Duncan coral closed for days?

[walkamile]

I got a new duncan coral a few weeks back. For around a week and a half it was opening and all was good. The last 4 days it has been closed up.

Water parameters are where they should be except nitrates are between 5 and 10. Clown and blenny acting normally. Mushrooms zoas and candy cane acting normally. Lighting would be considered low-moderate with leds. Flow would be moderate. Tank has been running about 4 months now.

So I ask the more experienced duncan keepers... is staying closed for 4 days something they do in a new environment to adjust? Is it a really really bad sign.. or can they be just "moody".

Any advice on things i should look for that could be off enough to make them not open.

Thanks

 

[Reeferdood]

What are all of the parameters and are you dosing anything? Nitrates between 5-10 are fine and not causing the duncan to close up. do you have any nippers in the tank or any shrimp that might be picking at the coral?

 

[Dsnakes]

Mine used to close up quite a bit until I started to spot feed it and broadcast feed more. Are you spot feeding it anything? How many heads it it?

 

[walkamile]

Not feeding yet. Getting reef roids today to try out.

Other inhabs are. 1 snowflake clownfish, 1 bicolor blenny, 1 emerald crab, assorted snails, 4 small dwarf? Red legged hermit crabs. I have not seen any of the above take notice of duncan much. Best guess is it is not being disturbed.

It has 5 heads on 1 stalk. 4 heads tightly closed.. 5th head just ever so slightly relaxed enough to show folded tentacles.

Alk 0
Phos 0 (growing a little hair algae so 0 may not be the exactly correct)
Ph 8.2
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 5-10
Kh 143
Calcium 440 (been a week or so since last test)
Rodi water
Coral pro salt
Weekly 15% ish water changes.
Not dosing anything

Photon v2 led light running 10% max on white red green 6 hours a day... blues 15% max 8 hours a day . Sunset sunrise etc...

Thanks

 

[walkamile]

Here is a pic.. never mind the rescue zoa in front.. got it in bad shape and hope to bring it back.

 

[reefwiser]

Clown fish love Duncan corals they could be keeping it closed.

Here is one I had years ago started like that. [emoji3]

 

[WVNed]

I run a Photon V2

I found this enlightening
From ReefBreeders FAQ

The chart works as follows. You take the depth of your tank from top to bottom, and your coral types, and look for it in this chart. The maximum percentages shown are general guidelines and apply to channels 3,4,5, and 6. Channel 4 is the white LEDs- so that channel’s output varies greatly from person to person. In general, you want to add about 10% power for every additional 6% of tank depth to increase PAR at the bottom of the tank.

We recommend finding a color ratio YOU like- instead of chasing an arbitrary Kelvin rating. In general, it is simpler to adjust the ratio of channel 4: 3, 5, and 6 to achieve your desired color output. The below guidelines assume channels 3-6 are set equally. So if you choose to run channel 4 lower- you can increase the power of channels 3, 5, and 6 by 5% for every 10% reduction of channel 4.
https://www.reefbreeders.com/faq/
at the top


I was running my light way to low to grow stuff.

 

[walkamile]

I was having hair algae issues a few weeks back so i toned down the lights. That was before i got the duncan. If the lights are to low i could try to work them up.. but wouldn't not enough light make them open and stretch for light instead of close?

I appreciate all the help so far. And the pic of the huge duncan gives me hope.. i would love to have mine grow out like that.

 

[reefwiser]

Your system is extremely new. It takes a real stable tank for them to grow that big. That is the size of a basketball.

 

[WVNed]

I just have a couple of babies

 

[declanisadog]

I've seen them stay closed for extended periods. Direct feeding may help.

 

[walkamile]

Yeah my tank is pretty new. I don't expect huge duncans any time soon. Hope they will someday.

Congrats on the sprouts VWNed! Always exciting to see success. How long have you had yours?

Closed for extended periods.. im ok with that.. I am just hoping its not a warning sign that they are going to start dieing off.

 

[WVNed]

about 5 months

 

[declanisadog]

The one in my tank at work was like five heads when I got it. It stayed closed for more than a week when I first got it. It's the size of a football now

 

[reefwiser]

I have been using this new coral food with success. Feed every other day.

 

[Auto-pilot]

It could be upset with your lights, I had one that was closed for a month because of some reason. It died back a little but it came back and is growing. Change the lighting maybe it will help. Duncan's can survive on photosynthesis alone but do like to be fed. I feed mine reef roids

 

[PapaWhisky]

My experience with Duncan's is that they don't like too much flow hitting them, and they like to be on the bottom of the tank away from bright light. Try moving it down.

 

[walkamile]

Ok VWNed.. since you have the same light as me and yours are doing well.. I will give it a go with turning it up more..

I spot fed the coral reef roids tonight. It was a big hit with everything in the tank.. the duncans opened just a little.

Between light increase and feeding i hope to have them improve. I will post more if anything significantly changes.

Again thank you all for the advice. People telling me that theirs was closed for a week and came out of it is a big relief. Hope thats the case with mine.

 

[NY_Caveman]

You are not alone. I will add this for what it is worth...

On August 4th I bought a Duncan coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga) with four heads. For the 8 weeks since it has never opened in my tank. The skin has remained healthy and the feeders are out almost all of the time. Feeding response is good (I occasionally spot feed them) and my parameters are generally where I want them. My build is young, only three months old.

I first put them in the lowest light (50 PAR), lowest flow area of the tank. One month later, I took a chance on trying something different. I moved them to a spot with slightly higher flow under 100 PAR. There was no change at all in the coral. The green skin has not receded in any way and all heads continue to show feeders. By all obvious measures the coral is healthy, but it has still never fully opened in my aquarium.

For now I am staying patient. My forum reading seems to indicate that Duncans can be kind of a canary in a coal mine and are often more sensitive than other corals. A recent ICP-OES test indicated I had a slightly elevated Zinc level and perhaps that is a contributing factor. I would love for this coral to open up and grow, but until I see some indication of failing health, I am not too concerned.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My duncans . . . . . Moderate flow and medium light low in whites. AND - FEED THEM at least 3x per week ( direct feed)