Duncan Coral

mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I recently got back into cleaning up my tank since it crashed about a year ago and it made me too sick to jump right back in. Anyway, I bought a duncan coral yesterday. I saw it a few days ago but I never heard of it and I had to do some research since I am only running compacts right now. My halides should be in this week. Anyway, most of what I read is that it can tolerate a wide variety of lighting and likes to be feed but feeding isn't necessary. I did feed it last night and it did eat well. Does anyone here have any experience with this type of coral? If so, do you have any care advice?
Thanks.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by mrdc
http:///forum/post/3225658
I recently got back into cleaning up my tank since it crashed about a year ago and it made me too sick to jump right back in. Anyway, I bought a duncan coral yesterday. I saw it a few days ago but I never heard of it and I had to do some research since I am only running compacts right now. My halides should be in this week. Anyway, most of what I read is that it can tolerate a wide variety of lighting and likes to be feed but feeding isn't necessary. I did feed it last night and it did eat well. Does anyone here have any experience with this type of coral? If so, do you have any care advice?
Thanks.
They're very easy! I've kept them under power compacts, T5HOs, and now metal halides, and they've thrived under each. I do feed mine 2-3 times a week. The more you feed it, the quicker it will grow. I purchased one piece w/ 2 heads about 6-8 months ago and it now has 14 heads w/ a few babies sprouting as well. The other piece I bought right before Christmas w/ one head already has two babies sprouting.
I feed finely chopped squid, PE Mysis, brine shrimp and occasionally ghost shrimp (aka live feeder shrimp).
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks for the info and it's good to hear that they are easy. I don't know how I missed them the first few years I had my tank. I can't find them in my coral books either. I thiknk they also go by the names daisy and whisker. Is this a relatively new type of coral coming to the market?
I did get 12 or so heads for $85. I wasn't sure if that was a good price though I did see someone post that you shouldn't pay more than $10 a head. Probably depends on your area.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by mrdc
http:///forum/post/3225815
Thanks for the info and it's good to hear that they are easy. I don't know how I missed them the first few years I had my tank. I can't find them in my coral books either. I thiknk they also go by the names daisy and whisker. Is this a relatively new type of coral coming to the market?
I did get 12 or so heads for $85. I wasn't sure if that was a good price though I did see someone post that you shouldn't pay more than $10 a head. Probably depends on your area.
I think they've become more popular recently.
That's a great price, I paid $25 per head, which is the going rate around here. they shouldn't cost that much since they're fast growing and easy to care for.
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
agreed on duncans being very easy. it does better with medium light. under mh, it need to be placed mid to low. i feed mine maybe 1x per every 2 weeks bc of laziness, and its still multiplying like crazy. i started with 2 heads 1 year ago to over 15. as for the price, i agreed it shouldnt be what the market is charging for it.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I agree about the price especially if they multiply as fast as people are saying. Can you frag them? My halides should be in this week and I will move it down when I start using the new unit.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks. It's looking very nice today since it has been undisturbed since I placed it in yesterday. All the heads are fully opened. My lights came in but I need to make canopy modifications before I can use it. However, the duncan seems like it will be fine with the current lights so no rush.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
One last question regarding the feeding. If you want to feed, do you have to try to feed all the heads? It appears that they are all attached to a soft stalk so I was wondering if you feed some it provides food for all? Dang, these things can eat too!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by mrdc
http:///forum/post/3226694
One last question regarding the feeding. If you want to feed, do you have to try to feed all the heads? It appears that they are all attached to a soft stalk so I was wondering if you feed some it provides food for all? Dang, these things can eat too!
I usually feed as many as I can. And yes, they CAN eat!
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
That's the approach I am going for. I was really surprised at how fast these things can eat. Anyway, I am trying to feed the larger heads and when they swell and close up, I then try to feed the smaller heads underneath. Feeding coral used to be a pain in the butt because the shrimp would come out and steal the food. Currently the one shrimp that I have is ignoring them.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Until the shrimp realizes there is a food source on a regular basis.
Try looking up Duncanopsammia axifuga in your coral book.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by mrdc
http:///forum/post/3226998
That's the approach I am going for. I was really surprised at how fast these things can eat. Anyway, I am trying to feed the larger heads and when they swell and close up, I then try to feed the smaller heads underneath. Feeding coral used to be a pain in the butt because the shrimp would come out and steal the food. Currently the one shrimp that I have is ignoring them.
That's how I usually feed as well. My shrimps are lazy and leave feedings alone, but my tangs attack my hand.
You're not having an issue yet with things stealing food, but thought I'd share anyways: I recently found someone who had a great idea about getting the CUC and fish away from corals while feeding. She used on of those cylinder type bristle worm traps and packed it full of fish food. The fish and inverts get so caught up in trying to pull out the food that they leave what you're doing alone.
My fish are also petrified of the fish net, so if I keep that near me, they don't dare come close.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Good stuff BTLD.
You can also use the inverted plastic bottle top trick. Use a water bottle, pop bottle in the size you need. Cut the bottle maybe 1/3 of the way down so you have the top of the bottel with a wide bottom and jus the neck where the cap goes. Place the wide part over the coral and using an eye dropper or turkey baster put the food in through the neck. The food will float around inside and the polyps will grab what they can, and the fish and shimps can't get at it.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3227002
Until the shrimp realizes there is a food source on a regular basis.

Try looking up Duncanopsammia axifuga in your coral book.
Will look it up tonight. Thanks.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks for the feeding ideas. When I use to feed my sun coral, the shrimps and yellow tang would attack quickly. I then placed a cup over it after adding food but I didn't have a flushed bottom since the coral was sitting on a uneven rock. This allowed those stinking shrimps to squeeze through. So I moved the coral to the sand and the cup worked. The sun coral were much slower eaters than the duncans. I said that I wan't going to get another coral that HAS to be fed like the suns but I was glad to know that the duncan feedings are optional.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
See, now my sun corals eat faster than I can feed, LOL. I guess it all depends on the coral.
Yeah, the cup/bottle never works for me because nothing is on an even surface. My sun corals are, but they're too close to other rocks and I can't get something completely around them. It doesn't help that half my fish eat from my hand (dumbest thing I ever did was train them to eat from my hand
). So now, hand enters water, and here come the sharks!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3227024
And you thought it was sage to go in the water!


I actually have an SPS frag that feel last night and I'm dreading the fact that I have to go into the tank and get it out, especially since my husband forgot to feed them this morning
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I use to hand feed my blue hippo but I won't be doing anymore hand feeding! The funny thing is that I have a buddy that has never hand fed but when he sticks his hand in his tank, his clownfish attacks like a mad dog. I told him that he has a KKK clownfish since my friend is black.
 
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