Feather duster problem

[tripleshot]

I had recently added a feather duster i bought from a lfs. The frist few days it seem to be doing verry well. About the fourth day i seen it had about half the feathers on it. Than the next day it had none left except for a few that were about a eighth inch long. Like something had picked them off. I have one scarlet reef hermit crab 1 dwarf red tip hermit crab 1 little black and white striped hermit crab and one porcelain crab i belive it to be that must have gottin into the tank from a piece of live rock i bought. Or from one i brought back from the ocean. Would any of these critters pick the feathers off of the feather duster?

 

[salty cheese]

I've read that they will throw their crowns if stressed.
How did you acclimate it? What are your water parameters?

 

[tripleshot]

When thay throw their crowns dont they do that with the whole thing at one time not just pieces at a time??? Water parameters are good. It was acclamated by letting the bag float for about 45 min. Than added a1/8 cup of tank water every 5 min for about ahour than i put it in the tank in the crushed coral. The top isnt compleatly missing its justreally short the feathers just bearley come out of the tube. Like i said when i first noticed what was going on it had only half the feathers on it and than the next morning it had none except for about a 1/8 inch above the tube where they come out.

 

[sula]

Wow let's make this an "All-Wisconsin" thread...
I agree with Salty, it could be acclimation - I have a Feather Duster in with hermits and an Emerald crab and have never had a problem.

 

[blemmy_guy]

What type fish do you have , i know i had a copper banded butterfly that killed 2 of my feather dusters?? Todd

 

[tripleshot]

For fish i have 1 firefish goby 1 ocellaris clown 1 sailfin algee blenny 1 six line wrasse 1 flame cardinal. And a skunk cleaner shrimp.

 

[texasex]

I don't know about the fish, if they are the problem with your feather duster, but I do know that when my feather duster "threw" it's crown, it was the whole thing at once and not in pieces. Then it grew it's crown back just a lovely as it was before. It definitely sounds like yours is stressing, or that something is snacking on it. :notsure:

 

[salty cheese]

Originally posted by tripleshot
Then added a1/8 cup of tank water every 5 min for about an hour than i put it in the tank
That adds up to 1 1/2 cups of water. Not a very good acclimation IMO. Please read the acclimation instructions on the left of the page.