New Feather Duster

[Dawn'sEmone]

I puchased 2 feather dusters yesterday. At the store both were out and looked very healthy. When I got them home the large one was very normal but the smaller one now had a round clay colored cap on top of the tube. I am not sure what has happened from the time he was removed from the store to our home tank. I had placed him in the tank and his cap has remaind inplace since.
Any ideas? And if so, What can or should I do? THese are my first feather dusters.
Thank you..

 

[dendro982]

Try to move it in another place - not near heater, not under direct blast of flow, away from the irritating hard particles - you know what I'm talking about.
Mine feels food in a flow, reflected from the glass, on the rock, oriented sideways.

 

[franv]

same happened me ... the tube seemed glued shut...i could see/feel that it was really dar down the tube so i just got a scissors and cut a tiny bit off the top and it was out in all its glory within a few mins!

 

[venwu225]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1023391

Refer to this thread about the dismal but true situation with these marine polychaetes.

 

[dendro982]

and search the web for the posts of the people, who kept them for 2 yrs (could be more) - some useful information can be there.

Is you duster Hawaiian giant feather duster?
I have only smaller red kind and the Christmas tree worms.

 

[venwu225]

Drendo982:
care to post those posts? It would be extremely helpeful. : )

 

[dendro982]

Some good illustrated articles about different feather dusters:
- with cross-sectional drawings, Shimek,
- Julian Sprung,
- Hitchhiker FAQ for ID,
- Ronald Shimek,
- Rob Toonen,
- ID.

Feather dusters keepers:
- http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=9819
- http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=177157
- http://reefshow.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=155
- http://www.wetwebmedia.com/featherreprofaqs.htm

My main interest was Christmas tree worms, so I have a little more links on this.
Christmas tree rock, info and keeper's experience:
- http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=855516
- http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=788731
- http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=842745
- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=499906
- http://forum.marinedepot.com/RssFeed9-25893-0-2.aspx

Enemies of both:
- http://www.petplace.com/fish/choosing-marine-invertebrates/page1.aspx
- http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=855516
- http://thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10166

Sorry, it's all could find fast - I did search a long time ago and more links could be somewhere else.

I have feather dusters (have for check Latin names) - 1 red, hitchhikers - smallest white, small curled, double crown, slightly bigger black, and a Christmas tree worms, several months only. Pretty resilient, survived in my tanks and the tank crash due to death of toxic inhabitants, looked like wet hens for a few weeks, then restored. Porites were worse - bleached, but now returning to their original color. Have to watch water quality, of course.

Any other links, other than articles and posts of these authors? Feel free to add or share personal experience.