HELP....Feather Duster Worm

[ubermom03]

I purchased this beautiful Feather Duster Worm yesterday and he was wraped beautifully in some of my live rock. I came home today after running some errands and he is out of his tube!!! Is this o.k.?

 

[wrightme43]

Very rarely is this ok. Sometimes they will leave the tube if they dont like the flow where they are. Sometimes they will regrow a new tube and new feathers. Do not try to put him back in the tube. That usually kills them. All you can really do now is wait. How long had it been at the fish store? What was the salinity it came from and what is yours? How long and how did you acclimate it?

 

[NaH2O]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!! Hope you enjoy the board!

wrightme43 has asked some good questions. How are your tank parameters?

 

[plack]

I'll tag along I'm curious if the tube could be placed closer to where it moved too but I don't know if it would do any good ?

 

[ubermom03]

Thanks for the replies...It had been at Aquarium store for about 3 weeks. All 6 of my tests were great and it had been that way for two weeks with me testing twice a day.I acclimated him for 30 minutes in bag and then 30 minutes in drip bucket. I hope he finds, or builds, a new tube. He is so cool.

 

[mojoreef]

Is it the worm you are seeing or just the feather portion

Mike

 

[steve-s]

If this is a newer tank set up, also be sure to check your water specs. These types of worms are increadibley sensitive to nitrogens.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ubermom03]

I am seeing the whole worm. The tank has been set up for about 3 months.

 

[NaH2O]

ubermom - here is a quote for you from the article: Featherdusters in the Aquarium

Sometimes Sabellastarte spp. leave their tube. This exposes the worm, making it vulnerable to predators. In general it is best not to try to re-insert the worm into its tube. One is more likely to injure it this way, and it is likely that it left the tube for a good reason. Usually they move this way to a better position, in a stronger current. The worm can build a new transparent tube in a matter of hours, and it will coat the tube with sand and detritus over a matter of a few days.

 

[danieljames]

What ever happened to your worm nikki? I had a feather bail on me about four days ago. I haven't seen it since. I purchased five locally, and now a second one (interestingly the same color as the first one that bailed, and also in the same position in the tank) is stretching WAY out of his tube, where almost two inches of the worm is exposed. He retracts when touched. The flow is decent where he is. Enough for most sps.

 

[NaH2O]

danieljames - the only feather dusters I've had, have been the little hitchhiking ones. Have you checked your water parameters? The duster that you think bailed, is it possible it is still in the tube, or bailed the tube, but found a new location you can't see? So you have any fish that were picking on the duster? I'm not sure about the worm that is stretching. Sounds like it is trying to reach a food source/current.

 

[danieljames]

Checked my parems again this morning. Salinity is a bit high, but not enough to bother anything else in the display, including three other dusters. The worm left it's tube and is sitting on the sandbed behind my rock structure. I got a few pictures of it extending out of it's tube. Doesn't appear to be secreting any new tube that i can tell of this morning. I don't even know if it is alive.