Duncan Coral

[Arcticfirefighter]

I have a Duncan that has doubled in size in the past two months. I bought it as a single head in September, and it popped a new head last week. When it is fully open, like in the pic, it is about the diameter of a baseball. My question is, do you think its reaching, or is it just really happy? I was wondering because in most of the pics I see, the heads seem smaller and are grouped tightly. I feed it every other day, rotating mysis shrimp and Reef Roids. There is a link to the video of it so you can see the flow it is in also. The video quality is not the best, it looks bleached in the video but it isn't.

 

[DSC reef]

That's a happy Duncan IMO, wouldn't change a thing.

 

[dylana407]

This is mine that started as a single head. I fed it mysis weekly the first 3 months or so. It has been at least 6 months since the last feeding. The head is about the size of a quarter. I wonder if your lighting is sufficient. What else do you have in the tank?

 

[DSC reef]

FWIW, the colony I had never got long tentacles but grew a lot of heads. It was grown under halides and T5. Nice colony @dylana407

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

This is mine that started as a single head. I fed it mysis weekly the first 3 months or so. It has been at least 6 months since the last feeding. The head is about the size of a quarter. I wonder if your lighting is sufficient. What else do you have in the tank?

As far as coral goes, Hammer, Cabbage Leather, Green Sinularia, Candy Cane, Zooas, Blastomussa, Blue Metallic Mushroom, Acans, and GSP.
As far as lights go, I am running (2) 24-36 Orbit Marine ICs. Everything else is growing like crazy, so I don't think it's a lighting issue.

 

[dylana407]

It's happy then.... looking at the pix of my duncan, I think I need to move it to a spot with less flow.

 

[KrisReef]

If it is growing new heads it is fine.
I've noticed a lot of variation of expansion size among various 'Duncan' varieties that are all sold as 'Duncans.' I have noticed that there are also a few color variants as well, and wonder if there are more than one species of these corals? Certainly there are a few genetic strains based upon the various morphs.

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

If it is growing new heads it is fine.
I've noticed a lot of variation of expansion size among various 'Duncan' varieties that are all sold as 'Duncans.' I have noticed that there are also a few color variants as well, and wonder if there are more than one species of these corals? Certainly there are a few genetic strains based upon the various morphs.

My LFS just sold it as a Duncan, so I have no idea of its specific variety. It would be nice to know, especially to someone like me who is fairly new to the hobby. I just looked at it a bit closer, and noticed it has now started another little head on the opposite side of its base from the other one. So like a few of you have said, I think it will be good and I will just keep doing what I have been doing. Thanks for the info!

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Nice looking Duncan. One of my favs. I have a 4 head that is sprouting about 6 new heads at the moment

 

[Joel B in FL]

I have had my Duncan about two and a half years now. It started as one polyp and now is about the size of a grapefruit with a bunch of heads (too many to count). In my first tank a biocube 29 I had a ecotech radion light and the tentacles were really long. I have since upgraded to a 180 tank using an ATI power module and the tentacles are much shorter. I do have different flow so I am not sure if that has anything to do with tentacle length or not, the flow was a lot higher as the tentacles swept more in the biocube so maybe that made them grow longer. My Duncan is my favorite piece in the tank, maybe cause it has been with me the longest, but it is a good hearty and growing coral that allowed me to learn and enjoy a nice piece early on.

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

I am hoping mine does the same. So far so good, just hope it keeps doing well and growing new heads. It has great movement along with my hammers, and my daughter loves it. She says the Acans and Candy Canes are boring because they don't move...lol

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I'd say it looks happy to me, I have seen Duncan's with stubby skirts to long flowing skirts like mine, from having my duncan I can say they can take some pretty strong flow. Not like getting blasted but so long as the whole head doesnt whip around against the skeleton, I'd post a video of the way mine moves but idk how. Far as lighting goes min is about 1'8" down in my tank and does just fine. Feed maybe twice a week not including what it gets on it's own. But definitely quick growers. Before and after adding him to my tank.

Can also say they are really hardy, my tank had a huge alk consumption out of no where and dropped from 9 dkh to 6.8 dkh in a couple weeks before I bought 2 part. Didnt phase the guy one bit.