Placing feather dusters

[Huntercowie]

Hey im fairly new to reefing have a tank with a cuc and a few lps. I started the aquarium in my nursery for my new child soon to come. Im a world class spearfishermen and want him to be raised in an environment with familiar/local aquatics. Ive found a patch of about 30 wild feather dusters and want to place a few of them in my small 55g. Any suggestions on how to do so successfully? Waterflow, top/bottom, rock/sand, light level?

 

[Dark_Knightt]

First off congratulations on your child! As for the feather duster, i dont have any myself but i would probably suggest medium flow, in nutrient rich water. They are filter feeders, and they need the water to waft food towards them. Best of luck with the tank and baby ;Woot ;Woot

 

[Huntercowie]

First off congratulations on your child! As for the feather duster, i dont have any myself but i would probably suggest medium flow, in nutrient rich water. They are filter feeders, and they need the water to waft food towards them. Best of luck with the tank and baby ;Woot ;Woot

Any recommendations on how to place them in tank?

 

[Thrashed]

Any recommendations on how to place them in tank?

I have always tucked mine inside my rock work. Not to tight just enough to keep them up.

 

[Huntercowie]

I have always tucked mine inside my rock work. Not to tight just enough to keep them up.

Okay. No adhesive just tucking?

 

[Thrashed]

Okay. No adhesive just tucking?

Correct, don’t glue because they have a soft shell outside around them. You risk hurting the duster if you add anything to the outside of it

 

[homer1475]

I have always placed them in the sandbed, close to the rockwork. They will eventually attach themselves to the rock.

I have always had a feather duster or 2 in my tank(the large Hawaiian type). I find they like low light and high flow so food can be brought to their crown(feather).

 

[Mike from TN]

I’ve had feather dusters years ago. I really like them.
Id say, if you’re collecting them from the wild, try to replicate the conditions where you found them as far as flow and lighting conditions. They will no doubt, be stressed from being collected so you want to keep the conditions as close as possible for them.

Congrats on the new family addition!

Hey im fairly new to reefing have a tank with a cuc and a few lps. I started the aquarium in my nursery for my new child soon to come. Im a world class spearfishermen and want him to be raised in an environment with familiar/local aquatics. Ive found a patch of about 30 wild feather dusters and want to place a few of them in my small 55g. Any suggestions on how to do so successfully? Waterflow, top/bottom, rock/sand, light level?

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Any recommendations on how to place them in tank?

I would probably hide the back part of the tube in the sand. Just put the whole thing on the sand basically.

 

[Huntercowie]

I would probably hide the back part of the tube in the sand. Just put the whole thing on the sand basically.

Ok so ive harvested the worm and am transporting him home atm. While there was only 3 inches exposed while gently removing him ive discovered his tube is 23" long. The bottom 19" appear flacid and hallow. Can a portion be safely removed without hurting the worm?

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Ok so ive harvested the worm and am transporting him home atm. While there was only 3 inches exposed while gently removing him ive discovered his tube is 23" long. The bottom 19" appear flacid and hallow. Can a portion be safely removed without hurting the worm?

Not sure, but i wouldnt risk it. you could maybe cover that part in sand

 

[Huntercowie]

Not sure, but i wouldnt risk it. you could maybe cover that part in sand

I have some 14mm mesh i can put the excess under and cover it with a few inches of sand. Sound like my best bet?

 

[Huntercowie]

I have some 14mm mesh i can put the excess under and cover it with a few inches of sand. Sound like my best bet?

Update my initial assessment was totally wrong about it being a feather duster

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Yeah thats not a feather duster, some other type of tube worm

 

[ScubaFish802]

Tube anemone maybe

 

[Huntercowie]

Tube anemone maybe

Yeah pretty sure your right

 

[Soren]

Yeah pretty sure your right

Other than the tan color instead of dark purple and the fact that the tube is so far out of the water, it looks very much like my tube anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus). One way to check is that these tube anemones have two sets of tentacles: the long ones easily visible in your picture an short ones in a ring right around the mouth. Sometimes they have notably different colors between the different sets of tentacles.

...and I just noticed your question about the long tube... most of it is likely empty mucous build-up that contains stinging cells. You should keep it buried so it does not harm the fish. It might be safe to cut off the empty part, as the anemone itself is probably only 3-6 inches long, but I do not have the experience to recommend it. Mine has shed its tube twice, which made the removal quite easy. I have read that this mucous tube is harmful to other creatures, so be careful with it and do not leave it exposed. I also have a reference book that says these anemones need deeper sand (3-4 inches, I think?) and may need a dish like a glass baking pan to allow for a small area of deeper sand if the rest of your tank is not so deep. Maybe the reason mine does not protrude so far from the sand is that it is laying on its side in sand only 2-3 inches deep?

 

[Huntercowie]

Other than the tan color instead of dark purple and the fact that the tube is so far out of the water, it looks very much like my tube anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus). One way to check is that these tube anemones have two sets of tentacles: the long ones easily visible in your picture an short ones in a ring right around the mouth. Sometimes they have notably different colors between the different sets of tentacles.

Yeah he has another set from a top view definitally anenome. Was that color when i harvested him.

 

[Soren]

Yeah he has another set from a top view definitally anenome. Was that color when i harvested him.

I do not know if they change colors, but these anemones show many different colorations, some very bold and vivid! I like the dark purple one I have (both rings of tentacles are the same color). Also, see my note above about the mucous tube if you missed my edit while you were responding.

 

[Huntercowie]

I do not know if they change colors, but these anemones show many different colorations, some very bold and vivid! I like the dark purple one I have (both rings of tentacles are the same color). Also, see my note above about the mucous tube if you missed my edit while you were responding.

Yeah missed the edit. He was bright red when i found him 2 days ago and today when i took him he was a little lighter. He moved to the bottom his tub so i ended up cutting about 16" and he seeming to be doing fine ATM. I tried to replicate the same protrusion out of the sand as when i found him. But yes hes in 3" of sand and not 19" deep lol