Troubled Feather Duster

[Mahoney]

Hey everyone! Quick question about my feather duster. In the past couple weeks, it appears something is nipping away at it. I've had it in the tank for over a year, with all the same fish, and suddenly it's "feathers" are being nipped down. I've sat and watched the tank and I don't notice any fish bugging it (I have moved it around a bunch because my clowns were trying to host in it or something about a month ago and have finally found a place where it's not bothered by the clown fish, but now this!). Any thoughts?

55g tank
T5HO's
Fish--yellow tang, two mated clowns, 6 line wrasse, green clown goby
Others--a peppermint shrimp or two, hermit crabs x 10 or so, a few big snails, various tiny starfish (brittle and non)
All water parameters are normal at this time.

Could something be picking on it when the light is off at night? I love the feather duster! I don't want it to get too stressed and shed it's feathers or die!

Suggestions?


Now Pic:


Now Pic:


Before: Big and beautiful!
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Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Eileen60]

Peppermint shrimp can be opportunistic. Although I can't say if they would go after a feather duster its usually polyps.

 

[wes]

Peppermint shrimp can be opportunistic. Although I can't say if they would go after a feather duster its usually polyps.

I agree with this.

 

[kpiotrowski]

Just a shot here as I am no expert, but don't feather dusters retract rapidly when bothered? so nothing would have a chance to nip at it? Is it possibible it is rubbing against rockwork is though?

 

[1guydude]

Imoe I've had hermit crabs eat em. Not the smaller hermits but some of the med or lrg reef hermits.
These soft tube ones specially. Sm hermits shouldleave it b though
If its getting some flow. I'd leave it b and watch for some days. Check in at night too when lights r supposed to b off.
Hths
D

 

[senji]

ive herd of clowns hating feathers. and a tittle of topic sorta, what happened to your sally sweet lips? it could have loved the duster it sure did on mine when i had one.

 

[1guydude]

No sweetlips MIA

 

[Mahoney]

Somehow I wasn't getting emails that people had posted. Oops! Well.... after seeing the feather duster get more and more nipped, I decided to move it about 10 inches or so from where it was about a week or so ago, and it actually seems to be doing a little better. It was directly in front of where the peppermint shrimp were holed up. I actually think it's starting to regrow a bit.

Kpiotrowski---that was my impression too that they shrink up... so how the heck could it be being nipped down to the nubs? I checked periodically at night and never saw anything attacking it.... so it's a mystery....

But thanks everyone for the thoughts! Love this site!