How do duncans grow?

[BL1]

So, how do they do it, do they grow new heads like other LPS or do they split like other corals?

Mine looks like it's doing both, in the first pic it almost looks like the head is starting to split down the middle

But in this pic it looks like there's a new head growing at the bottom of the first

 

[Bifferwine]

Mine have always grown new heads at the base of the old heads, just like your last pic. I've never seen mine split.

 

[BL1]

Thanks Biff, that's what I thought but, today is the first time I've seen it's head looking like that.

 

[Dana42078]

Nice and i was just going to start a thread about duncans. I just got a 3 headed frag and was wondering where everyone has theirs? High/low flow? High/low placement in the tank? Do they sting other corals? Do they just eat mysis and brine?

I've been wanting some for a long time and they are kinda expensive around here, but i got the frag as a present so i was just wondering..

 

[Bifferwine]

I have two different types of duncans in my 90 gallon tank and some in my 3 gallon pico... All are in moderate flow, one is in high light, one is in moderate light and one is in low light. They are pretty versatile -- I think they do well anywhere in the tank. They eat meaty foods such as mysis and brine. I don't know if they sting or not.

 

[BL1]

I keep mine in the bottom 1/3 of my tank in a "lower" flow area but, it still blows around quite a bit. I feed mine any kind of meaty food I'm putting in for the fish mysis, brine, krill, squid, sushi. It eats it all

 

[Dana42078]

Thank you both. =)

 

[Hiker4twenty]

I have two different types of duncans in my 90 gallon tank and some in my 3 gallon pico... All are in moderate flow, one is in high light, one is in moderate light and one is in low light. They are pretty versatile -- I think they do well anywhere in the tank. They eat meaty foods such as mysis and brine. I don't know if they sting or not.

I don't think they sting. My huge duncan colony overlaps part of an orange monti cap and it doesn't do a thing to the monti. Monti's are a pretty timid coral so I think if the duncan stings it would have damaged the monti already. They've been touching each other for a few months now.

Mine also grow by budding new heads off of other mature heads then the skeleton grows as the baby heads grows. If you feed them 1-2x per week they should grow fast for you.

Here's a pic of my duncan frag I got in mid February of this year.

Here it is as of 3 weeks ago. It's got over 30 heads and growing. It's a little larger than a softball right now. You can also see the monti in the pics as described above.

 

[Dana42078]

Wow, very nice hiker. What did u feed them? Steroids lol

 

[fastrd400]

Just feed em some mysis. They'll gobble them up and begin growing for you.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Wow, very nice hiker. What did u feed them? Steroids lol

Thanks Dana. I just feed them whatever I feed my fish, which is a mix of many different frozen meaty foods and veggie foods. The key is feeding and trying to make sure to feed each head, which is hard sometimes. You don't have to target feed for them to grow, but they'll grow way slower if you don't feed.

 

[dcantucson]

Dave that is an incredible colony of Duncans. I can't believe they have grown so much. Excellent job for sure. :bowdown:

 

[Zissou]

I have mine in the sand, in the front left corner of the tank, with two powerheads on the back wall in each corner, aimed towards the center of the front. I would say my duncan is in low flow, it was a single head when I got it in October, it now has four more heads growing from it, the first which appeared less than a day it was in the tank.

It doesn't get anything but what I feed the fish and what falls on it.

I love it. :Cheers:

 

[OhNoNemo]

Dave that is an incredible colony of Duncans. I can't believe they have grown so much. Excellent job for sure. :bowdown:

Agreed ,i have one frag head about the size of a quarter ...if it turns into that:shock:,i'll be :bounce:...its IMPOSSIBLE for me to feed any of my corals..
Good thread Brian

 

[Dana42078]

Agreed ,i have one frag head about the size of a quarter ...if it turns into that:shock:,i'll be :bounce:...its IMPOSSIBLE for me to feed any of my corals..
Good thread Brian

Why can't you feed your corals?

 

[OhNoNemo]

Because my 2 psychotic triggers will attack and eat anything i put in...if i used a dropper they would just follow it and probably destroy the corals trying to get at the food

 

[Dana42078]

YIKES! That SUX!

 

[OhNoNemo]

Don't you remember my last attempt at adding a flamehawk??
Sorry this thread went off course(but heck,they all do:lol:)

 

[Dana42078]

Haha oh yea...i can be a lil slow at times. That still sucks, such a sacrafice for awsome fish. Id love to have more aggressive fish but most of them need bigger tanks....

 

[Dana42078]

Ok my duncans havent been looking so great and im hoping its the placement of them. My param's are fine but they are looking like crap for the past few days. I was thinking it was because i was due for a water change but nothing has happened since the WC. Any idea's? Right now its located twards the bottom of my tank. Its in a med flow area. My lights arent strong, do they need more light? less flow? Any help will be much appriciated. Thanks in advance.