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10/04/2006, 02:15 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Posts: 47
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Where did my feather dusters go?
My tank has a nice sized population of feather dusters [the small ones that hitchhike on your live rock]. One rock in particular has a tight cluster of about 15-20. Literally overnight the entire cluster disappeared, the fan, the tube, everything is gone. There are plenty of other feather dusters distributed around the rest of the tank which haven't disappeared yet. What is going on here? Did they die? Get eaten? What type of animal eats feather dusters?
Current Livestock: 1 Sailfin Tang 2 Ocellaris clowns 1 Six-line wrasse 1 Cleaner shrimp Various corals, soft and hard Parameters: Ammonia, Nitrate - zero Phosphate - zero PH - 8.2 Ca - 400 Alk - 3.5 Mg - 1170 [a little low, raising it with Kent Mg] Salinity - 1.025 Temp - 80 I feed the fish pretty liberally. I also feed DT's phyto and oyster eggs to the corals. Lately I've been putting antibiotics in the fish's food because the six-line has popeye. Any ideas? TIA |
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10/04/2006, 03:08 PM
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#2 |
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RC Mod
 Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Mountain View, CA, USA
Posts: 88,616
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The rock might have a hitchhiker in it. Of those animals, the shrimp is one possibility. I don't know about the six-line. The other fish seem unlikely to eat featherdusters.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
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10/04/2006, 03:41 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ft. Lauderdale
Posts: 1,381
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I got a piece of marshall islands rock recently that was COVERED in tubeworms, mostly the ones with paper like soft tubes, over a few days time they all disappeared except the ones with hard calcerous tubes which are still there. I still have no idea what happened to them all i brought the rock home with tons of water in the bag and newspaper and although a lil torn up they came back out at first. Oh well the hard tube ones are prettier anyways. Maybe it was die off....
Ryan
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MOM! I'm God Of The Sea People! Behold my tiny minions gloveling at my likeness! Current Tank Info: 75gl display, 20gl long fuge, CPR overflow, Octopuss NW150 skimmer, 4 x 110w VHO T12's and supplemental actinic, ongoing projects... |
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10/05/2006, 07:05 PM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Posts: 47
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I forgot to mention I also have a starfish.
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10/05/2006, 07:26 PM
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#5 |
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RC Mod
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Mountain View, CA, USA
Posts: 88,616
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Hmm, some starfish definitely eat animals. What kind of star? Do you have a picture or a link?
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Jonathan Bertoni |
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10/05/2006, 07:48 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Posts: 47
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Its a Fromia. Thanks.
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10/05/2006, 08:13 PM
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#7 |
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RC Mod
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Mountain View, CA, USA
Posts: 88,616
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Hmm, I don't think Fromia would eat featherdusters, unless perhaps the dusters were very small, but it's possible. Could be a hitchhiker.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
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10/06/2006, 05:31 AM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: sydney, australia
Posts: 195
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get a trap and put feather dusters inside and see what ypu get.
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10/06/2006, 05:13 PM
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#9 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Posts: 47
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I may try that. Thanks!
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10/06/2006, 05:31 PM
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#10 |
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Moved On
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: el paso tx
Posts: 7,634
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They also abandon there tube if unhappy , like bad flow , lighting or new hitchhiker in the area. I dought they all died you may see some appear in other spots . It may take a day or two to see this.
Here's a good aritcle on feather dusters.GL  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm |
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