How Does a Duncan Grow?

[LexiconDevil]

So I’ve had my Duncan for quite some time now and can say that it is by far my favourite coral I own. It’s grown 4 new heads since the time I originally purchased the single polyp frag and looks absolutely fantastic!
With this I can’t help but wonder why the base/skeleton hasn’t grown at all. From what I’ve read on here, it seems that the coral will often grow in a bunching pattern rather than a branching pattern, but even then I don’t really see how there’s much more real estate on the base for new heads to really pop out. The base has the normal fluorescent green colour and appears healthy, but I’ve just been curious.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I find them moderate growth. Feed 2-3x per week such as mysis and they’ll grow steadily

 

[srobertb]

It will form tiny new heads where two “branches” meet in a “Y” or sprout tiny heads off the side of an existing branch; often close to the main head.

I do not find them to grow well without food; I treat them more like an NPS coral and try and spot feed them a few times a week.

 

[LeftyReefer]

My Duncan is one of my fastest growers. it will just keep popping out new heads around the base of the old heads.

 

[DeniseAndy]

This sounded like a great little title for a kids book when I read it. :)

 

[Reef man 89]

I love Duncan’s

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I love Duncan’s

I love them also. I have a very mixed reef with a lot of lps and sps. My Duncan is the only coral in my tank that struggles.

 

[Sshannon]

I started with a small frag, now it has 30+ heads after 3 years growth. It's only been in the 3rd year that I notice the green base was encrusting on the rock. Before that it was just branching upward growth and heads.

 

[SkinnyMcGinny]

My Duncan started at two heads. About 5 years later, is has sprouted close to 200. It's the size of a basketball. Clusters of heads shade other clusters out. I never feed it, but I broadcast feed my tank, and it's in a high flow area that gets lots of mysis so I think it gets fed a fair amount.

One weird thing: every once in a while the heads fully retract, and it looks really ticked. I have now idea why. I used to worry every time this happened, but now I'm used to it. After a few days, it recovers, I think it's part of it's natural cycle.

Great coral, I love it.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I love them also. I have a very mixed reef with a lot of lps and sps. My Duncan is the only coral in my tank that struggles.

That's strange.... my duncan is one of my hardiest and problem free corals. Nothing seems to bother it other than it will retract for 10 mins or so if you add any hydrogen peroxide to the tank. When my tank was going through the uglies, I started dosing H2O2 daily to weaken GHA. A lot of my corals would retract briefly when hit with H202, duncans, softies like leathers, LPS like hammers and frogspawns, etc... I keep SPS and LPS too, no problem with the Duncan.

 

[srobertb]

I love Duncan’s

Me too. They’re so hard (for me) to place and acclimate in an SPS Tank.

 

[Oldsman]

I love duncans , but have struggled the most with them for growth. Been spot feeding few times a week w meaty food or thawed mysis..

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

That's strange.... my duncan is one of my hardiest and problem free corals. Nothing seems to bother it other than it will retract for 10 mins or so if you add any hydrogen peroxide to the tank. When my tank was going through the uglies, I started dosing H2O2 daily to weaken GHA. A lot of my corals would retract briefly when hit with H202, duncans, softies like leathers, LPS like hammers and frogspawns, etc... I keep SPS and LPS too, no problem with the Duncan.

And I just found out why my Duncan is struggling.

someone has decided she wants to host a single head of Duncan…

 

[SkinnyMcGinny]

Clown hosting it might not hurt it. btw, here's a photo of mine, indent on left side is area where some of heads retracted, usually passes in a few days...

 

[bdunn13]

I don't think you guys understood his question. I'm glad he asked it because I have the same question too.

When you buy a Duncan frag, it has one head and a green stalk / base. Within a few months it has many heads and 1 stalk.

How come when you buy a frag it doesn't have a bunch of heads. Likewise, how long does it take for a new stalk to grow with one head on the end and how / where does it happen.


Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[old salt reefer]

My answer to your question-I not sure but-- I have a Duncan that had 3 larger heads and 2 small heads on a 1 inch frag plug. Now about 1.5 years later it has over 40 heads and I can still lift that 1 inch frag plug out of the rock it's mounted in.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I have two duncans that seem to have very different growth patterns. The smaller one seems to fork off to grow new heads with actual skeletal support. In the time I've had it it has built a lot of new skeleton for each head (up to around 24 heads now). My larger duncan has added perhaps 5 new heads but seems to have the exact same skeletal base that it started with. They are in different tanks and I'm not sure if it is a difference in environment or a difference within the species. Very curious myself.

 

[LexiconDevil]

I don't think you guys understood his question. I'm glad he asked it because I have the same question too.

When you buy a Duncan frag, it has one head and a green stalk / base. Within a few months it has many heads and 1 stalk.

How come when you buy a frag it doesn't have a bunch of heads. Likewise, how long does it take for a new stalk to grow with one head on the end and how / where does it happen.


Inquiring minds want to know.

Little late to the reply, but thank you for clarifying. This is what I meant to ask...

 

[leeloo82]

My answer to your question-I not sure but-- I have a Duncan that had 3 larger heads and 2 small heads on a 1 inch frag plug. Now about 1.5 years later it has over 40 heads and I can still lift that 1 inch frag plug out of the rock it's mounted in.

Thank you so much! Exactly the type of answer I was looking for. Newbie here planning my coral placements and I am researching how much real estate/footprint of each coral. I've got a mermaid figure made of reef rock and looking for corals to place around her that won't encrust on her.