Featherduster melt down

[Dianne]

On Friday I purchased a beautiful pink Colt Coral and two large feather dusters. I put one feather duster on one side of the tank and the other in close proximity to the Colt. Sunday morning I woke up to find that the feather duster closet to the Colt had melted into a blob of grey jelly (yummy). Could it have been the Colt or was it shock? The other is doing great (it came from the same holding tank)

Thanks

Dianne =:-)

[FishDaddy]

Dianne,
Colts can secrete a lot of mucous when stressed or put into a new tank. This mucous can be damaging to other corals (P&B p.71)and could have affected your duster. Another possibility is if the duster was exposed to the air during transfer. I was told/read/heard (can't remember) when I got mine to make sure to keep it underwater at all times as air could kill or damage it. Tricky move to remove with the bag under water because I don't like getting other's water in the tank.
Sorry about your loss.. I have two of them and love them.
Dick

Dianne,

I doubt it was the colt, I have a couple of worms in close proximity and because mine's so bit, with the wave action, it touches everybody from time to time.

Maybe the worm just left and will begin building a new home.

Coincedentally, I bought another giant feather duster yeaterday....along with a bunch of tiger trochus, nassarius, bumblebee snails and scarlet reef hermits

Bill

[Doug1]

Dianne is it the tube thats melted down or is it the worm itself. I havent heard of anything like that before, I know they will sometimes shed feathers when stressed and occasionally leave and start a new tube elsewhere, sorry to hear ,Doug

[SJLord]

I had a duster that just came out of its tube and (I thought) just died, no real reason for it, but I did have alot of nas snails munchin on it ... so ... I figured it was pretty dead.

working on upgrade tonight, hope I dont disturb to much.

Steven

[Dianne]

To answer your ?, Doug, the feathers appeared to be suspended in mid-air (mid-water?) at the opening of the tube. When I removed it, the feathers, which looked like a mass of gray mush, were surrounded by about three inches of clear jelly. The back end of the tube also had this same clear jelly at the end. So, I don't think it moved. It really melted. Weird, huh?

Dianne =:-)

[This message has been edited by Dianne (edited 01-18-2000).]

[Doug1]

Your tube worms life force has been stolen by aliens, did your cruise go through the Bermuda Triangle http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif
That is really weird, Bill get Scully and Mulder on the case, no wait get Mulder, I need Scully to see something in my reef, ya thats it http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
Hopefully it doesnt happen to the other one http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/frown.gif

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Back at last, boy it was lonely in exile Doug

[horge]

Right, Doug1 http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/smile.gif

The jelly is a colloid of broken down proteins and mucus rich in bacteria and protozoa. They're feeding on something, and there's an strong chance that it is the worm's carcass http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/frown.gif

I would guess the worm was injured during placement or transport. Chemical shock would have affected the other worm. Leather corals do regularly shed a waxy film that can bear stinging cells --but the other worms were unaffected by direct contact. I doubt the worm abandoned its tube, but hope springs eternal...

Either way, the decomposing tube and worm(?) won't do the tank any good. Use a turkey baster to slurp up the jelly and decaying matter as well as you can, and remove the tube (it surely hasn't attached to anything yet. I'm sorry for the apparent loss, Dianne.

[Dianne]

Yup, I scooped that stuff up with my net as soon as I saw it was a hopeless case. I think I might have wedged it too hard inbetween the rocks. Thankfully, my other giant is doing very well. Doug, it is possible to watch too much TV. (Oh, but, not you). LOL (love those faces!)

Dianne =:-)

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Okay, you bought some rocks and they were how much??

[Doug1]

Gee Dyan, I havent watched tv in over a year, since I discovered reefin on line http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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Back at last, boy it was lonely in exile Doug