Feather duster falling apart or dieing

[Junit-55]

Please help got home today and saw this http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t454/junit-55/b9894cbb.jpgdon't know what to do it seems like the feather duster is falling apart

[reefwars]

how new is your tank??

[Nano]

does he still come out?
Mine was like that from my emerald crab but he is fine now..

[Junit-55]

Tank is a month old ive had the feather duster for about 3 months in a smaller tank

[Junit-55]

And I don't know if it can come out its feathers are poking through the side

[jtbadco]

looks like a crab attack to me

[Junit-55]

It could b a crab attack but it's lived with the same crabs since before I had the setup.

[Junit-55]

Does any one know how to fix him or get his feathers to not poke through the side

[subman]

Looks like crab to me too. Crabs can turn on things they have lived with for years when they get hungry.

Protect it with a strawberry basket and see if it comes out and starts to heal.

[Junit-55]

It try's to come out then gets tangled he's almost in half is there a way to patch it or trim it ?

[Junit-55]

No one knows? Can I put a piece of hose on him after I get his feathers all the way back in? He's split and and can't come out without getting tangled I think a tube is the best idea any thoughts?

[Proteus]

J.
Try cutting it back. As long as your not citing the worm.

[Junit-55]

Is it safe to cut? And if I cut it it will always b sticking out like half inch is that ok?

[jorjef]

It is safe to cut, if you are saving at least half the tube it should be fine, he will move further in if he's not comfortable sticking 1/2" out. Try to put the tail end in the sand or gravel or deep into a hole in some live rock.....At kill all your crabs..I hate crabs lol

[Junit-55]

Il try hope I don't kill it thanks for the advice

[jorjef]

Just do it with as little handling as possible, if it gets too stressed it will detach the plume. Doesn't mean it's dead if it does, but it won't be happy

[Junit-55]

Thanks for the advice guys starting the surgery now

[NU-2reef]

I've trimmed a feather duster tube and it was fine the next day. I have seen shrimp and crab do this to soft tube worms many times. What has helped it recover in my tank was to bury part or most of the tube in substrate. Mine actually incorporated some substrate to repair its tube. I'm not saying this is the cure but it helped in my situation.

Good luck, hope it bounces back for you.

[Junit-55]

Sound legit to me do u mind me asking what substrate is?

[jorjef]

Sand, gravel what ever is on the floor of your tank.

[Junit-55]

Oh lol I knew that thanks for the help

[Proteus]

How was surgery

[Madmak]

+1 on the advice and probable cause, I've witnessed it. Trim it up, maybe relocate it, and it should be fine. They will abandon their tube and start again if the situation calls for it, like being buried.

[Junit-55]

Well I was talking about the surgery to all you guys that little s--t had already fixed himself. He's already healing up in the sand on his own . Lol a worm had me worried . So no surgery happend but thanks everyone for all the good advice.

[Doc_Polit]

Good to hear. :biggrin:

Dusters are cool.