Feeding A well-balanced feather duster diet consists of: Live, floating microplankton Supplemental feedings of phytoplankton and zooplankton should be provided
What is the best food for feather duster worms?
The most popular foods for feather duster worms in a home aquarium are plankton and baby brine shrimp. These attractive annelids are frequently available at my local fish store. I’ve even seen them recently in a Petco.
What do you feed your Duster fish?
Something like oyster feast would also be a good choice, and some coral foods and mixes have things which should work well. Depending on the kind of duster and your tank, it may need little or no supplemental feeding, but so long as you're not fowling the water, feeding it certainly isn't a bad idea.
Why is it so hard to feed feather dusters?
However, it never really has been hard to feed these worms, it just takes a LOT of phytoplankton, and hobbyists are generally loathe to buy as much as they need and even more they are loathe to feed it in the rather awesome amounts necessary. These large feather dusters are not generally animals from clear water areas.
What kind of water do feather dusters like?
These large feather dusters are not generally animals from clear water areas. They most often live in green or turbid water with a lot of phytoplankton floating in it. They need to be in an aquarium that has a very evident green tint when viewed from a couple of feet away.
How often do you feed a feather duster?
Well-Known Member. I usually feed a capful every other day per 25 gallons, but the dosing may depend on what type of phyto you use and what else you have in the tank.
What does the feather duster worm eat?
Giant feather duster worms feed on small food particles and plankton floating in the water and can only thrive in areas with moving currents that bring in new plankton, but they do not simply wait passively for them. Instead, they create a current in the water to direct the particles into its mouth.
How do you take care of a feather duster?
Feather Dusters Here's how to clean a feather duster: Gently wash the duster head in soapy, warm water, and then run it under running water until it rinses clean. Shake out any excess water and let it air dry. A mild dish soap works just fine for this cleaning method.
Do feather dusters need sand?
All feather dusters are suspension feeders and should be placed near (or at) the bottom of the aquarium, where their food—suspended particulate matter—is most abundant. Substrate placement is also optimal because they construct their tubes using sand, detritus, and other bits of sediment.
Do feather dusters eat copepods?
Feather Dusters will have no noticeable impact on the copepod population.
How long do feather duster worms live?
2 years so far. They usually starve to death before some people realise what happened. I know, I watched several of them wither away. I learned that low flow and target feed them with cyclopese thru a baster from underneath the crown.
How do you maintain a duster?
Key stepsShake the dust from your duster.Use warm water and washing-up liquid to clean the duster.Rinse, and squeeze out excess water.Allow to air-dry.Wash a mop head in the washing machine or in a 50/50 bleach and water solution.Hang your mop to stop it picking dirt up from the floor.
Why do feather dusters lose their crowns?
It will grow back, it's normal for the worm lose it crow in a new tank cause of stress and different water parameter. if it doesn't like the location you try to keep it then it will leave its tube and make new one somewhere else and it usually lose it crown while doing that.
Do you need to clean a feather duster?
0:182:39How to Clean Your Feather Duster - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd after about a year of dusting you might want to wash your duster. But this is real easy to doMoreAnd after about a year of dusting you might want to wash your duster. But this is real easy to do and don't be scared of it it's real easy to clean your duster.
Do feather duster worms clean water?
As mentioned earlier Feather Duster worms are filter feeders. They use their wafting radioles to pluck out fine particles from the water column. These worms are actually quite selective! They have grooves within their cilia that help them sort out particles by size.
How do feather duster worms get oxygen?
How do feather duster worms get oxygen? How do land dwelling annelids (Like the earthworm) get oxygen? They take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide through their moist skin. Diffusion.
Do feather dusters reproduce?
Reproduction. Feather duster worms reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction involves the release of gametes into the water where the fertilized eggs develop into free-swimming larvae that eventually settle in an appropriate habitat.
Do feather duster worms clean water?
As mentioned earlier Feather Duster worms are filter feeders. They use their wafting radioles to pluck out fine particles from the water column. These worms are actually quite selective! They have grooves within their cilia that help them sort out particles by size.
What do fan worms eat?
Biology. The European fan worm is a filter feeder and feeds on bacteria, zooplankton, phytoplankton and suspended particles of organic matter. Individual worms are either male or female and liberate gametes into the sea.
Do feather duster worms have a purpose?
They don't have much of a purpose. Like other segmented worms, they have a long cylindrical body, and their head bears the mouth. They have a crown of feathers about 2-3 in (5-7.6 cm) in diameter.
Do feather duster worms split?
The worm can disappear into its tube in the blink of an eye. The Split-Crown Feather Duster's gills are divided into two halves. This divided gill gives the worm its name, as it appears to have a crown of gills that is split into two parts. The gills were approximately 2 inches across.
What do feather duster worms eat?
The most popular foods for feather duster worms in a home aquarium are plankton and baby brine shrimp.
Why do worms shed feathers?
1) Stress due to transportation. If the worm sheds its feathers right after being added to your tank—it could just be because of the stress of transportation. As long as the fan worm is otherwise healthy, you should see new feathers within a few weeks.
What is the feathery crown of a fan worm?
The feathery crown that gives the feather duster worm its name is a specialized part of its body that is used to trap plankton and move them to its mouth. These fan worms don’t have a face and eyes, but they are able to detect changes in the light and use that light sensitivity to protect them from predators.
Why do annelids lose their feathers?
This could, unfortunately, spiral out of control because once the feathers are shed, they won’t be able to feed —and therefore won’t be able to sustain enough energy from food to heal themselves.
Do feather duster worms reproduce asexually?
Another interesting behavior exhibited by the polychaete feather duster worms is that they build the tubes that protect their soft bodies from detritus they filter from the water. They also have the ability to reproduce asexually through fragmentation.
Can you keep a feather duster with fish?
They also need to have their feather duster crowns extended in order to capture their food, so you don’t want to keep them with fishes that will find the feathers to be irresistible to nip at.
Can copper kill feather duster worms?
They require standard reef tank water parameters. Like most other reef invertebrates, copper will kill them. Please, don’t use copper and check your source water to make sure it doesn’t have copper in it.
tennis20
i got a feather duster from my LFS a couple of months ago not knowing i have to feed it. so over the summer i noticed it getting smaller so i went to the LFS and i got food. i read that people feed them phytoplankton but the worker said that i should feed it piranha eggs. I bought the frozen piranha eggs and i will put some in my tank.
albertthiel
i got a feather duster from my LFS a couple of months ago not knowing i have to feed it. so over the summer i noticed it getting smaller so i went to the LFS and i got food. i read that people feed them phytoplankton but the worker said that i should feed it piranha eggs. I bought the frozen piranha eggs and i will put some in my tank.
DaJMasta
The piranha eggs are probably on the large size of what it can eat, if it can eat them at all. They're also a freshwater food source and while plenty of people have decent results using them, I like to stick to food sources that can be found in marine environments.
yoshii
They need live phytoplankton, but in addition use other foods to build their "tube"
altolamprologus
Where do you people get this nonsense? Feather dusters eat live phytoplankton and only live phytoplankton. To be even more specific, phytoplankton under about 40 microns in size. Denying them their only food source means certain death.
TeflonTomDosh
Where do you people get this nonsense? Feather dusters eat live phytoplankton and only live phytoplankton. To be even more specific, phytoplankton under about 40 microns in size. Denying them their only food source means certain death.
altolamprologus
I'm not angry, I just don't understand why simple info like this isn't more commonplace.
Overview
Table of Contents
Typical Appearance and Behavior
- Feather dusters are peaceful filter feeders who can be kept singly or with other annelids
- Feather dusters come in many beautiful colors, depending on species, and can live 1–2 years or more with proper care
- Feather dusters prefer average current so that plankton can be brought to them; they then use their feathers to trap the plankton for food
- Feather dusters are peaceful filter feeders who can be kept singly or with other annelids
- Feather dusters come in many beautiful colors, depending on species, and can live 1–2 years or more with proper care
- Feather dusters prefer average current so that plankton can be brought to them; they then use their feathers to trap the plankton for food
- Feather dusters can lose their feathers for a variety of reasons, including stress, malnourishment and getting ready for mating season
Habitat
- Habitat size
A minimum of 10+ gallons is recommended for feather dusters; however, water conditions can change rapidly in smaller water volumes. - Building your habitat
1. Water health 1.1. Provide proper filtration to ensure optimal water quality to help maintain health; slow to moderate water circulation, depending on species, should be provided to mimic water currents found in the feather duster's natural habitat 1.2. Stable water quality (pH, ammoni…
Feeding
- A well-balanced feather duster diet consists of: 1. Live, floating microplankton 2. Supplemental feedings of phytoplankton and zooplankton should be provided 3. Vitamins or trace minerals can be beneficial to all marine inverts Things to remember when feeding your feather duster: 1. Feed supplements 3–4 times per week by dispersing food just upstre...
Feather Duster Care
- Maintaining great water quality with regular water changes and adequate filtration is important to help keep your feather duster healthy
- Coco worms require proper alkalinity and calcium levels to grow their tubes
- Copper-based medications are toxic to marine inverts
- Avoid overcrowded conditions, which are a major cause of stress and disease
Where to Buy Feather Dusters
- Various feather dusters are available for purchase at Petco online and in store; availability varies by location. If visiting you local Petco Pet Care Center location, please call ahead to check availability.
Supplies
Tank Mates
- Clownfish
- Damsels
- Reef-safe wrasses
- Gobies
Health
- Signs of a healthy feather duster 1. Bright, even coloring 2. Extended tentacles and tube are intact Red flags (If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian) 1. Loss of color or appetite 2. Limp plume of tentacles 3. Missing or deteriorating tentacles 4. Dissolving tissue 5. Missing crown