Featherdusters: Beneficial for Reef Tanks & Unmistakably Attractive

For those of you that are fortunate enough to have their very own slice of our natural reefs as close as their living room, I don't have to instill in you, how beautiful and enjoyable a reef aquarium can be. I also don't have to tell you about the plethora of marine life that is evident and in such a small area. Many of these small or microscopic, cryptic and sessile organisms have entered your tank(s) as hitchhikers. Some of these are beneficial whereas others are downright detrimental, essentially wiping out or at least killing or offsetting the equilibrium established by the many beneficial components of a symbiotic self containing biotope. One of the better known and beneficial hitchhikers or purchases for a reef aquarium is the Feather Duster or Fanworm.

Elegant and beautiful, coming in a myriad of colors and patterns, how could something as delicate and gorgeous as a feather duster or fanworm be associated with such a word as segmented worm. We think of worms as repulsive for the most part. Slimy, soft bottom dwellers annelids, beneficial in many ways just not when it comes to eye appeal. However, these segmented worms are unmistakably attractive, beneficial and as common as a sand is to beach front property.

These worms are filter feeders, feeding on dissolved organics and excess nutrients found in the pelagic areas of your tank. Many of these worms will also feed upon the daily foods that are offered to your fish, corals, clams and other invertebrates.

These worms can be seen embedded in live rock and corals or popping out of their calcareous or leathery tubular home. Often times these worms are brown, black, gray, white, blue, red yellow or multi-colored, thus part of the reason for their alluring beauty. The other contributing factor responsible for their delicate and elegant beauty is the fact that they contain a feathery crown, which is used to capture food stuff as well as assist in excretion, aeration and circulation.

These serpulid and sebellid worms are found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas, and ranging in sizes from a few millimeters to several inches in length. They are also found in various locations within these areas, such as intertidal, lagoon, fore and back reef zones just to name a few. Again, these worms are often times offered for sale as single specimens, like the Coco Worm that commands a step price to the common feather duster that goes for around $9.00-$15.00. For those of you lucky enough to receive a bonus when purchasing live rock and corals, and that is fairly common, you will find these hitchhikers such as social feather dusters (Bispira Brunna) and other seballid worms especially.

These inverts are not very picky as far as water parameters and lighting are concerned. As long as their is a gentle water current to aid in bringing food and oxygen and removing waste, they will do fine. Normal temperature range and salinity stability will also be appreciated in their overall health long term. Proper acclimation should be taken to ensure that you don't stress out or kill the worms or other live stock as well.

Overall, these invertebrates make wonderful tank mates, though many types of fish will feed on Fanworms or Feather Dusters. The fact that these are efficient and effective filter feeders, combined with their delicate nature and often brilliant coloration will enable you to have another unique addition to your tank. Colorful, hardy and easy enough to be kept by novice aquarists, affords these, polychaete worms to be an important acquisition to a marine aquatic environment.