Notaulax feather dusters?

[Ram_Puppy]

I ran across these pictures at www.advancedaquarist.com and thought htey were some of the prettiest feather dusters I have ever seen. Apparently quite popular in Japan, I was wondering if there is a reason we don't see them in our hobby? I started doing searches, and found several other varieties that were gorgeous, like a red and black that AquaCon sells, (suprisingly for a reef aquarium though the species is endimic to the redion of northern california to alaska. anyhow, I can't find any info on these other than they come from the reefs of southern japan (which I am guessing are colder water reefs?) and may be a species of Notaulax.)

Any thoughts? Oh these are the same species apparently, just different color morphs.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/images/aug2002/Japan_red_yellowthumb.jpg

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/images/aug2002/japanstripedthumb.jpg

[Ram_Puppy]

seriously, no one has seen or heard of this species before? I thought gary and joshua would be on it with 20 links by now! :)

[Ram_Puppy]

lol, I wish, but I can't find them anywhere... they are certainly pretty. I suspect cold water species though.

[GaryP]

Like you said, they are probably a cold water species and that's why we don't see them. A cold water tank is very specialized. I have heard of people doing them, but it would be expensive on the hobbyist level and you would be very limited on the species you could commonly buy.

I guess the exception would be the red footed turbos and Catalina gobies that get sold to unknowing warm water hobbyists. I admit, I was one of them. OK, are you happy now?

Gary

[Ram_Puppy]

lol... um... only slightly. :)

I have been lucky enough not to get the catalina gobies and red footed turbos, you guys trained me up to fast to fall prey to that.

Gary, I think we should re-name you from education comittee chairman, to something more austere... "Minister of Education"... yes.. I like the sound of it.

[CD]

Well, I've seen eye popping neon green featherdusters at Aquatek on two occasions. They just had them in their regular tanks, and appeared to be doing fine. Don't remember the exact price, but they were far from inexpensive. These FDs were awesome though.
I would imagine most of the FDs we see in LFSs are from Hawaii and the Caribbean. It's possible that the really colorful ones are coming from the South Pacific or the like...Red Sea maybe? Stands to reason, the further away, the more expensive/harder to find.

Wendy

[GaryP]

Do I get a white collar to go with the title? Maybe I can sprinkle holy water on everyone's tank? Hmmmm! Holy make up water Batman?

That's what MAAST is all about. Learning from the mistakes of those of us that have gone before our brothers and sisters. I didn't learn most of what I know from reading a lot of books or websites. Unfortunately, a lot of critters have paid the ultimate sacrifice for my mistakes. All I can hope is that I can help a few folks and keep them from making those same mistakes. I think I am a mediocre reef keeper now but I will share something with you. My wife called my first tank "the death zone" and I still make mistakes alot of newbies do. There are some things I am very knowledgeable about because of experience I have had outside the hobby. There are a lot of areas where other folks in the club blow me away. That's what we are all about here, our shared knowledge and experience.

OK, enough of this humility stuff.

Gary

[CD]

Do I get a white collar to go with the title? Maybe I can sprinkle holy water on everyone's tank? Hmmmm! Holy make up water Batman?


Nahhhh...the collar wouldn't be special enough. How about a red silk robe and a nifty hat? Maybe a sceptre (sp?) too? Yeah, that's the ticket!!!

Yep, books are cool up to a point, but the on hands experiences of our own and of others is what can really drive the point home sometimes. Places to discuss things of that nature ( ;) MAAST) are priceless.

Wendy

[GaryP]

That's more like it. Salt water aquariums? What are you crazy?

Gary

[NaCl_H2O]

Do I get a white collar to go with the title? Maybe I can sprinkle holy water on everyone's tank? Hmmmm! Holy make up water Batman?

No way, I don't want GaryP'ing in MY TANK!!!! :roll:

But I do think Gary warrants a MAAST Title worthy of his contributions (See HELP ME!!!) Post ;)

[Jenn]

Group Order?!? :D

I have been wanting to do an order from Aquacon for a while now. They have corals that I have not seen anywhere before, but are a little pricey.

[Ram_Puppy]

I agree on their prices Jenn, but I don't know, I have jave a problem ordering from a place that lables feather dusters as 'great starter corals' and reccomends things to beginners that are probably doomed... I am just... wary of them.. plus, I am tapped out at the moment! :)

[Jenn]

Yea, I have seen the same statements - that's why I have not gone through with an order yet. I was hoping somone who has ordered from them before would ring in here - if there are any. :D

[Ram_Puppy]

Well, in one of those extra-ordinarly almost sort of coincidences, I found a very similar feather duster in my tank last night. I finally finished picking out all the live rock rubble and old shells and what not I wanted to transfer to the 110 and started scooping out the live sand to move into a trashcan witha power head to keep it nice and active while I wait for the 115. I ran across the shell of 'bruiser' my very first electric blue hermit that died about a year ago. I remember asking richard if the little feather duster on his shell might be a aptasia. I was very much the newb and I couldn't see the tube of the worm, just the crown and anyhow... I found the shell last night, the little tube I couldn't see before was about an inch and a half to 2 inches long now. when I got it in the 110 and it opened up, it looked almost exactly like the first picture, witht he exception there is only one crown, not two. It is rimmed on the outside with yellow, and very dark burgundy on the inside, the crown is about an inch across. I believe the shell probably came from the marshall islands since that is where the crab originated from, but there is I guess, really no telling if he switched shells in a holding tank somewhere. I will try and post a picture tomorrow, I had to charge the camera's battery today, and it wasn't done until I left for work. very nice.! :)