HELP - clown attacking feather dusters

[salty420]

as the title states i have a bit of a problem. my more dominant clown is biting the heck outta my feather dusters. they can't even come out now cause he waits for them and starts biting them when they do. it started just with him rubbing in them but know it's really biting. i wonder if it's cause he wants something to host..? or that he really hates them? i don't have enough wpg to get anything suitable for him. does this mean i'm gonna have to upgrade my lighting sooner than planned?

[Gildurath]

My goby did the samething, and he would dig up the feather duster and move it. It was because it was to close to his cave. Maybe the feather is to close to whatever your clown is currently hosting in.

[salty420]

he's got nothing to host. he rubs on the LR a bit, poor guy...

[Germanman]

sounds like me may be either trying to move them or host them...if you can try a coral for it to host like maybe a frogspawn and see if it lets up...if it continues they dusters will most likely die.

[Pallen81]

I have blood shrimp that sometimes jump onto my featherdusters and pick food off them. At first I thought he was attacking the featherdusters, I think the featherdusters did too cuz they would hide. Now when the shrimp jump down onto them, the featherdusters don't care and nobody gets hurt.

With that said, are you positive he's biting them? stupid question I know. i'm not undermining you just curious. Maybe he's hungry... hmmmm. strange...

Is that you in the avatar?

[salty420]

sounds like me may be either trying to move them or host them...if you can try a coral for it to host like maybe a frogspawn and see if it lets up...if it continues they dusters will most likely die.

My plan is to upgrade my lighting soon, hope the dusters can hold out...

[salty420]

I have blood shrimp that sometimes jump onto my featherdusters and pick food off them. At first I thought he was attacking the featherdusters, I think the featherdusters did too cuz they would hide. Now when the shrimp jump down onto them, the featherdusters don't care and nobody gets hurt.

With that said, are you positive he's biting them? stupid question I know. i'm not undermining you just curious. Maybe he's hungry... hmmmm. strange...
yep he's biting. like i said as first it was swimming and rubbing but now he acts like he hates them. it didn't start till i got the second duster, maybe that had something to do with it. he's biting at both of them.


Is that you in the avatar?
yep that's me! i was testing out the timer function on the camera...

[Pallen81]

yep he's biting.

yep that's me! i was testing out the timer function on the camera...

Hmmm... Is it possible to try and move the featherdusters somewhere else in the tank? Maybe between some liverock or something.... That's a really hard thing to stop a fish from doing. I hope he stops.

Nice. You're pretty. (not hitting on you, I'm married :) I just couldn't help but notice)

[salty420]

Hmmm... Is it possible to try and move the featherdusters somewhere else in the tank? Maybe between some liverock or something....
the tubes are between the rock on opposite sides of the tank, the crown (or whatever it's called) is not tho

That's a really hard thing to stop a fish from doing. I hope he stops.
me too the new duster won't open at all now and the older one is just out a teeny little bit


Nice. You're pretty.

thanks :D

[salty420]

So I called the LFS I got the dusters and clowns from asking for advice. The owner told me to try moving the duster and that the clown probably wants something to host. Well I tried moving the duster and it is attached to the LR it is next to. I tried pulling it off but it was totally stuck, almost like it rooted on to the rock tho that can't be - or can it? It's only been in the tank like 3 or 4 days. He won't come out at all now as it's totally being stalked by the clown. HELP ME

[Grins]

I don't have one but my understanding is that they do indeed attach like that and care must be taken if trying to move them. I'd leave it be personally and give it a chance to do what it thinks it is best. If you must move it I'd try a chisel and get some of the rock it is attached to versus prying it from the rock itself. I've heard of people removing the tube by mistake that way.

[salty420]

ack i was kinda pulling it too! right now i'm happy to say he's fanned out looking good, the clown started focusing totally on the other (one i've had longer) earlier and now it's lights out. i'm pretty sure that the clown wan't to host the duster but he's just being too aggressive about it.

[Germanman]

So I called the LFS I got the dusters and clowns from asking for advice. The owner told me to try moving the duster and that the clown probably wants something to host. Well I tried moving the duster and it is attached to the LR it is next to. I tried pulling it off but it was totally stuck, almost like it rooted on to the rock tho that can't be - or can it? It's only been in the tank like 3 or 4 days. He won't come out at all now as it's totally being stalked by the clown. HELP ME
once they attach you can move em if you are careful and try from behind, never squeeze because it can hurt the worm inside. they use a glue they make from their mucus to "tie down" and the glue is actually being researched here at my University as a possible industrial underwater bonding glue for oil rigs,...so they can make a strong glue..lol

[salty420]

so my clown is totally messing with the dusters still. now he's actually ripping "feathers" off the dusters. i don't know what to do the big meanie.

[5xevy]

Hmmmm...I was thinking maybe you could cut something like a 2-liter bottle- the top or bottom third and make it long enough to put over the feather duster and just sort of tighten it in the sand. You can cut holes it in for circulation but obviously not large enough for the clown to get to it.

Just a thought, even if it's temporary.

[BadRoma1]

move the whole rock with the feather duster on him, but don't let the clown see somehow. he is possibly trying to host, even if he bites the feather duster. one of my clowns was doing it to my frog spawn he was hosting. when i tried to move the coral, the clown moved with it to any part of the tank. the clown was even ripping the pieaces off the coral. but if the clown will not move with the feather duster then he didn't like that feather duster was in that spot. fish are different, maybe your clown was abused by feather dusters when he was growing up that's why he hates them. :mwave:

[Germanman]

my personal opinion at this time is that featherdusters aren't going to work with the clown. you may have to make a choice soon.

[salty420]

Hmmmm...I was thinking maybe you could cut something like a 2-liter bottle- the top or bottom third and make it long enough to put over the feather duster and just sort of tighten it in the sand. You can cut holes it in for circulation but obviously not large enough for the clown to get to it.

Just a thought, even if it's temporary.

well as a last resort i took your advice and covered the dusters with bottles. one is now covered in a 20 oz bottle bottom and the other by a 1-liter. i am a little worried about the glue from the label but i tried to get off as much as possible. the good news is that the dusters are out now looking really beat up but alive none the less. they came out so slowly but are staying out now! :dance: now i just need to decide what the next step will be. i really want to upgrade the lighting to get something for the clowns to host but really can't afford it after getting the new 29 for my dad... how long can i leave the bottles in there? may need to start a new thread for that question...