Attack of the boring feather dusters!

0sprey · #1 07-06-2007, 05:21 AM

I had a few of these come in on a coral frag I purchased a few months ago.. they weren't visible at the time of purchase, but at this point, they have not only grown, they've reproduced like mad. Has anyone had really harsh experiences with these little fellows, or am I just being paranoid? They've thoroughly colonized the glass in my sump and are definitely spreading thoughout the rockwork in the tank, even though most of it is covered with coralline. I haven't seen any on my LPS just yet, but I'm starting to think it's only a matter of time...
Any suggestions for dealing with my recent plague?

Justusfish · #2 07-06-2007, 05:26 AM

Are you sure they're feather dusters and not apastasia? If it's apastasia, Joe's Juice does the trick.

0sprey · #3 07-06-2007, 05:30 AM

I am well aware of what aiptasia looks like. (bergia nudibranches clear up that problem nicely, BTW, with no additional work on the part of the reef keeper). These have hard tubes and fine featherduster crowns, and they occasionally send a little puff of white stuff into the water column. I've never seen them trap solid bits of food; they aren't anemones of any variety. Definitely feather dusters. Normally I'd consider that a bonus; I have quite a bit of worm rock in my tank, but I'm worried about the safety of my stony colonies... Calfo's reef inverts book mentions that boring feather dusters can become pests, but doesn't offer any possibilities for dealing with them.

Zylumn · #4 07-06-2007, 05:36 AM

My sump is covered with them as well (which is good). I pick out them in my main if they start to spread. Be persistent with picking them out of your main and leave the ones in your sump. My .02
Kevin

EmilyB · #5 07-06-2007, 05:49 AM

All too soon you will have a fish eat them all up and wish you had them back...

justinl · #6 07-06-2007, 06:31 AM

i dont see why people dislike these guys. they are completely harmless filter feeders (although their effect is probably minimal) and i dont think they're ugly at all. i actually like them. if they got onto my glass Id scrape them off, but other than that I leave em.

Justusfish · #7 07-06-2007, 01:25 PM

not meaning to hijack, but what was said about bergia nudibranches is fascinating! Does anyone sell them locally?

albert_dao · #8 07-06-2007, 04:10 PM

Copperband Butterflies eat them. So do most angels.

0sprey · #9 07-06-2007, 06:59 PM

Hmmm... so I'm just being paranoid then. So long as no-one's had them colonize their stonies, I'll leave them be. I don't know how I'd go about removing them, short of a chisel, anyway.
Berghia?
I ordered mine online from the US... (www.saltyunderground.com) the downside of berghia is that aiptasia is the ONLY thing they'll eat. So when you run out, they'll die. I'm about to redistribute mine throughout the Calgary region... they've increased in number and finished off all visible aiptasia.

Speaking of going off track... How are your pods doing, Kevin? Mine have fully colonized the sump; the glass is teeming with the little critters. Very happy with the tigger pods. Cash well spent.