a tiny fraction of the magical wonders that occur each and every day in our oceans, which is what makes this hobby so attractive.