Featherduster/Coco Worm not coming out

I have a 24g nano tank with a Coco Worm and Featherduster that are not coming out. The Coco Worm has been in the tank for about 6 months and the Featherduster has been in for about a month.

Recently my father started dosing with Nano Code A and B. He's done 5ml alternating days (Code A one day, then B the next, etc) for the past one and a half weeks and in the last 2 days or so both worms haven't been coming out. I can see the Coco Worm way down in his tube and occasionally the Featherduster pokes itself out a teeny bit but doesn't flare out.

The last test he did was on 2/10 along with a 20% water change:

Temp: 77.4
Salinity: 1.023
Ammonia: 0
PH: 8.0
NirIte: 0
NitrAte: 0
Mag: 1440
Calcium: 460
KH Alk: 9.5

Could the recent dosings be irritating the worms? Should I do a small water change right away and see if that helps? Everything else in the tank looks fine, or better than before (corals, fish, other inverts) and I haven't seen anything bothering the worms physically. I've asked my father to do another water test tonight and skip dosing until the worms recover.

 

Do you have any corals?

what test kit are you using, and do you run a reactor. 0 trate is hard to come by without.

 

Don't know if this is the cause of the problem, but the Salinity seems a little low to me.

I keep my 55 at 1.025-1.026 and my feather duster and coco worm are doing great.

The feather duster more so then the coco worm. About 3 weeks ago I pulled a bunch of rock out to catch a rouge CBS and since then my Coco worm has not really be out, but I think the flow is a little to strong in the place I put him back at.

 

I'm using API Saltwater (liquid) testing kits for the main stuff and Red Sea liquid tests for Mag, KH, and Calcium. I don't have a reactor. My father writes down all the test results for me to look at when I'm home and for the past week he has Nitrates at 0. They might be higher, but not much, he's fairly good at reading the results. We've also had a small bloom of cyano in the far corners of the tank so we've cut back feeding to lower nitrates more.

My salinity has always been rather low. We've done water changes with higher salinity to try and balance it out but it's never gone above 1.024. It's not the best level to be at, but it's been about 1.023 for several months and nothing seems to be suffering. Still trying new methods to raise it slowly.

I have soft, LPS, and SPS corals and a small BTA anemone that I rescued from a LFS. All of them are doing well and have good growth.

EDIT - Just saw my featherduster come out. Looks like he lost his crown somehow, and my 6-Line Wrasse is very interested whenever he pokes out. Coco Worm hasn't come out yet but I can see he still has his crown on.

 

the wrasse may be your culprit.

 

He's never hurt them before, but if the featherduster got ill and he got a taste for worm that might be it. I haven't seen the wrasse bite yet, just look curiously. My father says he's going to do a water test just in case and keep an eye on the wrasse. Hope we don't have to get rid of him either one.

Would moving the worms dissuade the wrasse from picking on them if he is?

 

I have a coco worm that is very finicky as to when he comes out....there doesn't appear to be a rhyme or reason as to when he does come out and when he doesn't. He's gone many days before without coming out and then all of a sudden, he's out regularly.....I do wonder that perhaps both are adjusting to the new dosing you're doing, it shouldn't hurt them but perhaps the change is causing them to "lay low" ....just thought I'd share my observations. If you figure something out on the coco, please share because I would like to see mine more consistently.

Sacohen, what type of flow do you have your coco in?

 

Unfortunately no, not unless you move them (or the wrasse) into a different tank.

 

Thanks for all the help so far.

Well I got home from work after the lights in the tank had been off and both worms are out, but not looking 100%. The Featherduster is crownless, but extended (and creepy looking), and the Coco is out, but with tightly curled fronds. I've cut out half a water bottle with holes for a shield for the Featherduster since he's on the sandbed so hopefully that'll keep the wrasse away until I figure out what to do. Not sure how I'll protect the Coco Worm since he has about 2 inches of clearance around him. Going to give them some extra phyto while they're both out and hope for the best.

My father did another water test and everything is the same except KH Alk went from 9.5 to 9.2. I'm planning a small water change tomorrow and holding off the dosing.


@oldfishkeeper: I have my Coco Worm in the front of the tank where current from both sides of the tank collide (it's a bullet-shaped tank). He gets moderate current and has about 2-3 inches of clear space around his fronds (he's pointed upward). He's always been pretty out and about, even coming out during transport and acclimation. Maybe your Coco just needs a little more room around his crown? Or maybe he's just a little drama queen, who knows with saltwater critters, lol.