Duncan recession! Please help!

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

Things have been going smoothly for the past few months until I got home from work today and noticed recession on one of my favorite pieces, my Duncan. It looks like I caught it early enough that I might be able to save it? I’m not really an expert with this particular piece and don’t really know. I’m pretty certain the issue was the phosphates because they were pretty high. Turns out my gfo reactor was low on media. The stalk on the Duncan is usually neon green but it is showing obvious signs of recession ( not right color obvious tissue/skeleton line. The farthest baby head is also pretty upset and one of the main ones is starting to close up. The rest of the piece seems unaffected. Everything else in the tank is doing great. The parameters are
Alk 9.2
Ca 420
Mg 1410
Po4 .25
Nitrate 10ppm
Sg 1.025
Ph 8.1
Again I’m still certain it was the phosphates but I may be wrong. I cleaned out the old media and added new media hoping that would fix the phosphate issue and bring it down to the normal .15. Any other opinions?

Flippers4pups · Mar 12, 2020

45ZoaGarden said:
Things have been going smoothly for the past few months until I got home from work today and noticed recession on one of my favorite pieces, my Duncan. It looks like I caught it early enough that I might be able to save it? I’m not really an expert with this particular piece and don’t really know. I’m pretty certain the issue was the phosphates because they were pretty high. Turns out my gfo reactor was low on media. The stalk on the Duncan is usually neon green but it is showing obvious signs of recession ( not right color obvious tissue/skeleton line. The farthest baby head is also pretty upset and one of the main ones is starting to close up. The rest of the piece seems unaffected. Everything else in the tank is doing great. The parameters are
Alk 9.2
Ca 420
Mg 1410
Po4 .25
Nitrate 10ppm
Sg 1.025
Ph 8.1
Again I’m still certain it was the phosphates but I may be wrong. I cleaned out the old media and added new media hoping that would fix the phosphate issue and bring it down to the normal .15. Any other opinions?

Other than a wait and see, how old is your tank?

How long have you had it?

Any changes recently?

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

Had the piece since December. The tank is just about 2 years old. No, no changes recently other than me not doing anything to the tank which is unusual ;Hilarious

Flippers4pups said:
Other than a wait and see, how old is your tank?

How long have you had it?

Any changes recently?

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

It has been doing really good since I got it. It had 3 heads when I got it in December and it has 5 little ones.

Mical · Mar 12, 2020

Have you been feeding it?

Flippers4pups · Mar 12, 2020

45ZoaGarden said:
Had the piece since December. The tank is just about 2 years old. No, no changes recently other than me not doing anything to the tank which is unusual ;Hilarious

Okay, I know Duncan's can be a little touchy at times. Let's see if anyone has personal experience with them. I have not.

#reefsquad.

Mikedawg · Mar 12, 2020

I have had polyps retract and come back out within a few minutes; are you still seeing this "recession?" Maybe a crab or shrimp bothered it?

Kellie in CA · Mar 12, 2020

Mine doesn't do great without feeding. Pellets or Mysis work best.

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

Mical said:
Have you been feeding it?

Yes. 2-3 times per week. Pellets, mysis, krill, or reef roids.

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

Nope. It’s tissue recession. If you look at the picture where the base is near the rock, that white is all skeleton. All around the one shriveled up polyp is also skeleton but it’s a bit brown.

Mikedawg said:
I have had polyps retract and come back out within a few minutes; are you still seeing this "recession?" Maybe a crab or shrimp bothered it?

Mical · Mar 12, 2020

45ZoaGarden said:
Yes. 2-3 times per week. Pellets, mysis, krill, or reef roids.

If you've been feeding it and its retracted, my guess is its sprouting new heads. Mine would retract for a day or two then come back bigger and w/more heads.

Copingwithpods · Mar 12, 2020

I had a damsel in my tank (had being the key word) that ate 3 tentacles from one of my Duncans. It retracted into its base for 2 weeks presumably to heal as when it came back out it had replaced its lost tentacles. Duncan's can be tough as nails but sometimes can be very delicate with even the slightest things sending them on a downward spiral. Could be a fish, could be an infection. IMHO only time will tell.

Edit

aragraph got deleted

Keep it under close observation and do an iodine dip. Could do one maybe once or twice a week and track progress. If it continues on the decline frag that head out and reglue the colony back together

eggplantparrot · Mar 12, 2020

do you have any frogspawns? one of mine used to send out long stingers that start twirling in the waterflow, until the end pinches off and floats around, stinging whatever is in it's path.

This really messed up a couple of heads on my duncan, but they are very hardy. ive had heads that turned to mush come back after i sucked out the mush with a pipette.

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

Another possibility is my tuxedo urchin picked up a mat of GSP and came around the Duncan. That was about a week and a half ago though. I’m not sure if it would’ve just decided to start reacting now. It’s definitely recession. Here’s a few more pictures under full whites so it’s easier to see.

fishguy242 · Mar 12, 2020

try moving to a little higher flow

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

Yes but it’s very far away. Also have a hammer and torch. Haven’t seen any tentacles floating around. I just really hope the recession stops. I don’t want to lose the piece

eggplantparrot said:
do you have any frogspawns? one of mine used to send out long stingers that start twirling in the waterflow, until the end pinches off and floats around, stinging whatever is in it's path.

This really messed up a couple of heads on my duncan, but they are very hardy. ive had heads that turned to mush come back after i sucked out the mush with a pipette.

45ZoaGarden · Mar 12, 2020

It’s actually getting pretty good flow where it is. It’s in the direct path of the return.

fishguy242 said:
try moving to a little higher flow

Copingwithpods · Mar 12, 2020

45ZoaGarden said:
Yes but it’s very far away. Also have a hammer and torch. Haven’t seen any tentacles floating around. I just really hope the recession stops. I don’t want to lose the piece

Check my edit above worst case scenario you'll lose that head but you won't lose the colony

eggplantparrot · Mar 12, 2020

45ZoaGarden said:
Yes but it’s very far away. Also have a hammer and torch. Haven’t seen any tentacles floating around. I just really hope the recession stops. I don’t want to lose the piece

mine was also on the other side of the tank from the duncan (granted its only a 14G but still) the actual tentacles would pinch off and float away in the current, and as soon as it grabs something (like a duncan head) it would deflate and would be pulled in by the stressed out duncan head.

i highly doubt this is your case but who knows.