feather dusters

brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
As I was moving around some decorations yesterday, I found the "feathers" from one of my dusters. The worm is still alive but hasn't been out in two days
Do they normally shed these as they grow or is it dying on me?
any info would be greatly appreciated.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/393415/feather-dusters#post_3499746
As I was moving around some decorations yesterday, I found the "feathers" from one of my dusters. The worm is still alive but hasn't been out in two days
Do they normally shed these as they grow or is it dying on me?
any info would be greatly appreciated.
Hi,
Sometimes they do shed, so it isn't dying. However, there are few causes to watch for...if the crown comes back smaller than before...aside from the regrowth...that would mean it isn't getting enough food. The crown will shed and return smaller and smaller until nothing is left as they starve. To remedy that you can add a little invert food...Kent brand is what I used. Be careful, what the dusters don't absorb from the water, the algae feeds on.
Next is to watch for anything getting tangled into the crowns feathers. I had a problem with a leather corals slime, when it shed the goo got on the feather duster...I think it clogged up his feeders, so he shed the crown to grow one not fouled up. Those snails that shoot a web out will have the same affect on them.
Watch to see of any of the fish are nipping at it too.
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
thanks Flower.
the nitrate in my tank is pretty high right now, so I'm thinking that probably has something to do with it as well. I added 2 units of Chemi-Pure to help reduce it and it seems to be helping. Hopefully, I'll be adding a protein skimmer soon and that should make a big difference.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/393415/feather-dusters#post_3499936
thanks Flower.
the nitrate in my tank is pretty high right now, so I'm thinking that probably has something to do with it as well. I added 2 units of Chemi-Pure to help reduce it and it seems to be helping. Hopefully, I'll be adding a protein skimmer soon and that should make a big difference.
Hi,
An invert such as feather dusters and sails will die if the nitrates go beyond 40. A protein skimmer does not remove nitrates, it removes organic waste. Nor will Chemi-Pure...it removes some phosphates which I think might also be high.
Nitrates are removed when you do water changes, or... when you harvest (remove the over growth) macroalgae. or...when you rinse off the algae on an algae scrubber once a week. All or a combination of those will remove nitrates.
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
I've done multiple water changes and can't seem to keep it below 40 ppm. it will drop to around 10-20 ppm and shoot right back up in less than a week.
the tap water around here is ridiculously high in phosphate. I've been planning on getting an
R/O system but haven't been able to yet.
its been slightly frustrating, to say the least, lol.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/393415/feather-dusters#post_3499953
I've done multiple water changes and can't seem to keep it below 40 ppm. it will drop to around 10-20 ppm and shoot right back up in less than a week.
the tap water around here is ridiculously high in phosphate. I've been planning on getting an
R/O system but haven't been able to yet.
its been slightly frustrating, to say the least, lol.
Hi,
I don't know where you live.... but any grocery store, hardware or Wal-mart carrys RO water at a refilling station in the store. Wal-mart by me charges 37 cents a gallon. Tap water has more than phosphates in it. What test kit are you using? I thought I had high nitrates once, even opened a new kit of the same brand...it aid my nitrates were in the 80's and yet my shrimp and snails were fine. turned out that API kits are not reliable. I purchased the SeaChem kit and my nitrates were...1 and the SeaChem kit comes with a regent to double check that it is accurate.
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
to be honest, I never thought about Wal-Mart, lol. my wife has been wanting an R/O unit anyway, for drinking and cooking.
I've been using an API kit. I've been wondering how old it was when I got it.
I'll check out a SeaChem kit.
Thanks
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
I am happy to report that the feather duster that lost its crown is regrowing one. its about a ½" long now. still struggling with nitrates tho
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
I recently located 2 very small feather dusters in my tank. They're very close to the one that lost its crown. Anyone know how they spread?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/393415/feather-dusters#post_3504409
I recently located 2 very small feather dusters in my tank. They're very close to the one that lost its crown. Anyone know how they spread?
The tiny feather dusters that are in the rocks are not the same as the big feather dusters like you have. as long as there is enough food to filter and eat they will thrive.
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
These aren't in the rocks, like christmas trees. They're extremely close to the one that lost its crown. Guess I'll have to wait til they get bigger to make sure.
I counted 9, is of this morning.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I can't tell anything from the picture, but whatever it is...it looks like it's in the rocks not the sand...LOL..that is the kind of picture I take, all blurry. In a few weeks you should be able to tell if they are going to stay tiny. Even the tiny ones are awesome. I had one that looked like a little snowflake, and would instantly withdraw and slowly open up again.
The problem is that it could be aptasia, they kind of look like and behave like a feather duster but it will have a base and not a tube...they grow in the sand, on the rock and everywhere else like a plague. What looks like a crown is actually tentacles and it's a type of pest anemone.
Aptasia pics

 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
I couldn't get focused on any of them, lol. I tried for 15 minutes. I'll try a real camera next time. I was using my phone.
There are some attached to an adjacent rock and some attached to a shell. The crowns are less than an ?" of an inch. Anything "free" is awesome, lol.
I'm pretty sure they aren't aptasia.
There are a couple of those growing elsewhere.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/393415/feather-dusters#post_3504698
I couldn't get focused on any of them, lol. I tried for 15 minutes. I'll try a real camera next time. I was using my phone.
There are some attached to an adjacent rock and some attached to a shell. The crowns are less than an ?" of an inch. Anything "free" is awesome, lol.
I'm pretty sure they aren't aptasia.
There are a couple of those growing elsewhere.
I hate to say it but...a couple of them growing elsewhere really sounds more and more like aptasia. I'm afraid when it comes to SW critters...LOL...anything free is suspect. I don't know how many times I thought I had something cool, and it turned out to be an unwanted problem creature. I have seen others get some great finds, but like the lottery...I never win anything.
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
The aptasia are quite bit larger and very identifiable.
Hopefully, they're what I hope they are, lol.
I need something that will eat snail eggs. They're all over the glass. I've cleaned them off twice and there's more each time. Its cool but it makes it hard to see in the tank, lol.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/393415/feather-dusters#post_3505191
.
I need something that will eat snail eggs. They're all over the glass. I've cleaned them off twice and there's more each time. Its cool but it makes it hard to see in the tank, lol.
I just use a mag float to clear the glass, I think just about all fish eat the eggs, but they have other tastier stuff to pick at, so they ignore them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top