URGENT! Duster out of tube and being attacked!

[Draco]

Hi all,

my Feather Duster got too close to my frogspawn, and I noticed it wasn't coming out much. So I decided to move the duster.. upon moving it, it came out of the tube and wiggled a bit away.

Now my large Nassarius Snail is crawling all over it. I keep plucking it, setting it on the other end of the tank, but it keeps making a bee-line towards the defenseless tubeworm.

1. How long can it take for it to build up its tube again?
2. Will the snail kill it? I can't keep watch on it all night.
3, Anything I can do?


EDIT: Now two of my smaller Nassarius and crabs are attacking it. I don't think its going to live


The snail on the duster and a photo of the duster without its tube

 

[DianaKay]

I don't know ....hope someone has suggestions.
If you have some way of putting it in a container that has plenty of holes for lots of water flow, that might protect it....make sure it has coral sand in with it.
I've never seen one out of it's tube. They do shed their crowns from time to time & are ok afterwards.

 

[Draco]

I think I'm too late. I didn't have a container. In my search for one, I grabbed a baggy. And by the time I got to it, the crabs cut it in half I baggied it up anyway.. I really don't think it can survive now, being split in half?

I feel terrible. I love the little dusters and I was only trying to move it away from the frogspawn so it'd have room to come out. and I killed it.

 

[DianaKay]

Sorry....try to keep your CHIN UP. You were only trying to move it to a safer place.
Lesson learned: when they attach, we shouldn't tug them away.
I have a hitchhiker one that I'd like to move (it's behind my rockscape) but I've been afraid to move it.
Now, I think I won't even try to.
I like feather dusters too....
I hope that one lives or you at least get another pretty one.

 

[reefer gladness]

Snails and crabs didn't kill it, they were just there cleaning up what was left after it was already dead.

 

[Draco]

it was still alive, it was wiggling and trying to get away from the snails and crabs. Clearly it was alive.

I found a small deli cup and put both halves in there with sand. It's hard to tell, but I think it's still alive. At least the half with the duster still attached. It has little dark and light stripes which are moving, the stripes. it's also moving, I don't think it's the water flow. hard to tell.

Lets hope, I'll see how it looks in the morning

 

[Draco]

Morning update:

I think one half is gone, the half with the crown. But the smaller half is moving around. I can't tell if it's formed is first stage cover though. I left both halfs in the cup still

 

[glennf]

Just put the naked worm into sand it will make a new sleeve in a while. Make sure it get enough fine food to get energy en strenght. To recover

greetings, GlennF

 

[lockkeeper69]

Once a featherduster is stressed and leaves it's tube it is over. Nothing you can do for it. The CUC was doing it's job and taking care of the dying animal. Maybe the coral stung it.

 

[Choff]

...stupid auto correct

 

[Draco]

it didn't look good at all when I came home. not moving at all. So I decided to chuck it. Poor thing lesson learned!

 

[DianaKay]

Sorry for your loss!
I have 3 dusters in my tank now, two I bought and one is a hitchhiker.
I lost one but really don't even know when it disappeared. I think my CBS was to blame for it disappearing.
They are a pretty addition, hope you find another one you like.