Feather Dusters Gone Wild

[johnd4g]

I've noticed an unusual outbreak in my tank that started a couple of months ago. Feather Dusters!!! Hundreds of small Feather Dusters in my 25 gal nano. In the pic below (yea poor quality) you can see dozens of them (along with a small piece of macro algae) growing on the front of some rocks. They look cool, but I'm getting worried they are becoming too numerous. I do 20% PWCs about every ten days and water parameters are in check. All livestock are doing well.
Any thoughts?


Thanks!

[J.russell]

I have nothing useful to add to this thread other than a picture of one of my rocks that looks alot like yours...lol



And there are alot more on the back side of the same rock. No idea where they came from. I only have one big duster that I bought and hes on the other end of the tank.

[spamreefnew]

i have thousands of the same,,,,they come and go in cycles,,just when you think they are overtaking they receed

[D to the P]

they usually grow in areas of high detritis. they are harmless hitchhikers.

[Carnavor180]

yep my old tank had tons of them, previous tank not many at all.
but they are harmless.

[vlogic]

I have many in my fuge. I sometime take them and place them in my display. I have a peppermint shrimp that loved them.

[Saiyan]

I had tons and now I don't have any. I think it was my Cherub Angel that ate them all.

[atzak]

I saw the title of this thread and thought there would be pictures of young feather dusters showing their boobs

[snorvich]

Wow, I did not know that they did that. Is the video out yet?

[renstrom]

Had about a million in my reef, then added a copper-banded butterfly. Butterlfy ate them all in about two weeks, and is now in love with them and I can't get it to eat regular food. Feeding frozen mysis and spirulina, but it acts like it hasn't seen offered food before and cruises rocks looking and pecking.
One problem begets another. Any suggestions on getting this guy to eat?

[renstrom]

Had about a million in my reef, then added a copper-banded butterfly. Butterlfy ate them all in about two weeks, and is now in love with them and I can't get it to eat regular food. Feeding frozen mysis and spirulina, but it acts like it hasn't seen offered food before and cruises rocks looking and pecking.
One problem begets another. Any suggestions on getting this guy to eat?

[KyleO]

Originally posted by renstrom
Had about a million in my reef, then added a copper-banded butterfly. Butterlfy ate them all in about two weeks, and is now in love with them and I can't get it to eat regular food. Feeding frozen mysis and spirulina, but it acts like it hasn't seen offered food before and cruises rocks looking and pecking.
One problem begets another. Any suggestions on getting this guy to eat?

Try soaking the Mysis in Garlic...........

BTW, Welcome to RC!!!

[renstrom]

Thanks for the suggestion! The H20 Life spirulina/shrimp product has garlic (I can smell it), but still no dice. I'm trying another product my supplier is bringing it today (Pro Salt) that it was eating a few weeks ago, allegedly.
Like feeding a 2 year old in a high chair. Fun, but a little frustrating at times. . .

[steve1963]

My fuge is FULL of them.

I have some in my DT.I've never seen anything eat them but they haven't spread like in the fuge.

[KyleO]

I have a green star polyp outbreak in my tank..........and to tell the truth, if I had to choose I would definitely go with the feather duster outbreak (at least we know what eats them if needed)

Any idea what eats green star polyps?

[marino420td]

Originally posted by atzak
I saw the title of this thread and thought there would be pictures of young feather dusters showing their boobs

Now that was funny!

[iwishtofish]

That WAS pretty funny....

johnd4g, beware!


The beginning...



Now, about 6 months later...



But I don't really mind. I plan to use stainless forceps to pluck a few that are rubbing my corals, but most people who have seen my tank think they look pretty. They are all over the place now, even forming colonies in the sand.

They are also a good flow indicator!

[steve1963]

Great pic.

[Skepperz]

Having lots of feather dusters is a sign of a healthy tank, how long have you guys had your tanks set up for?

[ACBlinky]

They're harmless and I think they're pretty, I hope you choose to keep them
The population will probably grow and recede over time, depending on how much food (floating detritus etc.) is available. I'd enjoy the bloom while you have it, they may not last

[iwishtofish]

Originally posted by Skepperz
Having lots of feather dusters is a sign of a healthy tank, how long have you guys had your tanks set up for?

Skepperz, about 6 months....I dosed a lot of DT's phytoplankton until I cut back on feeding recently. I suspect the phyto really helped them take off.

[steve1963]

Originally posted by Skepperz
Having lots of feather dusters is a sign of a healthy tank,

Guess I've got a very healthy tank.lol.

[johnd4g]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I've had this tank set up for about a year and no new additions for about four months. It was a big surprise to see the Feather Dusters multiply so rapidly. My other tank has been up for over four years and although there are FDs here and there I've never seen an outbreak in it like in this one. I plan to let them alone unless I see them overtaking the corals.
BTW... I enjoyed the comments about the Feather Duster boobs. I was wondering if the subject line would draw some comments like that.

[salty55]

yep, that's is a sign of a healty tank. I have several in my fuge, but none in the display. I suspect the pep's may have something to do with that.

[uncleant]

Originally posted by iwishtofish
That WAS pretty funny....

johnd4g, beware!


The beginning...



Now, about 6 months later...



But I don't really mind. I plan to use stainless forceps to pluck a few that are rubbing my corals, but most people who have seen my tank think they look pretty. They are all over the place now, even forming colonies in the sand.

They are also a good flow indicator!

those are some really good looking dusters lol