Normal Feather Duster?

[bdhough]

How should a normal feather duster act?
Backround: I got the feather duster about a week and a half ago. The first 2 or three days he opened up daily to his full diameter. Lately he's stayed shut up or half out of his tube and closed up. If he opens the plummage its only about half its diameter. Is this a part of him adjusting to the tank? Or is he digesting food? He has started to attatch himself to the live rock and he's in a good spot with decent water flow moving things around.
Which also brings me to a side question. Is it possible to detatch him from the live rock he attatches to without killing him?
Thanks

 

[carrie1429]

I think thats a normal thing for feather dusters. Thats what mine always did. And yes you can move them but you have to be very careful when taking them off the rock. It may cause the crown (feather part) to fall off though, they will do that if they are stressed, but it will grow back within a month or two.

 

[bdhough]

Normal huh. That kinda sucks. I like it when he opens up. He's got alot of color. Nice white stripes. Oh well.
Off the subject you have a 5 gallon reef tank? Hows that working? I've thought about doing that when i graduate and get a job. I didn't know if that would be to small though. Right now my tank is 12 gallon mini reef. I just got the lighting so ill be getting corals soon. So excited

 

[carrie1429]

I started my nano tank about a month ago, so far its been very easy to maintain, a lot easier than I had expcted it to be, I don't really have any corals yet though, I'm still waiting for my lights to come in. I do wish I would have went a little larger like a 12 gallon cause there isn't much room in a 5 gal.

 

[magic]

wow I have a 10gl and I thought it was to small

 

[bdhough]

The twelve is working really well. I have about 11 lbs of live rock, two green chromises, 8 hermits crabs(various kinds), a peppermint shrimp, and a mexican turbo, and 2 astrea snails, oh and the feather duster. I can't really get more fish in there but im very excited about getting some corals soon. Im waiting on lighting too. Unfortunately ill only have about 30 watts, so ill be limited on what i can get. I may get another feather duster just for the look it adds. I plan on getting maybe 3 more lbs or so of live rock. I can't get much more in there without spoiling things. I dont know. Every thing is contingent on money of course.