Info On Sea Feathers And Christmas Tree Worms

[fish_keeper2]

i was lookin through some books at the bookstore and saw these guys. now im interested in them so i need some info. your help will be appreciated.

 

[Toadfish]

Hey well I just picked up a feather duster yesterday, a happy little guy, but here's what I know. They are filter feeders, which means they need occasional feedings of rotifers, plankton or baby brine (live if possible), however this also bumps up the nitrates so keep an eye on them. Other than that keep the tank clean and they make beautiful additions to a reef. Keep them away from anything that has a tendency to attack corals (butterflys, some angels, triggers). Oh max size of plummage (the part you see also used to filter feed) is up to 7". they need relatively slower waters (too fast and the food just blows past them). oh and that ugly part behind them (the tube of the tube worm) is secreted by them for protection and they will hide in it if need be (in christmas tree worms this is a harder shell which forms a rock idea). Um i think thats it not sure what else unless you plan on breeding them, and that I have no clue on.

 

[Aquascaper]

Sea Feathers/Feather Dusters:
They require target feeding of Phyto, etc. and this is done from behind the crown so that the food is drawn up through the feathers and past the anus in the centre of the crown.

Christmas Tree worms:
They require target feeding of Phyto, etc. and this is done into the water stream to dissipate over the 'heads'

That's about all I know

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. i know about feather dusters. the thing i found in a book was called a sea feather and looked to be some type of plant....ill see if i can find a pic to show what im talkin about.

well if anyone else has info on christmas tree worms that would be great.

 

[steelhealr]

I have not had success in keeping fan worms despite the fact that many sites list them as 'easy'. They require microplankton and, at least in my tank, enough to overly 'nutrientize' the water column. My feather duster dropped his crown 3 times before he disappeared and died despite target feeding. Others may have better luck in larger tanks. The others are supposed to be very difficult to keep, tho', some have had anecdotal success. A word of warning...when it dies...it may effect your tank if the worm is a large one. SH

 

[Toadfish]

Sea feather - you may be refering to something also known as a sea fan (the classic reef look), it is actually a coral, check it out and if it is the only thing I know is they are difficult high light coral and very large (200 gal minimum from what I know) http/www.aboututila.com/Photos/AdamLaver...mon-Sea-Fan.JPG

 

[Aquascaper]

I think what you're referring the Genus Pseudopterogorgia which includes P. acerosa, P.americana, P.bipinnata, P.elisabethae, P.kallos and P.rigida (commonly referred to as Sea Feathers) amongst others.

Most of the Pseudopterogorgia Genus are slimy corals except for the P.acerosa and the P.americana is the smallest species that gets to a maximum of 1m tall ( ) but the most common aqaurium species is P.bipinnata (often purple or yellow).

They are described as hardy corals which are adaptable to most lighting conditions, although they are photosynthetic and therefore need light to survive, and require good current to ensure that debris doesn't get trapped in it's frills.

The main reason they are not normally kept is due to the size, most species can reach 2m tall and spread quite large. Pruning is an option but the coral does contain cytotoxins which can be released into the water column resulting in a tank crash.

Hope that answers your questions

 

[fish_keeper2]

auqascaper - that is what i saw. ill just stay away from it then. thanks though.

SH - i find it odd that your feather duster died. i got mine when my tank was only a month or 2 old and ive never had a prob with it.

thanks for the help though guys.

 

[Opcn]

Feed with live phyto, the problem with deap phyto like kent phytomax or marine snow is that it clumps together, while you can't see the problem the feather dusters cannot eat larger pieces of food. if you dose live phyto like phytofeast live or DT's phyto and do not have a skimmer the filter feeders will eventually get it all and you don't need to target feed. I put one ml of live phyto into my 24 gallon tank a day and my feather dusters grew like mad.

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks opnc. ill try that. all ive been feeding mine is kent phytomax.

 

[Aquascaper]

fish_keeper2:
Sig rules

Sorry to bring it up but that's a huge photo

 

[FishOwner]

I've had excellent success with featherdusters and I don't target feed them ever. The front glass of my reef tank gets a film of algae on it after a couple of days and when I clean this, it becomes food for the dusters. I've had the large caribbean dusters for years and I've even had them reproduce in my tank. The only thing(s) that killed them off was two hurricanes so....
Christmas tree worms are another matter entirely. They stay small but the most important thing about them is the coral that they burrow into. Porities corals (encrusting type) are the only coral they live in and if the coral dies, they die too. Unlike most I've had success with porities too, it has thrived in my tank, even spread but again, the hurricanes did it in. Unlike most who will tell you about their care, I have found the encrusting porities to be quite tolerant of various conditions and lighting. I switched my colony from one tank to another, it was half buried constantly by a fish, it was in a tank where the heater failed on a cold night, good lighting, fair lighting it seemed to tolerate it all but the one thing the coral did NOT tolerate well was a lack of flow! They need water to flow over them but not a force gale if you get my drift. They need a constant moderate flow over them. They also do NOT like being touched by human hands. The oils on your hands will kill the part you touch so I would recommend using gloves at all times when handling them.
There are fish that will eat the christmas tree worms, angels large and small, butterflies, some tangs, triggers, etc....so be careful what fish you have in there with them.
HTH


Oh, almost forgot...I have had 0 experience with sea feathers but I have read that they are extremely difficult but again, no personal experience with them.

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. i think ill stay away from the christmas tree worms. i want to keep my tank as easy to keep as possible.

 

[Toadfish]

Another option for filter feeders is to dose brineshrimp eggs let them hatch and roam freely, I do that in my nano and he seems to be liking it, oh and a good copepod population is also good food (amphipods are too big but they are great for the reef anyways).

 

[Opcn]

There is no way that your feather duster could be useing the algea you scrape off the glass as food. I would be more inclined to think that the same high nutrient water that causes your glass to film up every few days is also fueling a healthy phyto culture.