# What is my feather duster doing?



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

Had the feather duster for about 2 months now. It was doing great at first. The tube was looking "strong". Last few weeks the tube seems to have gotten "weak" and the duster was not coming out to often. I thaught it was dying. Then the other day I saw this
http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/chewieone/My Saltwater Experience/DSC_0359.jpg
If you look there is a second smaller "feather head" to the right. Is this the asexual division of it?
http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/chewieone/DSC_0348.jpg


----------



## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

never seen that before. But Ive ready many times that the tube starts to go "weak" when not enough calcium is present. maybe check that??


----------



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

Faithfully check water params...
All reading 0 ( nitrate, nitrite ect..)
Calcium at 450
KH is at 10 dkh (alkalinity)
ph 8.3
Will keep posted as to what happens


----------



## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

Double check the Ca and Alk levels with a different brand of test kit. Also check Mg.


----------



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

I am using the Reef Master Test kit by API. Is this no good?
I do add suppliments to water in the form of Purple-Up and Kent Marine Coral-Vite to keep trace Elements up.


----------



## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

There's nothing wrong with API. It's simply good practice to double check important parameters. SW people tend to use Salifert, Elos and Seachem test kits.

Purple Up is a calcium carbonate slurry. It's not the most soluble form of Ca and Alk. Please read this article (Purple Up would be "Calcium Carbonate without a reactor"):

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

Furthermore, magnesium is the often forgotten third pillar of reef chemistry that is just as important as Ca and Alk. The problems of many novice reefers are probably caused by low Mg levels. Please read this:

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com


----------



## bvlester (Jul 19, 2010)

general rule for dosing do not dose anything you don't test for. API test kits are fine I have used them and they seem to be as accurate as some of the more expensive brands and way easier to read than the Hagen test kits. You should test your Mag level as that can through the amount the feather duster can absorb the Ca. your Alk, Ca and Mag have to be at the proper levels for everything to thrive. If they go down a bit no harm but if one is way out of whack then you find any thing that uses Ca may start having troubles.

Bill


----------



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

Thank you for the information. I will get a secondary test kit and see if there is a difference in readings. I will start dousing with limewater as well. 
Just when I thaught I had a decent knowlege of what was going on....
Read, read, research........
Thank you once again, will keep posting results.


----------



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

I think it is just dividing into two. The second crown it growing every day.


----------



## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

So I guessed right


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

I have never seen that but it does look like a "bud" off of the main. Feather dusters spawn in the water column. Weird. Their tube however is mostly composed of detritus etc. I doubt there is much calcium content there, not on that species.


----------



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

Its funny because I was told they do not reproduce in captivity...thats why I was wondering what was up. Guess I cant always take LFS as being right all the time


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

I have seen them spawn a few times in our stores. The average aquarium does not have the right conditions to reproduce them to any real size. They live in very silty muddy areas in the wild in general.


----------



## Chewie (Jul 21, 2010)

I did see it spawn a few weeks back. At least I think I did. Kept shooting out white cloud of stuff. I thaught at first it was just expelling unwanted dust but now I am thinking it was spawning. Still, it is the only one in the tank right now, It takes two to tango does it not?
I did a bit more research and they are capable of asexual reproduction.


----------



## keitarosan (Apr 21, 2010)

yes, rastapus is right. they spawn on the water column. i've seen mine spawn in the past when is was still in the hobby back in the philippines but they always end up in the sump.

i've seen a lot of those 2-headed feathers as well in LFS back there but there's also a division at the tube opening. i purchased one like that but after a careful inspection. i noticed that there's actually 2 worms sharing 1 tube. at first i thought that there are 2 tubes fused together but it wasn't the case. i actually had 3 of those in the past and lived like any normal feathers in my tank. must be nature as they were harvested straight from the sea. yours is different though. it all happened in your tank. looks cool though.


----------

