Duncan problem?

[crny1]

Hello all,
We have a large rock with approx 50 heads of duncans that were fine as they grew over the course of a year. The tank is a 300 gallon mixed reef. Have many high end SPS that are thriving and growing well as well as some other LPS and zoas. For the past month or longer the duncans have closed up and not opened. Still see the skin on them and look to be fine but something has them closed and I am not figuring it out. If it was a pest of some sort wouldnt they spread to another LPS and irritate it? Removing the rock and dipping it in anything is next to impossible due to the other colonies and rocks above it. Is there any pests specific to duncans that I am unaware of? Just dont understand it with everything else doing so well. And its not my water parameters because I check them often and like stated, everything else is fine. Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[reef lover]

They appreciate some dirtier water...have your trates and po lowered recently?

 

[El_Guapo13]

Pictures would help. We might be able to spot something.

 

[crny1]

Water is a little dirty....actually a little more dirty than I normally like it. Here is the only picture I have with me at the moment. I flew out this morning and won’t be home for a couple weeks.

 

[Uncle99]

You think that leather to the left might exercise chemical warfare?
Duncan’s are a bit aggressive themselves, I wonder if the leather sensesthis?
Run some carbon for a bit, If it comes back out, you have your answer.

 

[crny1]

I have been running carbon for over a month now. I did wedge a rock between the leather and the duncans to "lean" the leather to the left about 3 inches to see if that would help because that crossed my mind also. Will check in with my wife to see if that makes a difference in a couple days.

 

[reef lover]

What is this strand here?? Slime mucus from the leather? Messentrial filaments from the duncan?

 

[hyprc]

From my observations, duncans can grow laying in the sand happy as can be. However, if there are any corals touching them (even zoas) or fish picking at them (I'm looking at the Foxfaces), they'll go downhill quickly.