DogfacePuffer Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Something happened to my feather duster today. The feathery head was lying apart from the body. The feathers still move around somewhat but I was wondering what happened. I tried to put the head back to the body but it still kept falling out. Help. Link to comment
TNreefguy Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 i have always heard that if you have high nitrates or copper in your water it can cause feater dusters to drop their feeding aparatice Link to comment
DogfacePuffer Posted October 7, 2002 Author Share Posted October 7, 2002 oh okay, time to test.....thanks... *whips out test kit* Link to comment
jdiver Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Feather dusters will sometimes pop off their heads when they are stressed, possibly due to poor water conditions or being harassed by a tankmate (do you happen to have a peppermint shrimp?). The head should grow back though, assuming whatever caused it to be stressed is corrected. Link to comment
leslr Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 I have had them do it a couple of times. One reason is if there is not enough food, this is proportional to the dusters size. It was only my "VERY" large ones that did it. Also the dusters will and can do it up to at least "3" times before the worm will die. When they grow back it will be a bit smaller. The smaller dusters will just vacate and move somewhere else they feel is better. You could try and feed more or more ofton depending on your tank load. As was olso mentioned check out all your tanks readings ie:nitrite/nitrates/ammonia etc etc. as well as temps. HTH's leslr. Link to comment
DogfacePuffer Posted October 8, 2002 Author Share Posted October 8, 2002 I think my feather duster's not getting enuff to eat. I have a torch coral in there that's really well fed...so it might be a little short on nutrients...I tried to fit it back into the body tube today, but it popped off again, and this time with some plumes coming off... I don't have a shrimp in the tank, but a very mean blue damsel who has been eating some of the plumes scattered in the water when i moved it It also bit the feather duster's body, and kept picking at it. I will monitor the water for couple of days. It might be the "damn"sel who is harassing it. i thought damsels leave feather dusters alone, but this one is brutal. Link to comment
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