Feather duster help

[perk3211]

:help: Our feather duster is curling the top part of the feathers in, what is happening? :help:

 

[rpick]

i bought a duster cluster in june. after about a week, week and a half, they started doing the same thing. unfortunately, they died. i think i may have placed them in a bad spot (i think). i had them under a rock outcrop. i found that they need to be placed in under rocks and in a shaded area.
i posted for help but did not receive too many replies.
i don't know how close feather duster conditions are to duster clusters, but hope this helps.
i will be resurrecting my old thread because i have the beginning of another duster cluster growing in a cave.

 

[kdfrosty]

Feather Dusters like low-med flow. They really dont care what type of lighting they're under as long as there arent sudden changes in light or temperature.
The curling up sounds like you have them in too much flow, though.

 

[rpick]

that could be why mine died.

 

[cda fish]

not sure about your curling feather problem but I have read that water conditions and or stress will cause them to pop off their heads. This is true because it happened in my very own tank, but poppping off it head doesnt always mean death, worm in tube may still be alive and within a few week you guessed it another head.

. before removing it body make sure you give it time.. it may be alive..

 

[thomas712]

Most of them starve to death because they don't get the right amount or right size of food. Many of them will throw there crowns and they will grow them back, however if it keeps coming back smaller and smaller that is a sign of starving. many would much prefer to have some debris around like some substrate so that they can use some of it to reconstruct thier tubes, but they don't absolutly have to have it. I suggest using DT's live phytoplankton.
Thomas

 

[puffer32]

Mine were in my tank exactly 10 mins and my camel back shrimps grabbed them under a rock and tore them apart!

 

[mitzel]

I was just wondering how you would feed a feather duster. I got one today and it's doing really well in my tank so far and I just wanna make sure to give it every chance posible? :notsure: :notsure:

 

[thomas712]

They are filter feeders, I suggest using DT's live phytoplankton, perhpas cyclopezee, or some zooplankton.

 

[mitzel]

does that just have a tube to feed it with like an eye droper?

 

[thomas712]

DT's live phytoplankton comes in a bottle, you just pour out a capful or so and pour it into the tank. I personally had 3 large duster worms, but in the long run didn't have much luck with them..
Thomas

 

[mitzel]

Thanks thomas . I hope I can keep this alive it really looks good in my tank.

 

[steelgluer]

I went to my lfs and got some maro off them they give me all I want for free. I had it in my fude for about 2 months now I have about 100 feather dusters in my fude and about 50 in my show tank. All this from 1 softball size off macro been in there for about 6 months now and growing like wild fire.

 

[rpick]

so far, my duster is still doing well. i'm hitciing that the tube is growing. maybe the water flow was not right where i originaly put it. watching to see if the cluster starts.