Feather Dusters living on hermit crab?

[xxjt2oxx]

So there are 2 tiny what I believe are feather dusters living on one of the hermit crabs I recently added to the tank - the are maybe 5mm across when open, and behave the same exact way as the large feather duster I added to the tank not too long ago.

Just curious if this happens often? Which is going to die first? I can't imagine that relationship lasting too long.

Thanks!

 

[xxjt2oxx]

Unfortunately I don't have my camera at my house, I took the best video I could with my iPhone. There are what appears to be tubes on top, I was nervous after I did some searching that it might be Aiptasia, but I'm pretty confident it's not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hPbmBNwxzU&feature=youtu.be

 

[xxjt2oxx]

Got some better pics that might help

 

[Calappidae]

Hermit crabs will carry anything around that grew on the shell. They just look more appealing when they're decorated like this

 

[snorvich]

Hermit crabs will carry anything around that grew on the shell. They just look more appealing when they're decorated like this

Relatively so. If you are attracted to hermit crabs!

:spin2:

 

[Betta132]

If the crab drops the shell, move it over to a higher-flow area. The dusters should be fine up there... Especially if your crab climbs rocks.

 

[xxjt2oxx]

Yup, lucky for the feather dusters he likes to sit in the high flow area on the top rocks of my tank. Unfortunately I noticed today, that there are about 50 or so feather dusters of the same size on the top rock he's sitting on - anything I need to do about this? They're really only on 1 rock that's in a high flow spot towards the top of the tank - I haven't seen any anywhere else in the tank. Should I clean that up or do they really pose no risk to over-running the tank?

 

[leveldrummer]

feather dusters are worms that build their own tubes, if they dont like where the hermit crab is taking them, they will abandon their tube and attempt to go built elsewhere.

Whether or not they make it to their new destination without being eaten is a different story.

 

[Betta132]

They don't have the potential to take over a reef unless it's incredibly full of particulates. The small ones can definitely take over a rock or two in high-flow areas, but I think they look neat like that.

 

[smkkib]

let them grow, its so nice when you have them spread around your tank. i'm tring to get them spread.