Show me your feather dusters

[World Citizen]

My colony is growing. They are now like Aiptasia in my sump, overflow, filterroller and all over the tank.

There is 1 spot where some rock broke out of my reef. Since I didn't hate the look of it, and I was a bit lazy to glue it back, it was left there for months.

It seems this is the perfect spot. The most concentrated spot is at that place.

I was not really expecting it because I stopped feeding dustfood 6 months ago. My Vermitted snails got a bit out of hand, so I had to intervene.

I now only feed frozen mysis.

 

[mpatterson42]

I'm curious if anyone has a pink streaked wrasse in with their feather dusters. I have a PSW already and was thinking of adding feather dusters but I'm worried it will eat them.

 

[mpatterson42]

My LFS had a sale on feather dusters for $20, so I am now part of the club!

 

[vlangel]

I have some in my current display and a lot in my sump. I am on the verge of upgrading both but here is a pic of my sump is took this week. Beware; my sump is not pretty but rather pure utilitarian.

 

[World Citizen]

We got to keep this topic alive!

They are growing and multiplying.

Colour webcam and IR cam.

 

[BristleWormHater]

We got to keep this topic alive!

They are growing and multiplying.

Colour webcam and IR cam.

I wish mine would reproduce again! They did a few months into my tank being set up and they haven't since.
I guess I didn't cover this on the thread but my dusters almost died out in May-June, I assume it was from peroxide dosing which I was doing daily to combat dino and cyano. They started to look better after I stopped, but their crowns withered down. Thankfully they have fully recovered and their crowns are getting larger again but I think I lost 12-14 across the whole tank :(
I still have 23 across the whole tank.
April

May-june

August

Now, I need to trim that macroalgae lol.

 

[BriDroid]

Here was mine until a Razor treatment killed him. Luckily he was the only casualty, and I still had bubble algae after treatment. He was big and gorgeous too!

 

[CHSUB]

What a flash back….when I worked at a LFS in 1979 the big ones were what we sold and what I had. They, of course, died after about 6 months and you would buy again…I learned years later not what a hobbyist should really do. Have not seen them anywhere in decades, maybe just didn’t look? However, do they survive in captivity now with feeding or some other techniques? I have some of the micro ones now as hitchhikers, but I’m interested in the fingers sized ones.

 

[Macropharyngodon]

Are they crinoids like feather stars?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Are they crinoids like feather stars?

No, they are polychaetes like bristleworms. Very diverse group. Feather duster are the order Sebellida. Most fall in the family Sabellidae and build tubes made of silt and mucus. Some are Serpulidae and build tubes out of calcium carbonate like coco worms.

 

[Macropharyngodon]

No, they are polychaetes like bristleworms. Very diverse group. Feather duster are the order Sebellida. Most fall in the family Sabellidae and build tubes made of silt and mucus. Some are Serpulidae and build tubes out of calcium carbonate like coco worms.

Interesting! I was just curious, because it seemed like a ton of people keep them, but they look a lot like crinoids which seem to be dang near impossible to keep. Very cool that they are related to bristle worms.

 

[BristleWormHater]

What a flash back….when I worked at a LFS in 1979 the big ones were what we sold and what I had. They, of course, died after about 6 months and you would buy again…I learned years later not what a hobbyist should really do. Have not seen them anywhere in decades, maybe just didn’t look? However, do they survive in captivity now with feeding or some other techniques? I have some of the micro ones now as hitchhikers, but I’m interested in the fingers sized ones.

You can definitely have success with them now with phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and other supplements that have been made for filter feeders. You dont necessarily need those though, feeding foods that leave a lot of particles in the water like mysis shrimp and chopped clams usaully work.
Surprised you haven't seen them, most fish stores around me have them. You should get one!

 

[CHSUB]

You can definitely have success with them now with phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and other supplements that have been made for filter feeders. You dont necessarily need those though, feeding foods that leave a lot of particles in the water like mysis shrimp and chopped clams usaully work.
Surprised you haven't seen them, most fish stores around me have them. You should get one!

Yes going to order a couple soon…Live Aquaria has them and thinking about getting 1 new fish soon.

 

[JohnNYC8]

 

[BristleWormHater]

Nice pic and bump

 

[brittlestar]

Beautiful animals! The lights on my tank are off right now but I'll have to remember to post mine tomorrow.

 

[brittlestar]

It's a round tank so it's a little difficult to photograph but here's mine :)

 

[kevgib67]

@Üter

 

[Üter]

 

[rayadog]

Here to share my sub par photo. I’ll get better…

There’s a pretty purple one under my white one but it’s not wanting to photograph good.