Feather Duster M.I.A

[carey]

I picked up a feather duster a few weeks ago and now suddenly he is gone. :-( The casing is still there but the worm is no where to be found.

Is it dead or maybe hiding? I cant find the crown or anything. Just poof, one morning gone.

Could other tankmates have eaten it?

Thanks for any input!!

[Biocube14]

Probably just hiding. Sometimes mine won't come out for a few days.

[twisted metal]

If you happen to have alot of B Worms, they will eat it. Also if one was to walk up and scare it, it could jump in it's tube and pop all her feathers. Sometimes they grow back, and sometimes they don't. I hope none of this happend to you, and is just getting use to the new tank. Good luck

[francis]

creepy on the bristle worms comment. Are you 100% sure the tube is empty carey? sometimes mine would retract deeper than normal to build more of a casing to the rock. other than that hopefully he popped his crown and is okay (stressed but alive)

[carey]

Originally Posted by francis

creepy on the bristle worms comment. Are you 100% sure the tube is empty carey? sometimes mine would retract deeper than normal to build more of a casing to the rock. other than that hopefully he popped his crown and is okay (stressed but alive)

Nope the tube is completely empty. No sign of the crown either. Do you think someone ate it? Its been gone almost a week. :-(

[francis]

I've heard of fish like butterfly fish will completely pull the poor worm out before he knows what happened, but looking at your stock list I didn't see anything like that.

Possibly the bristleworm thing but thats only if his statement is true. everybody keeps saying they are harmless but i have no knowledge on that part. but LOTS/everyone says they are good...so I dont know. I think he's a goner though, i've heard of them tossing their crown too but i imagine the worm stayed in the tube. I don't think they physically will migrate somewhere else (unless a powerhead or current shot him out of sight so theres hope)

[Unicorn]

Mine lost his crown and when it re-grew it never was as pretty as it used to. Now, a few months later, he is a goner
Never heard if Bworms eating them, but that would explain what happened to mine

If you don't see a crown floating around it may already been eaten by ur CUC or sucked up by filter?!
Give it time and observe. Maybe check water parameter...

Sorry it happened to you, they are beautiful. Miss mine :,(

[Stringer]

Hi there, my duster disappeared and no sign of it for two weeks then one day....a new feather slightly different colouring than before appeared. I think it threw it's head and grew a new one. I never found the old crown. It sounds as if you are quite sure your cast is empty though, maybe worth waiting a bit longer!

[carey]

Thanks guys...if he is indeed out of his tube like he appears to be, can he make another tube and still be alive? I've been looking for it all day and he is really no where to be found...

[twisted metal]

I've never heard of them makeing another tube. But if the tube is left, it make come back. Let's hope!

[carey]

I've left the tube in the tank, but now its starting to collapse. :-( Guess he isnt in there for sure now...bummer...that was my first duster...

[Biocube14]

Well that's too bad. Could you see straight through the tube.? My feather duster us red and white. I forget the name of it now, but it built it's tube like a snail, it spiraled out from the center, about 3-4 complete circles/spiral, so there's no way to tell if mine is hiding or gone, so I just play the waiting game. Curious abot the worm theory cuz his feathers aren't as long as they used to be. I was also wondering if a coral banded, camel shrimp, or an emerald crab would nip at it. Sorry to thread jack but now I'm concerned as well....