Feather Duster Identification and Choking Off Zoas

[Eric Straus]

Helllo,

I was wondering if anyone can help me identify what’s choking off my zoas? It started out as one from a frag I got from someone else has now spread to others. Looks like some feather duster type. It’s soft body and wraps around everything. Thank in advance!! Hoping some kind of fish will eat it.

 

[reef lover]

Thay are feather dusters. Manually remove them.and cut back on available nutrients. Also many wrasses will eat them

 

[A. grandis]

The feather dusters are irritating the zoas and the zoas are having a hard time stretching for light. So look like you've got 2 distinctive problems ocurring there. If the zoas were very healthy they would take over IMO. You can remove the dusters with tweezers and correct the need of light for the polyps.

 

[danschoenherr]

I've got a bunch in my new frag system too, so I picked up a Melanarus wrasse..... doesn't touch them. I may try a Yellow Choris wrasse next, although, when I frag, I predip my zoas/palys in Revive and post dip them in CoralRx and this combo takes care of the featherdusters. They literally flee their tubes. I then take a tweezers and remove the tubes

 

[Eric Straus]

I've got a bunch in my new frag system too, so I picked up a Melanarus wrasse..... doesn't touch them. I may try a Yellow Choris wrasse next, although, when I frag, I predip my zoas/palys in Revive and post dip them in CoralRx and this combo takes care of the featherdusters. They literally flee their tubes. I then take a tweezers and remove the tubes

Thanks Dan! I will try that. I got them from a frag from someone a few months back. I couldn't add a wrass due to the berghia still in the tank.

 

[C. Eymann]

Feather dusters' "dusters" are basically worm gills and I cannot see them irritating Zoas.

Need better pics but I suspect those might be a type colonial hydroid.

 

[danschoenherr]

They definately irritate my zoas. If they are open and near or above the head of the polyp, the polyp usually won't open.
As I mentioned, the "worm" wriggles out of the tube when dipping and swims around briefly. Hydroids are not affected by the dips.

 

[Phil D.]

I had the same ones in my tank, then got 2 peppermint shrimp and they DEVASTATED them!! Had them all eaten in a few days. So suggest you get a couple.

 

[A. grandis]

Here are some pictures of common colonial hydroids:

Hydroid ID

What type of hydroid is this? They are everywhere in my tank and bothering my zoa's.

www.reef2reef.com

Note in this species of colonial hydroids the tubes are thicker:

FROM: https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/to...y-new-tank-has-possible-hydroids-please-help/

The picture of the OP is very similar to this species of feather duster:

The best way to know if it's a feather duster is to touch the crown and it will retract.
Those dusters normally grow in the sump.
Yes, they will irritate the zoanthids as they are doing right now and we can see.

Some other friends also thought they were colonial hydroids in this thread (page 6 post 105):

Here it is! Fenbendazole use against hydroids

Hi Twilliard, Please help, I would like to treat my tank with fish fenbendazole (Amazon). I currently have a 90 gallon tank with 40 gallon sump. I currently have the following pest: Colonial Hydroids (same as triggreef's picture) Digitate Hydroids (white thing that extends out) Clear Hydroid...

www.reef2reef.com

Here is the picture of similar feather dusters from that thread:

But yes, they are very similar.