Mini feather duster worms

[WatercolorsGuy]

What eats them? I have some in one of my digitata colonies that I want gone.

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[WatercolorsGuy]

Anyone?

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[kmellon]

Pics? I thought featherdusters were tube worms that didn't really attach to anything.

 

[Andreaehlrs]

Copper band butterflies eat them and they attach to rocks.

 

[dr.schlegs]

I lost a mini feather duster, and all I had was clowns and bangiis. Feather duster part fell off and that was the end of it. Still don't know what happened.

 

[WatercolorsGuy]

I lost a mini feather duster, and all I had was clowns and bangiis. Feather duster part fell off and that was the end of it. Still don't know what happened.

Feather dusters will regularly shed their crown of feathers...dosen't necessarily mean they have died. It takes quite a while for them to grow them back.

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[WatercolorsGuy]

I don't mind them for the most part....just don't like the group that has taken up residence in my digitata colony. I can try to get pics up soon. Copper bands eat other good stuff too though right?

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[powdermonkey]

Are you sure they are feathers and not colonial hydroids? I haven't figured out how to tell the difference yet. They look just alike in some pics. If you know how to tell the difference please let me know.

 

[asn-naso]

Can you go in there with a toothpick, and break up the tubes, and/or pull them out of the colony?

 

[Andreaehlrs]

I don't mind them for the most part....just don't like the group that has taken up residence in my digitata colony. I can try to get pics up soon. Copper bands eat other good stuff too though right?

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Yes they eat aptasia and you can train them to eat regular frozen food or buy one that already is.

 

[WatercolorsGuy]

Re: Mini feather duster worms

Finally remembered to take a pic...
View attachment 10671
Crappy phone pic

 

[Cake_Boss]

Re: Mini feather duster worms

Many of the butterflies will eat them

* CAUTION* many also eat your coral

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[WatercolorsGuy]

Re: Mini feather duster worms

Many of the butterflies will eat them

* CAUTION* many also eat your coral

Yeah, trying to avoid that, lol.
Was hoping there was a crab or wrasse that really liked them.

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[WatercolorsGuy]

Re: Mini feather duster worms

What about a box/cowfish? Reef safe? I know they like tube worms.

 

[jahmic]

My yellow coris picks at them...but I think it's just out of boredom. I usually just see a couple floating around the tank, and I'm sure they eventually reattach somewhere. My emerald crab used to eat them...but he also picked at the polyps on my sps so he was banned from the tank.

I think it's hit or miss and you'll end up with a fish or invert that's "reef safe with caution", and thus run the risk of them picking at or eating coral or other inverts as well.

 

[djkms]

All wrasses in the halichoeres genus are known to eat tubeworms.

 

[Haulin Oates]

Mini feather duster worms

My Lunare wrasse ate them, but he also ate crabs and shrimp

 

[WatercolorsGuy]

Re: Mini feather duster worms

All wrasses in the halichoeres genus are known to eat tubeworms.

I have a melanurus wrasse and he doesn't care for them. Also have an xmas wrasse and a sixline, neither of them are working on them either.
The two emerald crabs I have in there seem to be pretty picky eaters and don't seem to like worms....or bubble algae!

 

[Haulin Oates]

Mini feather duster worms

Are you sure they are feathers and not colonial hydroids? I haven't figured out how to tell the difference yet. They look just alike in some pics. If you know how to tell the difference please let me know.

Maybe you have the colonial hydroids? if these are what I had in my sump on my 120, the only difference I saw Between These and feathers is the hydroids had a soft tube, almost like a flower stem, and they grow like dandelions!!

 

[WatercolorsGuy]

Re: Mini feather duster worms

View attachment 10995
View attachment 10996
View attachment 10997

Some pics of a group I just pulled off in some of my pink n golds.
Soft brown tubes. The feathery parts don't seem to sting my digitata just irritate it a little...i just don't like the looks mostly. Also growing in my sand which I may be able to manually remove.