Feather dusters.

[Holyhands22]

Could someone explain to me what exactly a feather duster is and does. I've tried looking them up and haven't been able to find much they look awesome if this is the wrong thread a point in the right direction would be awesome.

 

[daddy2kids]

What do you want to know? I have a very large one with opaque feathers and several smaller ones that are colorful and virtually transparent. It's basically a tube worm with very fancy mouth parts, radioles (the "feathers"). They build a tube and move up and down within the tube to extend and retract the feathers. I have not seen any part except the feathers and some mouth parts in the very center of the feathers. The larger one expelled its feathers once a couple of years ago (natural, but a sign of extreme stress)--they grew back over several months. It seems to like the ZoPlan and Coral Frenzy I fees my zoas. It will let a layer collect othe feathers and then pull it all in. I hope this helps.

 

[nepenthes99]

I have a large hawaiian feather duster in my biocube and it has proven to be extremely hardy and vigorous, I have even had it spawn in my tank! I just eats leftover mysis and brine shrimp that I feed to my corals and fish, the only downside is that it defecates like crazy if fed a lot. They do not cause any problems, just keep params good and keep it in an established tank.

 

[Holyhands22]

i just seen pictures of them online and they looked awesome. So i finally figured out what they were but every where i looked to research them and find out what they were and the needs i could never find much information. I wanted to know if i could keep one in my 30 gal. tank. If they are reef safe. Im planning on getting LFS, anemones, and if the radioles could potentially harm any fish in the tank. I have a royal starfish, planning on getting EIther 2x Black Onyx true perc clowns, or 2x Australian black perc clowns. Firefish Goby and A couple fairy wrasse didnt know if the feather duster was compatiable with any of these or anyting like that. So the information you gave was helpful thanks.

 

[altolamprologus]

Just to clarify nepenthes99, your feather duster is not eating large chunks of meaty foods. Feather dusters only eat foods smaller than about 40 microns in size. In addition, most of the ornamental dusters only eat live phytoplankton and nothing else.

Holyhands22, you can keep feather dusters in your 30 gallon tank as long as you feed them live phytoplankton (it is important that it's alive and not the dead stuff) a couple times a week. I have had 8 in my 29 gallon for almost 2 years and I feed live phyto 24/7

 

[nepenthes99]

@alto,
I feed the specimen "Marine Cuisine", which is a mix of large brine and mysis chunks of all different sizes. It definitely has very small -40 micron pieces in it which it seems to trap on its feathers. I also dose Kent phyto, so it could also be eating that.

 

[daddy2kids]

I have not had any issues with my feather duster harming any fish or corals (and I have had some very slow gobies that would be likely candidates if it wanted them). As altolamprologus said, they only eat very fine food. I can see how one might think that the radioles might be fish traps, but they aren't.

I can see why you'd want one. My large hawaiian feather duster is a tank favorite with just about everyone.

 

[TheKman]

I just discovered that i had 2 feather dusters on a snail shell. They started as just a tiny little things when they were opened they were only about as round as a pea, now they are round as a dime or penny, they tuck back in really quick though when I walk by my tank

 

[Holyhands22]

Thanks that is what i wanted to know in particular daddy2kids was the coral compatibility because i have scratched my plan and decided to do a reef tank with 2x picasso clownfish. SO i think i will add a feather duster to the collection. Are they compatible with Anglers?

 

[altolamprologus]

Are they compatible with Anglers?

Yes, anglers don't show any interest in them

 

[Darth Vedder]

my male clown fish just decided he hates feather dusters. I have 3 in my tank, and they were almost always open unless i scared it, or a snail or something got too close, but the last few days, my male clown tends to their eggs, and then about every two minutes, he leaves the clutch just to go harass the dusters and nip them even after they closed up and returns to the eggs.

i don't know what made him so racist towards dusters! its almost funny how much time the damn thing spends just trying to keep them from coming out

 

[herring_fish]

Can you cut the last two to four inches off of a plastic Coke bottle, perhaps with a few other holes added and put it over the duster for a few days?

 

[Darth Vedder]

I can try that, and see if he will learn to leave them alone. Thanks for the idea