Featherduster Worms
- Thread starter Jason
- Start date
Hi Jason - I think that they are reasonably hardy. I have seen some in Wayne's coral bath for weeks on end - surviving without problems.
They do not require or like TOO much water flow. They are filter-feeders, so will "eat" from the water column. You CAN feed marine snow or phytoplankton (ie coral food), IF you want....
If they stress, they can loose their "heads" (the "feather part"). I am quite sure SOME types of angels will nip at them. Perhaps some butterfly's as well.
Not sure about the other fish we keep.
They do not require or like TOO much water flow. They are filter-feeders, so will "eat" from the water column. You CAN feed marine snow or phytoplankton (ie coral food), IF you want....
If they stress, they can loose their "heads" (the "feather part"). I am quite sure SOME types of angels will nip at them. Perhaps some butterfly's as well.
Not sure about the other fish we keep.
Nope, the whole head. Soon as they get to a certain size he attacks them like mad.
When they small he leaves them alone
ok i'm getting mine back from you soon! you got mean things in your tanks!
Personally i`ve never had success with purchased feather worms, even in previous systems with no angels they all seem to loose their heads and presumably starve.
MidasBlenny - didn't the feather-duster worms' heads grow back on the ones you tried? Strange - I don't own any seperately purchased fan/feather-duster worms either - but I have read a lot about them, because I was always tempted. I just never did buy any.
I can only presume that they are very similar to the small ones we get to see on our liverock - just in a MUCH larger scale.
BTW: Another thing - how much zooplankton do you think you have in your water column? Also - how many times a week do you create a "snowstorm" in your tank by blowing detritus from the live rock/sand-bed in order to "feed" the filter-feeders?
I think that this might be a factor in keeping these animals alive?
I can only presume that they are very similar to the small ones we get to see on our liverock - just in a MUCH larger scale.
BTW: Another thing - how much zooplankton do you think you have in your water column? Also - how many times a week do you create a "snowstorm" in your tank by blowing detritus from the live rock/sand-bed in order to "feed" the filter-feeders?
I think that this might be a factor in keeping these animals alive?
hmmmm food for thought there jacques! i love featherdusters, think they are stunning in a system so i really would like to learn to look after them
Hi Crispin - I just got myself another Marine Keeping book (was very cheap) from the "Paperweight" store here in central CapeTown - called "Saltwater Aquarium for Dummies" (ja-ja - I know - I am too still just a "Dummie" ;-)
Here they have the Featherduster worm listed.
This is what they say about the feather-duster (or fan-worm):
And I quote:
"These sedentary worms are imported from the Indo-Pacific for the aquarium trade. They live in a parchment tube that's buried in the substrate. The feathery head is typical colorful and it is extended for feeding..... When startled, the feathery tentacles are withdrawn within the fraction of a second back into the safety of the tube. These invertebrates are not particular about lighting and can be fed brine shrimp. Unfortunately, these critters need a lot of planktonic food and tend to starve slowly in the typical aquarium. If your fan worms lose their feathers, it can be a sign that they are not being fed well enough"....
Here they have the Featherduster worm listed.
This is what they say about the feather-duster (or fan-worm):
And I quote:
"These sedentary worms are imported from the Indo-Pacific for the aquarium trade. They live in a parchment tube that's buried in the substrate. The feathery head is typical colorful and it is extended for feeding..... When startled, the feathery tentacles are withdrawn within the fraction of a second back into the safety of the tube. These invertebrates are not particular about lighting and can be fed brine shrimp. Unfortunately, these critters need a lot of planktonic food and tend to starve slowly in the typical aquarium. If your fan worms lose their feathers, it can be a sign that they are not being fed well enough"....
Strange,
I don't feed any particular planktonic food and skim heavily. Still my feather worm has been happy (presumably) for over a year. And he has grown quite a bit. Maybe they also eat larger matter.
I don't feed any particular planktonic food and skim heavily. Still my feather worm has been happy (presumably) for over a year. And he has grown quite a bit. Maybe they also eat larger matter.
a-wa-we-wa dude, your tank is a war site:yeahdude:
They do not use light, i have had one for a long time and its fine. My one was in my nano with 50 nitrates and i never fed it(was still a newbie then). My one has lost its head twice and it been fine and has grown very quickly! Im just saying this is almost as easy as haveing mollys!
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
They do grow back really quickly.
hhhmmm the fellas i have in my tank survived the RO dip experiment i did for 9 days, one shed its head but is cimming back fast. I do have them on an over hang near the outflow of the tank and they seem to filter fine and happily.
but are the sunstrate boys? the ones I have are attached to LR and thus i moved him up the reef, should i rather put him low down?
and surley they would filter out coral frenzy and that sort of thing?
but are the sunstrate boys? the ones I have are attached to LR and thus i moved him up the reef, should i rather put him low down?
and surley they would filter out coral frenzy and that sort of thing?
my Coco-worm has been happy as a pig in mud since the day I bought him. His tube (which is hard not like the normal feather dusters) has grown about 2cm in last 2 months of having him. Probably added marine snow about 5 times in total...
Jason: The Coco-Worm (or Koko-worm) are very bright, ofen get red&white, pink&white, i've seen yellow as well.
You do get colourful featherduster worms as well (i've seen purple&white before) - they are a lot cheaper than Coco-worms.
Bought my Coco worm for R175. Here you can see the new white bit of his tube where corraline hasn't grown yet. Thats 1 months growth! only fed marine snow about 5 times in the 2 months i've had him.
You do get colourful featherduster worms as well (i've seen purple&white before) - they are a lot cheaper than Coco-worms.
Bought my Coco worm for R175. Here you can see the new white bit of his tube where corraline hasn't grown yet. Thats 1 months growth! only fed marine snow about 5 times in the 2 months i've had him.