Feather duster-dead or alive?

[olga]

For a last 24 hours my feather duster have not hid his head. When I get my hand near it, it does not do it either. Its still attached to the rock. How can you tell if its dead or alive, or whats wrong with it?

 

[mrdc]

One of my feather dusters never retracts unless I put my hand on it. I would think it's alive as long as it's out but I have never seen one dead so I am not sure what to expect.

 

[sarwiz100]

It should be alive. We just had one just like that throw it's crown and die. It happened in the middle of the night and don't know what got it or why. Found the worm part being eaten by snails and removed it. Our other dusters are ok so I don't know what happened.

 

[alyssia]

Olga, I have 8 feather dusters and some of them retract easily and some don't. It is probably fine.

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by sarwiz100
It should be alive. We just had one just like that throw it's crown and die. It happened in the middle of the night and don't know what got it or why. Found the worm part being eaten by snails and removed it. Our other dusters are ok so I don't know what happened.

Have you checked your water parameters? They will throw their crowns and abandon their tubes if they are stressed.

 

[sarwiz100]

Water params are am=0 ni=0 na=1to5 ca=400 alk=9.8dKh Io=.08 Ph=<.5 Sg=1.025 (refractometer) temp =77 to77.5 f pH=8.2 125 gal modified reefready w/2 maxi 400's, 1maxi 600 on wavetimer, 1 maxi 1200 on spraybar, rio 1700 pwered skimmer (don't know the brand, bought used) quietone 4000 return pump, 20 gal sump 2 diy coil denitrators (tested and adjusted) auto topoff , using ro water from glacier machine(tested for am,ni,na,pH etc.). We have blue xenia,pompom, anthellia,colt coral, frogspawn ,cataphyllia, rhodactis, zoanthids, poly's, montipora, alveopora,about 125 to 150 lbs lr, 4" to 5" dsb, 1 royal gramma, 1 lawnmower blenny, 2 neons, 1 sixline wrasse, 1 mandarin,1 yellowhead, 1 electric scallop, 1 green brittlestar, 40+ dwarf hermits (reds and blues), 20 nassarius,10 conch,20 or so astreas, 2 cleaner shrimp, 4 peppermint shrimp, 280 watts of no flourescent, and 470nm moonlights. Everything else is diong well. I think something got the annelid.

 

[olga]

Water parameters:
Salinity-1.023
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Ph-8.2
Nitrate -5-10
Temp-25.2C
I just cant understand it. Usually he hides and retracts his head all the time. Now it constantly on the view. I am afraid that head are on the top on the of the tube, and the worm might died inside. The tube itself was slightly bent before, but now its lying on the rock. Should I slightly pull his head and see what happens? Will snails and crabs will attack it, if its dead, or not necessarily?

 

[chadman]

how do u get your feather dusters to stay in one place? i tried burrying the one end in my cc adn that didn't work then i tried placing a rock over the one end to hold it but when i woke up with was on the floor of my tank...i think they need light and i just can't keep them from falling to the floor and laying there

 

[olga]

Originally Posted by chadman
how do u get your feather dusters to stay in one place? i tried burrying the one end in my cc adn that didn't work then i tried placing a rock over the one end to hold it but when i woke up with was on the floor of my tank...i think they need light and i just can't keep them from falling to the floor and laying there
Chadman: I bought it already attached to the rock, and it was attached to it for a last two weeks and did not moved.
I think I have an adequate lighting now, as I bought Arcadia luminaire last weekend with 4 halide lamps, each one is 53 watts.

 

[chadman]

i purchased mine at my lfs and they were just the worm....yah know in its shell thing....do u have any idea how i might attach mine?

 

[olga]

Chadman: I would thought they attaching themselves to the LR or to the sand after a while. Don't quote me on it. Maybe more experienced hobbyists will explain.

 

[chadman]

the only thing is they are on the floor and kind of in the shade...i don't think they will get the light that they need.....maybe i will try putting them under a larger rock that with anchor them well...they do not need to get out of the other end right? only the end with the feather i'd think

 

[mrdc]

I don't think they need light but you do want to see them. They are filter feeders. I just got one in a long tube and stuck it between some rocks. Two days later, I wanted to move it a little but it had already moved about 4 inches and attached itself to the rock. Once it does this you can slowly pull it from the rock and put it somewhere else. I decided to let him be.

 

[chadman]

so would u say i shouldn't put him under lr? right now i just stuck the very ends under a rocknear the top of my tank in the open...they look real cool there....haha

 

[mrdc]

I think you are pretty safe putting them anywhere as long as the current isn't too strong. I have one under a rock ledge because it will only come out at night. I wanted to be able to see him while the ligths were on so I moved him.

 

[chadman]

oh then should not be in a place where there is current???

 

[mrdc]

Needs some current just not so much that causes it to get blown all around where it can't expand.

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by chadman
oh then should not be in a place where there is current???

light current it okay

 

[olga]

Good news! He puled his head back in the tube, then show it out again! He is alive after all! I am so happy. :jumping: I offered him tiny piece of shrimp on the stick, when head was out, but then he pulled it back.(so he is reacting!) While I was doing it, my blood shrimp crawled out of the rocks and snatched this shrimp, and back under the rocks again. (greedy git! lol)
Maybe feather duster was stressed or asleep before. Tube is standing more straight also!
:joy:

 

[jerth6932]

chadman....... mine would not attach any where I wanted him to, so I just let him go, and he attached where he wanted to be!!! Not where I wanted him, but if he is happy so am I!!!!!! Just let him go he will find where he wants to be!!!