Aipstasia, Feather Duster, or Something else.

PapaFishRocks · Oct 10, 2023

Saw this critter for the first time tonight on my Zoas. The white tube is approx. 2” long and 1/16” diameter, with a head of fuzzy tentacles. The head fully retracts into the tube, when I shine a light on it, but the tube doesn’t move or retract.

What the heck is this thing?

DJF · Oct 10, 2023

Look up coco worm and see if it’s a match

Reefkeepers Archive · Oct 10, 2023

PapaFishRocks said:
Saw this critter for the first time tonight on my Zoas. The white tube is approx. 2” long and 1/16” diameter, with a head of fuzzy tentacles. The head fully retracts into the tube, when I shine a light on it, but the tube doesn’t move or retract.

What the heck is this thing?

Yep, that's a featherduster. Completely harmless.

williamCreery · Oct 10, 2023

Feather Duster, is my best guess I have one but I’m guessing it died and left the tube on one of my rock works near a cave.

Reefkeepers Archive · Oct 10, 2023

DJF said:
Look up coco worm and see if it’s a match

I doubt it's a coco worm, I have the exact same featherduster on my zoa rock and in the months I've had it it hasn't gotten bigger than one inch long, also it's tube is calcified unlike the mucus tubes of coco worms, good guess though

PapaFishRocks · Oct 10, 2023

Cool! I feel much better now.
I’ve run FOWLERs for 20 years, but this is my first try at corals. Of course the panic of AIPSTASIA APOCALYPSE set in!

williamCreery · Oct 10, 2023

If you ever get Aipstasia get an wild caught XL peppermint shrimp from https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/peppermint-shrimp-xl-wild-caught-lysmata-wurdemanni-clean-up-crew/

If you end up with a lot of back wall algae get like 10 zebra turbo snails, they clean ur back wall crystal clean and your rock work

PapaFishRocks · Oct 10, 2023

williamCreery said:
If you ever get Aipstasia get an wild caught XL peppermint shrimp from https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/peppermint-shrimp-xl-wild-caught-lysmata-wurdemanni-clean-up-crew/

If you end up with a lot of back wall algae get like 10 zebra turbo snails, they clean ur back wall crystal clean and your rock work

I actually added a few turbo snails this weekend, and they are decimating the back glass algae.

Do Peppermint shrimp play nice with Cleaner shrimp and Fire shrimp?

williamCreery · Oct 10, 2023

Yes I have them with both skunk cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp

But please be sure to place him in when lights out in the tank. Like in the ocean when they find out a new critter pops up in the tank, they’ll be defensive but eventually get along after seeing one another many days later.

OctaviusBrine · Oct 11, 2023

PapaFishRocks said:
Cool! I feel much better now.
I’ve run FOWLERs for 20 years, but this is my first try at corals. Of course the panic of AIPSTASIA APOCALYPSE set in!

It’s not if it’s when. You’ll get a pest one way or the other. You just have to work through it and not quit.

Mikeltee · Oct 11, 2023

You will eventually get aphasia. File fish is the only successful remedy. I know they are ugly. Just get it over with and he will soon become one of your favorites. His swim patterns when he hunts is fun to watch and he has a great personality. He is a great tank mate. He swims with all the fish.