help with feather duster

[sadie]

I purchased a set of feather dusters yesterday (2 stuck together).  When I woke up this morning, one of them was on my sand bed, out of it's tube.  It is still alive, but not sure why it would leave it's tube.  It was open most of the day yesterday and seemed happy.  

 

Is this normal?  Is there anything I should do?

[Clown79]

They can leave their tubes if unhappy with the placement, improper acclimation, and other animal bothering them or poor water quality.

 

Feather dusters should be added to a stable/matured system.

 

https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/keeping-fanworms-and-feather-dusters-in-the-aquarium

[sadie]

I believe my tank is mature, I only switched tanks, not started a whole new one.

 

I did some reading, and I guess this can be normal when they are moved.  I read one post that the woman said her worm climbed back in the tube.  One worm is still in the tube.  The other left the tube and moved into my cave.  I think it might make a home there.  I tried to find out how long it takes for them to grow a new tube, but all I could find was how long their "feathers" grow back when they pop off.  He still has his "crown", just left the tube.

 

Hopefully he just didn't like the spot, and just moved to find a better spot. 

 

Thanks for the reply. 😊 and the link

[sadie]

I can see him now.  He was in my cave, then I couldn't see him, now I can.  He's inside that cave on the side.  Hope he will be okay

 

 

 

 

[Clown79]

Feather dusters are kinda odd.

 

Some seem to be happy and keep growing while in the same tank another may die.

 

It may grow another tube around itself where it is.

 

When you purchased it, the employee may have damaged the tube during removal and that may have caused the worm to leave the tube.

[sadie]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

Feather dusters are kinda odd.

 

Some seem to be happy and keep growing while in the same tank another may die.

 

It may grow another tube around itself where it is.

 

When you purchased it, the employee may have damaged the tube during removal and that may have caused the worm to leave the tube.

That's what my husband said!    I only wanted one ($10) and he tried to get just one, but then said they were conected and asked if I wanted the 2 for $15.  

[mndfreeze]

Stress is a major cause of this.  Did you drip acclimate them?  Inverts are very susceptible to stress and damage when not properly acclimated, some more than others.  Most of them need to be drip acclimated as sudden changes in salinity can kill em.

 

If he crawled into shelter then there is still hope he will grow another tube.  Just needs to be left alone by anything else in your tank like hermit crabs and such, don't give up hope but generally going out of their tubes means a high chance of dying.

 

[sadie]

Well the good news is I saw the other one come out today when I fed mysis shrimp to my tank.  The other guy that left his tube is in a different spot.  Not sure if he's alive, but nobody is eating him, so that's a good sign I think

[mndfreeze]

Well if nobodies eating him then that is definitely a good sign.  Did he also drop his crown?  It looks like he did from the pic.  Just monitor him every day and hopefully he will rebuild his tube and regrow a crown.  

[Aurortpa]

When I used to keep them, they sometimes did this. If healthy it will find a spot it does like and regrow a tube.  Just keep things stable.