How long have you had a large feather duster live?

Aquabucket · #1 12/20/2007, 09:29 PM

Just curious how long others have kept them alive. My large Hawaiian has been in my tank for 2 years now. It has never dropped its crown either. I don't feed it but my tank is skimmerless. Anyone else keep one alive for 2 years or more?

lvpd186 · #2 12/20/2007, 09:34 PM

I think mine almost made it two years (and through one move to a bigger tank). Also I have always used a skimmer and never target fed it. For a little while I was dosing phyto, but I stopped after a month or so.

Aquabucket · #3 12/20/2007, 09:38 PM

Thanks lvpd186.

I don't even know how long they can live in the wild. Anybody here know how long they can live?

Here is a pic of mine located near the left side of the tank.

superfirefly · #4 12/20/2007, 10:10 PM

Nothing to say about the duster but man I always enjoy it when you post pictures of your tank. Do you have a pic that includes all of that bubble?

Aquabucket · #5 12/20/2007, 10:17 PM

Thanks superfirefly!

Here are a couple of pics for you. I finally decided to remove the bubble coral from my tank though. It was getting way to big for my tank. It was a tough decision for me but my tank has room for some other things now.

dastratt · #6 12/20/2007, 11:10 PM

Yeah total thread hijack but love the tank aquabucket.

The cherry red coral is a lobo? Do you feed this tank? Mine is doing lousy under PC lighting. What bulb combo are you using?

Aquabucket · #7 12/20/2007, 11:19 PM

Thanks dastratt! Yes its a lobo. I've had it for 4 years now. I only feed the tank Aquadine flake/wafers, cyclops and mysis these days.

I am running 1 GE daylight, 1 ATI aquablue special, 1 ATI blue plus and 1 UVL superactinic. My 39 watt HO T5s are overdriven to 64 watts each though.

Saiyan · #8 12/21/2007, 02:23 AM

I was wondering this same thing. Does anyone know how long they can actually live in the wild? I have never had them for very long in the past but was never feeding. The one I have now seems to eat like mad when I feed the tank. He pulls the cyclopeez out and it floats away but seems to relish the rest.

Saiyan · #9 12/21/2007, 02:25 AM

One quick question. Why do they drop their crown? Does that mean they are done for or just not happy.

Lucky-rc · #10 12/21/2007, 08:44 AM

BUCKET, I have nothing to add to your org.post but you have a very nice tank.

I was in the thread " financial breakpoint for reef tanks" (pg. 2-3)

Those guy's were not very accepting of the fact that you "DON"T" need thousands of dollars and thee best of everything to have a healthy attractive reef.... Sure would have been nice to have you in there to show them they are wrong...(I base this one the fact you don't run a skimmer)

Nice job my friend

Lucky

Racing1 · #11 12/21/2007, 09:54 AM

I have had my featherduster for 3 years now. He has been through 4 tank upgrades and changes and never seems to have a problem...

steve1963 · #12 12/21/2007, 10:20 AM

I've had one for at least 5 years,it could be as long as seven or eight.

It's moved tanks three years ago and still going strong.

I do dose photo.

alfani · #13 12/21/2007, 10:27 AM

I had mine for over 3+ years then disappears

LobsterOfJustice · #14 12/21/2007, 10:39 AM

I had my first one for under a year. My current one I've had for about 2 years and he looks healthy and happy as ever. I don't feed phyto or any small "filter-feeder" foods often. The smallest food I feed is cyclope-eze about once a week, and I dont think he eats that. I do blow detritus off the rocks every so often, I bet that helps.

Aquabucket · #15 12/22/2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saiyan
One quick question. Why do they drop their crown? Does that mean they are done for or just not happy.

Its an indication of stress and the worm may end up dying.

Thanks everyone for all the responses so far. I did not think they could live as long as some of the answers posted. I hope mine lives that long.

Potsy · #16 12/22/2007, 02:36 PM

Mine wasn't huge - one of those brown 3" species - it did live for about 6 years before I lost it during a move. Never fed phyto but the tank did have a TON of sponge and fanworm growth so their must have been plenty of nutrients to feed on.

I've read that in the wild, barring predation, their lifespan is on the measure of many decades. They can live a LONG time.

snorvich · #17 12/22/2007, 05:54 PM

Well, I had to tell Aquabucket his tank was awesome, so not to distract from the thread, I have three and they are going on three years. In the wild, I have seen them often but don't pay attention to them as they are so common. I once had one drop its head but it grew back.

rynon · #18 12/22/2007, 09:52 PM

Really dumb question. I've had mine for about a year BTW and it did "shoot it's top off" once but it grew back quite fast. Now for the dumb question. Mine has smaller heads further down the "tube", what is that? Is that how they reproduce? Is that just a normal large feather duster thing? Aquabucket mine looks almost identical to yours..nice tank!