Green Duncan Question

[brandong]

I’m noticing mine has much shorter, thicker tentacles compared to most of the Duncans I see online, which usually have long, flowy tentacles. Mine stays really puffy with chunky tips instead of stretching out.

The coral looks healthy and opens fully every day, good color, and it eats when I feed it. Tank is around 3 months old.

Here’s a pic of mine vs. what I normally see online:

 

[Renfield42]

What kind of flow is it seeing?

Mine enjoys fairly strong, varying flow. The tentacles are constantly in motion, but not whipping.

Does it change its appearance if you turn the flow off?

Check to see if your alk is 8 or so. If you have to adjust alk, do so slowly. Rapid changes in alk will stress corals or even kill them.

I also noticed quite a bit more extension after I started dosing Red Sea AB+ (aminos) even though it was getting fed regularly. (All of my LPS and zoas reacted positively)

It’s eating and opening regularly so it sounds like it just needs some tweaks to its environment.

If the tank is still settling in and parameters are still varying that tends to make most corals less happy in general.

How long has the Duncan been in the tank?

 

[Naekuh]

Duncan's will poof up and extend really long dependent on water salinity.
They will also tell you if they are not happy or if the water sucks.

 

[BristleWormHater]

If it hasn't been in the tank long, it'll take a bit to get full polyp extension. Otherwise its likely a small parameter issue.

 

[brandong]

If it hasn't been in the tank long, it'll take a bit to get full polyp extension. Otherwise its likely a small parameter issue.

it has been in the tank about 1 month now

 

[brandong]

Duncan's will poof up and extend really long dependent on water salinity.
They will also tell you if they are not happy or if the water sucks.

Alkalinity - 8.7
Magnesium - 1390
Calcium - 577
phosphates - 0.35
Nitrate - 8.5
Ammonia - 0.0

 

[Coral Memere]

Flow and light. Duncan's like light and yours may be too far away, near the bottom like that. They extend tentacles to grab things out of the water column... So may sure the water is swirling past them. Tour pic makes it look dim and protected. Throw her up top, out the window in her hair and watch her strut her stuff!!

 

[Naekuh]

Alkalinity - 8.7
Magnesium - 1390
Calcium - 577
phosphates - 0.35
Nitrate - 8.5
Ammonia - 0.0

lol the one time i didnt ask and get the answer as "water is good" yet you missed the question.

LOL.. salinity is the only value u didn't list.

 

[brandong]

Alkalinity - 8.7
Magnesium - 1390
Calcium - 577
phosphates - 0.35
Nitrate - 8.5
Ammonia - 0.0

lol the one time i didnt ask and get the answer as "water is good" yet you missed the question.

LOL.. salinity is the only value u didn't list.

my bad lol, 1.025

 

[Naekuh]

How long has the duncan be in?
It can be acclimating... and how often you feeding it?
Again it can just not be happy because its in a new enviorment, and can take several weeks if not a month to extend like that.

Infact my large colony of over 50 heads, still looks like yours sometimes on some days.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Alkalinity - 8.7
Magnesium - 1390
Calcium - 577
phosphates - 0.35
Nitrate - 8.5
Ammonia - 0.0

Calcium too high, inhibits proper growth.
Bring it under 500 and I expect it'll look better.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I agree light and flow for duncans. Even in the LFS pictures the tentacles are clearly moving with the flow. I put them about halfway up the rockwork with medium light and flow. Are the tentacles swaying in the flow in your tank?

 

[brandong]

I agree light and flow for duncans. Even in the LFS pictures the tentacles are clearly moving with the flow. I put them about halfway up the rockwork with medium light and flow. Are the tentacles swaying in the flow in your tank?

it is getting plenty of flow where it was at, i’ve read they like low flow though so I’m debating moving it a few inches.

 

[BristleWormHater]

it is getting plenty of flow where it was at, i’ve read they like low flow though so I’m debating moving it a few inches.

Try reducing calcium first, im pretty sure that is the cause of this, get it under 500ppm.

 

[GHOSTLY]

Ill send a Pic later, my 7 duncans have some weird behaviors. During the day they're shorter and thicker. During feeding time they're skinny and long. Ive got them in around 150 pair and pretty low flow where they just sway side to side