[djbacon]

Everything I have read points to the following causes -

1. stress

2. age - natural cylce - as it grows it may shed its crown and grow a new larger crown to support its larger size

3. environment - if the tank in which it is being kept is not supplying enough food, it may shed its crown and grow back a smaller one as it shrinks in size in response to reduce caloric intake.

If you parameters are good and your worm shed it's crown, dont freak out. It will probably grow a new one quickly.

Some people have a hard time target feeding cocoworms beacuse of the way they retract quickly when feeding is attempted directly. A slight change in current will cause it to retract. I've read the mouth is actually at the bottom of the spiral of feathers and food must slowly be directed down the spiral into the mouth in the base of the tube.

The centermost outward end of the crown is actually where it expells waste. In other words...it's butt . So the best way to feed it is to drop phyto above it with the pumps off and let it filter down slowy around the crown. OR - drop phyto in the current away from the worm in the path that will lead to it. Trying to shoot food down the tube will just expel it as the crown re-emerges.