Ok, so that's vote for get it out of the substrate - check. I placed it on a rock to see how it'll look, but that frag disc takes away from the beauty of it. I guess in time the disc will be covered anyways....
I guess it's kind of funny, but I do almost the exact opposite. I drill holes in my rocks so frag plugs just fit right in. In most cases it doesn't take too long and the plugs hardly show, and neither do empty holes. But this also lets me move corals around more easily if I don't like the placement, or the coral is unhappy with the placement.
Any time I buy new rock I drill it before it ever gets wet. Older rocks that weren't drilled can be pulled out and drilled, sometimes even with smaller corals (like zoas) attached. I always rinse the rock off over a sink with running water (even ones with corals). I've found almost any coral will tolerate a rinse or even a short soak in fresh water.
Gorgeous!!!!! Hope one day mine look like your's. That's a great idea...if I decide to place on substrate, I'll glue a flat macro rock to the frag disc and bury it. So when the Duncan grows and spreads out what happens to them exactly given that the surface area of the frag disc is so small - do they just attach themselves to the substrate?My Duncan is on the sand and is very happy. Had 3 heads in June and now has 16 large heads with 3 more babies that popped up last week. I kept her on the plug and cut off the stem and glued the plug to a piece of shelf rock rubble I had for stability. A sturdy base is key when keeping on the sand when you have sand sifting inhabitants in the tank. My Diamond Goby has moved some of the sand around the base. He is smart and knows where the pods like to hang out during the day.
Photos where taken this morning 1.5hrs after lights came on and where still ramping up. When fully extended the colony is another 1-2" in diameter.
The way I understand it is as the Duncan head stalk grows and extends and the babies emerge on the stalk under the adult head and as the babies grow to adults and their stalks extend new babies will grow on their stalks and so on. I believe it is called branching and they don't physically attach to anything but themselves. They do not encrust. When they get large enough stalks will break off creating a new colony.
How I "drill" holes in rock that can't be removed from the tank:
