Hitchhiker on LR, Large Feather Duster

[drowsyfirefly]

So I have a hitchhiker on my liverock: a feather duster about 2" wide at the crown and about 4" long for the tube.

 

I've grown quite attached to him and have been watching the tank very closely to make sure the ammonia spike (cycling my tank) doesn't kill him. I was planning to soft cycle the tank to help him make it through.

 

However, today I noticed he was extended past his tube. I could see the little rib like structures that come off his body. I have never seen this happen with him before, so I tested the water. According to my tests it's at ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate = 0. The temperature is good (80 or so, was 79 this morning), though I has a wild temp swing on Tuesday.

 

Some people seem to say that this is what they do before they decide to change tubes. He hasn't shed his crown or anything.

 

Is it possible he's trying to get more food? I was going to order some DT's live phyto for him this weekend so he doesn't starve. I turned his rock so that he's facing the flow more, but he's still extended.

 

Any ideas?

 

--Meghan

[drowsyfirefly]

I have a picture of what's going on in my tank.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...st&id=15144

 

Hope this helps anyone figure out what's going on. I fed him some DT's in hopes that he was hungry. Not sure if this will work or not.

 

--Meghan

[Ryanqk]

I have a picture of what's going on in my tank.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...st&id=15144

 

Hope this helps anyone figure out what's going on. I fed him some DT's in hopes that he was hungry. Not sure if this will work or not.

 

--Meghan

I have the same kind of feather duster worm, as long as he doesnt lose his crown i dont see why he'd die, he may be looking for better flow or something. DT's is the best thing to feed them. Mine is over 6 inches long and when fully expanded at least 4 inches across maybe 5.

[drowsyfirefly]

I have the same kind of feather duster worm, as long as he doesnt lose his crown i dont see why he'd die, he may be looking for better flow or something. DT's is the best thing to feed them. Mine is over 6 inches long and when fully expanded at least 4 inches across maybe 5.

 

I put him in a better flow, at least he's not reaching towards it any more, but now because he was so extended, he's got a bulge and can't go back into his tube.

 

I'm not gonna put any more stress on him right now, but the only other option I can see besides letting it all work itself out (the method I want to use) is cutting him out of there very carefully and putting him on the substrate to find his own place. This is so last resort that it will never get used. I hope. I feel awful though.

 

Put in a whole teaspoon of DT's as per their instructions for a fifteen gallon. It says that feeding less or feeding less frequently won't help, so I listened and did that. My LFS said two to three drops, but I tried that already. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

For now I am not going to brush anything by him or other stressful things like that and simply let him do what he will. Hopefully that does not involve dying.

 

--Meghan

[reefkidsclownfish]

I put him in a better flow, at least he's not reaching towards it any more, but now because he was so extended, he's got a bulge and can't go back into his tube.

 

I'm not gonna put any more stress on him right now, but the only other option I can see besides letting it all work itself out (the method I want to use) is cutting him out of there very carefully and putting him on the substrate to find his own place. This is so last resort that it will never get used. I hope. I feel awful though.

 

Put in a whole teaspoon of DT's as per their instructions for a fifteen gallon. It says that feeding less or feeding less frequently won't help, so I listened and did that. My LFS said two to three drops, but I tried that already. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

For now I am not going to brush anything by him or other stressful things like that and simply let him do what he will. Hopefully that does not involve dying.

 

--Meghan

 

he might just be geting ready to move (yes it hapense) he might just be a vey slow tube changer. my uncle had one and it was more then half out of it's tube for about 2 months before it changed tubes, just as long as you don't have anything that might eat him, he will be fine, the only resin they pop back into there tubes is to hide from preditores (and funnily enough, there preditores are about the size of that little nob on the end of a battery, they eat off the little parts of the crown), so just leave him alone and he should live,