Feather Duster

[partydiver]

So today Im cleaning the tank, i haven't seen the feather duster around recently and away from its tube, I find its feathers... Is it dead or some sort of molt?

 

[unibob]

Feather Duster

I have had tubes that grow new feathers (crowns), not sure about feathers growing a new tube...got me interested in trying to "frag" a feather duster haha.

 

[Duke]

I know that they can leave their tube and start another, not sure if that's what happened tho.

 

[unibob]

That could be how they propagate? Pop there heads and they grow new tubes. I know the ones I have (hitchhiked on liverock) do loose there heads and grow new ones, I have never seen the feathers in my tank or random ones popping up...yet. They are just small grey and white ones though.

 

[partydiver]

Reading more online I found:
- They get rid of their crowns from time to time
-It can take up to a month for them to regrow it

I hope thats all it is, when i pulled it out and got the pic all it seamed like was feathers and no worm..

 

[msteane]

I've had one of my big feather dusters drop it's feathers.  The part that fell off died, but the rest of the worm was still in it's tube and regrew new feathers.  I'd say leave the tube alone and be patient.  It did take a couple weeks for new feathers to start appearing.

 

[yveterinarian]

I wish I had known this info when my feather dusters both lost their crowns within a couple of days of each other.  I pulled out the tubes and felt them but they felt empty so I threw them away. 

 

[Poseidon]

Feather Duster

I wish I had known this info when my feather dusters both lost their crowns within a couple of days of each other.  I pulled out the tubes and felt them but they felt empty so I threw them away. 

Oops !!

 

[GinaReef]

I have the feeling that they are a segmented worm so if they break both pieces can survive.  I don't think just the feathers can survive, it needs at least a full segment.