I Just Did A Major Stupid Thing

[seahorse1]

OK, I was moving a feather duster that was attached to a rock in my QT tank
to my big tank. Well I was gently, at least I thought i was gentle, trying to unattach the FD from the rock. Well I accidently pulled the worm right out of the tube!!!!! Now the worm and crown are exposed and there is NO TUBE! I am so upset! Is the feather duster going to live?? Will it make a new tube and how long will it take? Please someone reassure me that its gonna live!

 

[Liquid]

I have no direct experience here, so take what I say with a large grain of salt but I was reading on these boards yesterday that if the worm is out of the tube then the prospects are not great for worm survival. If it was just the worm shedding its feathers, then the prognosis was much better. I think that in your scenario the prognosis is not good. Best of luck for a speedy worm recovery though.

 

[~Flighty~]

I think the survival is different if they are out because they abandon the tube because they sometimes do that if they are dying. I think it might be ok rebuilding if nothing kills it while it is exposed. Maybe put a strawberry basket or something over it to protect from fish?

 

[seahorse1]

I have nothing in the tank except for a few nass snails. This was in my QT so only LR and LS. It looks ok but I am so bummed. I hope it makes it!

 

[aquamom]

Both my feather dusters dropped their crowns after a tank move. I put them in the back of the tank. Both left their tubes and relocated up into the rock work. And they lived happily ever after, well so far. It might be fine, but it took weeks for them to relocate and "re-feather".

 

[dz6t]

The worm may be OK. If you have hermits, it will be eatten. A replacement hawaii FD can be had for $7.99 in Petco. I have very good luck with FD from Petco.

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

The FD should be ok if nothing bothers it. Make sure it gets medium flow, and no one bothers it.

 

[seahorse1]

Well just an update on my feather duster. It has made a new tube and is doing fine. I read that they make their tubes out of calcium so I added some calcium to my tank and its doing great.

 

[NateHanson]

That's great news. I'm glad it recovered.

I'm curious how this happened? Did you grab it by the feathers?

Cindy must be right about the difference between a bailing worm and a yanked worm. My worm bailed and was toast in about a day.

 

[seahorse1]

I was holding the base of the tube with my left hand and trying to pry it off a rock with my right hand. Well I guess I pulled too hard and the worm came out of the tube and into my right hand. The empty tube was in my left. So I just placed the worm and crown between two rocks and now it has built another tube. I wont make that mistake again.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I did a Major stupid thing years ago...got into Reefing