Feather Duster Problem

[Klewis]

Okay, I got a feather duster on Sunday, I put him in my 120 Reef tank and all was fine. I came home tonight to an open worm tube ( looks like something sliced it open in the center) and the worm underneath some rockwork a few inches away. It looks as if the feathers are gone but the worm seams to be moving. The known tank inhabitants are Banded coral shrimp, Fire Shrimp, Scarlet cleaner shrimp, pair of clown, 3 chromis, 3 PJ cardnals, scopas tang, 4 dot wrasse, silver wrasse, midas blenny, royal gramma, mandarin, 2 brittle starfish, 2 sand sifting starfish, emerald crabs, various hermit crabs.

Any one know what could have been the problem and what are the chances it will survive? Can anything be done?

Thanks for any help

Keith

 

[albano]

out of tube...very little chance of survival, not sure of scopas, but I've had all the others together,(w/duster) w/out problems

 

[lazibonez]

Keith, I had a coco worm that came out of its tube twice, i just keep stuffing him back into the tube. Its doing ok now but didnt understand why it does that. You should try doing the same, else it could become a fish meal. I also had another one for a very long time and one day it spawned, it was so cool, the fish were going nuts feasting on it. 2 days later, he came out of the tube looking half dead, I tried putting him back but it died. I later read that they usually spawn right before dying, but I doubt that this was the case with yours. Also.. on your list of fish.. any kind of blenny could be the culprit, they like to make the tube their home.. U see my avator? lol..

OH sorry.. ur talking about feather dusters , not coco worms.. never had that experience before with featherdusters, but yeah they regrow their soft tube in time as long as they are safe from predators.

A picture i took during the coco worm spawning.

 

[Klewis]

Keith, I had a coco worm that came out of its tube twice, i just keep stuffing him back into the tube. Its doing ok now but didnt undertand why it does that. You should try doing the same, else it could become a fish meal.

Thats funny Alan, I wish I could do that, unfortunately the tube is sliced open and the worm would just fall out.

 

[masterswimmer]

You gave us the reason. You said you added it to your tank two days ago, Sunday. Stress caused the worm to vacate its tube. They can VERY EASILY survive outside their tube, providing nothing else cannibalizes it. They will regrow a new tube in a little under a week. They will regrow their crown of feathers in two to three weeks.

The problem I see in your situation is the assortment of inverts in your tank. Inverts are potentially problematic in their opportunistic feeding habits by nature. If you can possibly take the 'untubed worm' and put it in your fuge, if you have one, and allow it to regrow its tube in the safety of your fuge or low flow area of your sump (with a light), it'll be ok in a week to 10 days.

HTH,
Russ

 

[Klewis]

You gave us the reason. You said you added it to your tank two days ago, Sunday. Stress caused the worm to vacate its tube. They can VERY EASILY survive outside their tube, providing nothing else cannibalizes it. They will regrow a new tube in a little under a week. They will regrow their crown of feathers in two to three weeks.

The problem I see in your situation is the assortment of inverts in your tank. Inverts are potentially problematic in their opportunistic feeding habits by nature. If you can possibly take the 'untubed worm' and put it in your fuge, if you have one, and allow it to regrow its tube in the safety of your fuge or low flow area of your sump (with a light), it'll be ok in a week to 10 days.

HTH,
Russ

Thanks for the hope Russ, hopefully I can retrieve him, its pretty far in the rockwork now. If I do catch it, will the hermit crab in the fuge be problematic?

Keith

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks for the hope Russ, hopefully I can retrieve him, its pretty far in the rockwork now. If I do catch it, will the hermit crab in the fuge be problematic?

Keith

I would remove the hermit in the fuge......and NOT put it back. The word refugium means, "a safe place from predation". There should be zero predetors in your fuge. A hermit crab can very easily become opportunistic if the 'opportunity' arises.


R

 

[Klewis]

I would remove the hermit in the fuge......and NOT put it back. The word refugium means, "a safe place from predation". There should be zero predetors in your fuge. A hermit crab can very easily become opportunistic if the 'opportunity' arises.


R

Thank you again for the lesson, I'll get that hermit out right now.