Grumpy Duncan or problem? Emergency?

[SaltLifeMom]

Any chance clowns bothering it ? 540 lil high for calcium would recommend 480 max JMO...

Agree, 540 was high for my tank. I'm usually 500-515. Currently 517

 

[I never finish anythi]

The tank parameters are having big swings tbh . What is the salinity of the water ? How do you top off?? You say in original post the pH is 9.2 is that a typo ?

 

[Ghostweim]

Do you have any inverts that are harassing it for food? I have a fire shrimp that hangs out in my duncan corner and he regularly dances over their heads. They don't particularly like that.

 

[Evil1]

Hmm revolt, love it! I woke up and I swear I see 3 new heads.. Will double check in the a.m. -.-

Cool! Perhaps that the issue

 

[SaltLifeMom]

The tank parameters are having big swings tbh . What is the salinity of the water ? How do you top off?? You say in original post the pH is 9.2 is that a typo ?

Here's some Apex data. I am having some fluctuations, but I'm not sure if they would be considered big or not. If so, im not sure how to improve that. I have an ATO and a 5 stage RODI system to make the RODI. Salinity abg is 1.024

 

[SaltLifeMom]

Do you have any inverts that are harassing it for food? I have a fire shrimp that hangs out in my duncan corner and he regularly dances over their heads. They don't particularly like that.

I haven't seem that, and I've gotten up throughout the night to see if there's anything going on at night that I wasn't aware of.

 

[kevgib67]

My clowns and my duncan are in love. I used to feed mine mysis, great feeding response but the growth has been explosive and mine is not branching, I need to figure out how to frag a baseball shape. It’s been a while, mine is going on 2 years, but mine has closed tight a couple of times for days (week?) for no apparent reason and then just went back to itself, while my more difficult lps were not affected.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Hi all! I've had my Duncan for over a year. He's weathered a move to a new city and now has 9 heads, from 1. He's always looked like a huge sun, beautifully spread out. I was out of town for about a week, so was a week behind on my normal bi monthly 5 gallon water change (I have a 25g cube waterbox penninsula). I have an Apex triton and my levels were consistent while I was away (Calcium 540, alk 9, Mag 1300, PH 9.2 all very normal for my tank). I tested phosphate and it was .03, a little lower for my tank but just by a little. Nitrate with Hanna checker read 65, which is crazy for my tank (typically run around 20, I know most say that's high but that's normal for my tank for at least a year, I don't know why). I retested and Hanna checker said 43 nitrate, do that was odd.

Did a 5 gallon waterchange, did some normal vacuuming and glass cleaning. Spot fed corals.

The next day, the Duncan was open but tentacles were stubby. Wierd for him but I've seen it before, usually after a big meal or when growing a new head. The same look the next day. This morning, he was about the same so I took a magnifying glass and looked for any brown spots or anything off. Skeleton looks clear but I koticed a few tentacles where there was a black pinpoint of black on the tip. By the time I got home from work, 9 hours later, all heads are totally retracted.

I've been scouring the forums and internet and I get that Duncan's can be moody. But he's never totally retracted and I'm nervous about the few black tips.

Thoughts? I'll post a before pic of him, a this morning pic and a 9 hr later pic. Thanks for your ideas!

The tissue looks a little concerning, but my duncan experience is limited to the 1 that I have. Looka like its not covering the skeleton

My duncan's tissue covers the entire skeleton, the plug its on and the rick the plug is on.


Do you feed it? Just wondering if that's why there isn't tissue spreading down from the heads, I feed mine heavily.

It may not be an issue at all.

Edit: mine closes up and acts funny when its sprouting new heads. The behavior you describe wouldn't worry me at all, unless it was also paired with tissue recession, or goes on for an extended period.

 

[SaltLifeMom]

The tissue looks a little concerning, but my duncan experience is limited to the 1 that I have. Looka like its not covering the skeleton

My duncan's tissue covers the entire skeleton, the plug its on and the rick the plug is on.


Do you feed it? Just wondering if that's why there isn't tissue spreading down from the heads, I feed mine heavily.

It may not be an issue at all.

Edit: mine closes up and acts funny when its sprouting new heads. The behavior you describe wouldn't worry me at all, unless it was also paired with tissue recession, or goes on for an extended period.

Hi, I target feed mysis twice a week. Tissue is concerning to me too.

 

[SaltLifeMom]

Left to right is current vs a week ago. I see def tissue regression and bone lines?

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Left to right is current vs a week ago. I see def tissue regression and bone lines?

I guess if I was in your position, I would start dosing more aminos and double check for water quality issues. ( i dose them a lot already), see if its a nutrient issue. But I honestly don't know enough about coral yet to know why this would happen.

 

[SaltLifeMom]

Hmm. I don't know anything about aminos. What do you use and how much?

 

[Evil1]

Hmm. I don't know anything about aminos. What do you use and how much?

Try this I use it 3 times a week. Great for all corals. Great results

 

[PeterErc]

Could be something bacterial going on. Tissue recession is a concern, seems to be getting worse.
An iodine dip shouldn’t hurt, if you have a bottle of Lugol’s or other iodine product. I have had good results using lugol’s on fleshy LPS to stop tissue recession. May need more than one dip.

If it is bacterial antibiotics could be an option. Other than mixing up some ciprofloxacin from old dog meds and dipping rtn acropora frags,I have no experience.

Another option is to frag it. Cut the skeleton through the good tissue removing the receding edges. Looks to be too far gone to get good tissue. A dremel with a diamond cutting wheel works well if it comes down to it.

IME Duncan are hearty and almost indestructible. I was cutting frags and I dropped one on the floor. Waited to get it then couldn’t find it. Finally found it about an hour later in the backyard. One of the dogs picked it up and crushed it. Glued it to a plug and it survived.

 

[SaltLifeMom]

Try this I use it 3 times a week. Great for all corals. Great results

Ordered! Ty!!!

 

[SaltLifeMom]

Could be something bacterial going on. Tissue recession is a concern, seems to be getting worse.
An iodine dip shouldn’t hurt, if you have a bottle of Lugol’s or other iodine product. I have had good results using lugol’s on fleshy LPS to stop tissue recession. May need more than one dip.

If it is bacterial antibiotics could be an option. Other than mixing up some ciprofloxacin from old dog meds and dipping rtn acropora frags,I have no experience.

Another option is to frag it. Cut the skeleton through the good tissue removing the receding edges. Looks to be too far gone to get good tissue. A dremel with a diamond cutting wheel works well if it comes down to it.

IME Duncan are hearty and almost indestructible. I was cutting frags and I dropped one on the floor. Waited to get it then couldn’t find it. Finally found it about an hour later in the backyard. One of the dogs picked it up and crushed it. Glued it to a plug and it survived.

Thank you!! I used a magnifying glass and noticed purpleish/reddish bumps or blisters on the flesh. Zoomed in through magnifying glass and here's wgat it looks like. I have an iodine dip, not lugos, ill order that. I've never fragged, but I'm willing to try!

 

[PeterErc]

Thank you!! I used a magnifying glass and noticed purpleish/reddish bumps or blisters on the flesh. Zoomed in through magnifying glass and here's wgat it looks like. I have an iodine dip, not lugos, ill order that. I've never fragged, but I'm willing to try!

That’s a good pic, I don’t know what is going on with the flesh. Are the white dots visible with your eyes, are they moving? Have you ruled out pests

 

[SaltLifeMom]

That’s a good pic, I don’t know what is going on with the flesh. Are the white dots visible with your eyes, are they moving? Have you ruled out pests

Hey , do the white dots are new budfing heads. It looks wierd in the photo. Kinda wondering if the discosoma mushrooms are stinging him. They aren't close, but they are spreading and constantly putting out some sort of mucous and I wondered if that could be a problem. I hate those shrooms

 

[jabberwock]

Try this I use it 3 times a week. Great for all corals. Great results

Magic sauce!!!!

I will take some please...

 

[Digimes]

Try this I use it 3 times a week. Great for all corals. Great results

I dose AB+ daily, at bedtime. About a half dose, which is 6-8 drops in my little EVO5. I just add in front of the wavemaker and let the pumps push it out.