What’s up with my Duncans?

[Saluki2003]

My Duncans have looked like this for a few weeks now. Can anyone help me know what’s going on here?

 

[Speaker]

They look half open. Are the rest of your corals opening all the way? If not probably an issue with water parameters. If they are then my guess is that flow nozzle pointed directly at the duncan is too much for it. I would try redirecting it or moving the duncan.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Ive never seen mine have their mouths like that except when they are eating large foods.

Other than that, they look like mine when they haven't adjusted to a flow change.

I am not at all an expert. I am new to this, just my .02

 

[exnisstech]

I've had duncans for years and have never seen mine with their mouth out like that. Sorry I'm no help but am curious myself so tagging along

 

[Saluki2003]

Here’s my last water test. My nitrates and phosphates crashed and I’m dealing with a Dino problem now.

 

[Saluki2003]

They look half open. Are the rest of your corals opening all the way? If not probably an issue with water parameters. If they are then my guess is that flow nozzle pointed directly at the duncan is too much for it. I would try redirecting it or moving the duncan.

My other corals look better. I’ll try moving them and see how they react.

 

[rmorris_14]

That ALK seems really high.

 

[vetteguy53081]

very high alk and what seems like lights very bright. They are best under moderate light and water flow. High Phos and alk will make them unhappy.
Feed 2-3X per week- Mine get mysis shrimp.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Here’s my last water test. My nitrates and phosphates crashed and I’m dealing with a Dino problem now.

I think BRS needs to update their 52 weeks of reefing and beginers guides to just tell everyone dinos are inevitable now if you don't keep nutrients up for the rest of the micro biome. I imagine after a year or 2 it won't matter as much, but I swear, everyone is getting dinos now.

But that alk would certainly make my duncans mad for sure.

 

[sfin52]

I think BRS needs to update their 52 weeks of reefing and beginers guides to just tell everyone dinos are inevitable now if you don't keep nutrients up for the rest of the micro biome. I imagine after a year or 2 it won't matter as much, but I swear, everyone is getting dinos now.

But that alk would certainly make my duncans mad for sure.

Dry rock doesn't help and seems to fuel them.

Here’s my last water test. My nitrates and phosphates crashed and I’m dealing with a Dino problem now.

Trace isn't a number. What tests are you using? How new is this tank? Very high alk with zero nutrients isn't a good combo.

 

[Saluki2003]

very high alk and what seems like lights very bright. They are best under moderate light and water flow. High Phos and alk will make them unhappy.
Feed 2-3X per week- Mine get mysis shrimp.

Yeah I had been using the Red Sea black bucket. I’ll be switching to the blue bucket.

lights were just turned up for a picture.

 

[Saluki2003]

Dry rock doesn't help and seems to fuel them.


Trace isn't a number. What tests are you using? How new is this tank? Very high alk with zero nutrients isn't a good combo.

My LFS did the testing. I need to figure out how to bring the Alk down now.

 

[Saluki2003]

I think BRS needs to update their 52 weeks of reefing and beginers guides to just tell everyone dinos are inevitable now if you don't keep nutrients up for the rest of the micro biome. I imagine after a year or 2 it won't matter as much, but I swear, everyone is getting dinos now.

But that alk would certainly make my duncans mad for sure.

Everything I was seeing suggested getting my nutrients low. Well, Chemipure blue got them to zero.

 

[Saluki2003]

very high alk and what seems like lights very bright. They are best under moderate light and water flow. High Phos and alk will make them unhappy.
Feed 2-3X per week- Mine get mysis shrimp.

It appears that the LFS I went to for my first test is way off on their ALK reading. I got 163ppm and another coral shop got 8.4 dkh. I redid the tests with my Hanna tests and also took them to a different LFS to confirm. Here’s a screenshot of my updated tests. The flow is pretty light and the lights are not very intense since I’ve been battling dinos.

Could the dinos be causing the Duncan to look like that?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It appears that the LFS I went to for my first test is way off on their ALK reading. I got 163ppm and another coral shop got 8.4 dkh. I redid the tests with my Hanna tests and also took them to a different LFS to confirm. Here’s a screenshot of my updated tests. The flow is pretty light and the lights are not very intense since I’ve been battling dinos.

Could the dinos be causing the Duncan to look like that?

I thought water and speaking of water, dino can and do release low level toxins which could upset the duncans. Im not seeing much of dinos in the pics

 

[Matty Ice]

Wow. Looks like they're having an allergic reaction.

 

[Kasrift]

Everything I was seeing suggested getting my nutrients low. Well, Chemipure blue got them to zero.

I didn't realize ASD did testing. I'm local too.

I don't think chemipure would drop nutrients quickly. What's the rest of the stocking look like? Nutrient consumption could be a reason for the drop. How old is the tank?