Feather dusters....easy or not?

[newfound77951]

I've read some conflicting information about keeping feather duster worms. Some references say they are impossible to feed, and others say they are easy. What experiences have folks had with them, and what have you successfully fed them?

Also, what fish/inverts should I stay away from that might eat the feather dusters?

 

[Scoot]

I've seen tons of little ones come in on LR additions, but they never seem to be around for long. Not sure if they're being eating, or not surviving for other reasons.

 

[Hara]

Feather dusters are very easy to keep...you do not feed them, they eat microscopic critters that are in the water column

 

[SeeDemTails]

I have about 200 small dusters of about 5 species in my 10 gal tank .....They spread like weeds!

The only one I feed my big hawaiian duster...I give him coralife invert target food, easy to squirt it to him......

Even if they loose their crown, they will grow a new one, they are pretty resilient.

Dont put the big ones in too strong of flow, or flow from one direction, mine seems to do best on the bottom.

 

[Squado]

I've had three featherdusters for the past couple of months and they seem to be doing fine. I think ive target fed them two or three times with micro vert. I would say that their easy.

 

[newfound77951]

Cool...I really want to get a couple of these, if they don't come in on the LR. My boyfriend counts and identifies non-tropical polychaetes for work/school so he's all excited about me having a "pet" polychaete!

 

[roka64]

if they don't come in on the LR.

You can see them on the LR, generally. They will have a white (or possibly different colors) "crazy straw" look to them.

 

[Tex]

And they can get enormous. I have a marine invert book that says they can get up to 20 feet long - in the ocean of course.

My experience is that are quite easy to keep. I have one that stays put and one that actually moves around, don't ask me how.

As far as the crown, I've heard it called a bonnet too.

 

[SeeDemTails]

20ft long feather duster! 8O

 

[Tex]

I'll see if I can find the quote. IIRC they can get 4 or 5" in diameter and 20 feet long.

 

[SeeDemTails]

Wonder how big the crown is!?

 

[newfound77951]

I doubt 20 feet....20 inches maybe....we;re talking about a critter related to an earthworm. I doubt their primitive circulatory systems could support a 20' long worm.

I have a cool mental image of a feather duster the size of a palm tree....wow, though, that would be neat!

 

[Tex]

I relying on memory about something I read several months ago but I'm pretty sure it was about 20 feet. I'll go home tonight and dig the book out and give the title and author. And if I'm wrong I'll say it here.

 

[FishFrik]

IME, they are very easy to keep. No need to feed them, they'll eat whatever they can get