We got a new duster, and the tube got slightly damaged as we placed him in the tank. Then, our Yellow Tang started going after him, and did a lot more damage (see photo). We seem to have found a spot where nobody bothers him, but is he toast? He will come out sometimes, but when he does he looks pretty funky.
i have a featherduster that's tube is sort of ripped like yours is. not quite as bad though... at all. lol. but it's ripped.
I was thinking about cutting it so it had an even opening... but I decided to let it go. He's since remade a new tube and seems to be doing well. I'd give it a little time to get settled then maybe fix it if he doesn't respond well.
Like JoJo said - as long as if you're gentle there shouldn't be a problem. I've been moving mine around loads lately - if it's not my tang pecking at it, it's my clown sweeping the sand over it. It's so used to me now it doesn't even hide in it's tube while I'm carrying it!!!
Mine behaves like CPD. My diamond goby kept digging him up and moving him, so I was moving my alot. And samething, he would not even retract when I moved it. He would just hang out for the ride. Mine did not get cut, but it shed its crown once and came back just fine. They can be delicate, but then sometimes they surprise you, with their strength.
The one with the broken tube has mended well enough that it seems ok. Where he is now, nobody seems to bother him and he seems happy, although there isn't as much flow there as where he was before.
Now we have another one that shed his feathers and seemed like he was going to abandon the tube. He extended most of the way out and seemed to be searching for something to grab onto. Now we have lost track of him - he has either retracted into the tube and is hiding, or has left the tube and is finding another home (or got eaten!).
