tennman

[tennman]

i had a mexicanred duster it closed 4 about 3wks then slowly opened with a smaller new crown it was doing fine for 2 wks then emerald crab ate the shell looked like,. now i have 2-3 hundred dusters about 2 to4 inches long like they took over my tank.help

 

[Davesgt]

This is a pic i got from RC of some hitch hiker feather dusters. They are harmless and just filter feed away. They don't get very large like your LFS dusters. Mexican reds, Coco dusters are usually larger breeds. These little guys usually reach a max about the size of a silver dollar. Good at controlling extra nutrients. Most feather dusters produce sexually by releasing their buisness into the water and as the fertilized eggs settle they will create a calcareous tube. This is usually how most of the softer tubed dusters reproduce although ive read some do asexually reproduce. As for why there is alot appearing now is probably a increase in nutrients in your water and a good calcium supply for their bodies, chances are there has been a few in your tank for a very long time and just recently started to multiply. The crown falling off the other feather duster could be a direct result of the emmerald crab messing with it or over feeding. Some feather dusters would rather not have something picking at them all the time and become stressed enough to actually crawl out and find another location or unfortunately die.

 

[tennman]

tks dave very good info!

 

[Paul C.]

i had a mexicanred duster it closed 4 about 3wks then slowly opened with a smaller new crown it was doing fine for 2 wks then emerald crab ate the shell looked like,. now i have 2-3 hundred dusters about 2 to4 inches long like they took over my tank.help

Tennman - it may seem like a nuisance but its great when nature works. You obviously have a health environment for them.