Any feather duster experts out there?

[theclemsonkid]

I know that feather dusters are a good filter feeder, and that they help keep the balance of the tank.
But for whatever reason, they have TAKEN OVER my tank wherever there is coral. I have watermelon zoo's, button zoo's, mushrooms and a few star polyps. In some places you can't even see through to the coral, because there is a layer of feather dusters. It's kind of gross. Like a never ending, tangled web of dusters and their respective tubes.
So I have a few questions.
1.) What would cause the huge outbreak?
2.) What do they feed off of?
3.) What, if anything, can I do to get them to not disappear entirely, but at least cut back. Because it's starting to become a problem.
As far as water specs, the trites and trates are both normal, the ammonia is fine and the SG is a little low at 1.019 or so. The pH is also a little low at 8.0. Could any of these things be factoring in, and if so, what can I do to fix it!
I certainly appreciate any help or tips you guys may have!

 

[gman20001969]

How many did you have after the first breeding? I only have one that I got a few weeks ago, but it looks like it's splitting into more than one duster...

 

[bang guy]

Just like all Bristleworms, populations are defined by the number of predators, the reproduction rate, and the amount of available food. To alter the population you need to affect one of these three factors.
Food - It varies from specie to specie. Most of the dusters common in our reefs eat either bacteria, phytoplankton, smallish zooplankton, and/or detritus.
A mechanical filter will remove most of the food for dusters that eat detritus or zooplankton but if your specific duster can eat phyto or bacteria then the population may not decline by only adding a mechanical filter.

 

[rotarymagic]

how is the pod population doing? copepods feed on phytoplankton so if you increase that population, it may help outcompete the feather dusters and reduce their numbes... You could always employ temporary predation i.e. non reef safe wrasse, but that's risky haha.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Personally, I would start pulling them off rocks and reselling them to your local fish store. If you don't want them, I'm sure someone else will. Gives you a little extra money in your pocket to pay a bill or buy a new coral