Feather duster disappeared!

[Schnertzel]

I noticed this afternoon that my feather duster wasn't out. The end of the tube is folded shut, and I watched for him the rest of the day but he never emerged. I got worried, so I did some water tests. Salinity is a bit high and I'm going to get water tomorrow to correct. Ammonia had a trace amount, so I treated for that, too. I gently ounces the end of the feather duster tube, and it appears hollow!! I've since read that dusters sometimes leave their tube, but I don't understand why. And if it left, where is it?! I can't find it anywhere in my tank. Is it likely dead? Is there anything I can do to try to help it if I find it? Any thoughts why it would have left?

 

[loveaddressbox]

Yeah I had a couple that leave the tube, also had one to drop the feather crown and then the tube seem empty for about a week, then he come out and is growing new feathers!
I would wait... Don't remove the tube... I was tempted to do it, but it is fine now and is growing some nice white feathers :3
I would say is part of the adaptation process... But I'm new at this...

Do you have any fish that might bother them?

 

[Bogue Chitto]

Leave it for a while and see. Sometimes it takes a while to ever see them, but then you see some short feathers start to emerge and grow into a big crown. They are pretty tuff.

 

[snorvich]

They frequently regrow so the advice not to remove them is spot on.