ID please!!

[FloridaGrown]

If anyone could tell me the name of this that would be great

 

[lmforbis]

Looks like a Duncan to me.

 

[pegasus]

I believe you are correct, Imforbis... the structure definitely favors Duncanopsammia Axifuga. If it is, under "normal" lighting (less blue), the stalks will be a bright green, and the polyps will have green centers with tan or purple tips.

 

[FloridaGrown]

The stalks are bright green! My phone just shows a lot of the blue! but the tips and the centers are all the same

 

[FloridaGrown]

But thank you both of you for the help!

 

[pegasus]

Welcome! I'm kind of familiar with this coral. Given good conditions, they grow rather quickly. I started with 3 heads, and now have 9 heads.

5/28/15:

10/17/15:

 

[FloridaGrown]

Hmm mine don't have long tentacles like that, are they supposed to be longer? Ive had mine for about 3 weeks, does it take a while until they reach those lengths?

 

[lmforbis]

My duncan is my indicator coral. When its tentacles are short or retracted something is off with the water. A water change usually fixes it. I try to do. 10% water change every week and I like to test my water every week as well. .

 

[pegasus]

Judging by the short stalks, my theory is they are immature polyps. As you can see by my "babies", the stalks are just forming, the tentacles are short, and the polyps are still tan colored... unlike the adult polyps which have bright green centers. When the adult polyps are expanded, they should be about 1" across, with tentacles about 1/2" or more in length. There are times during the day when the polyps on mine will retract, usually for a short period late in the evening. If your polyps aren't extending at all, then something isn't just right. What kind of lighting do you have? How are your nitrate and phosphate levels? Have you tried feeding them frozen (thawed, of course) mysis shrimp?

 

[FloridaGrown]

In the time i have had them I have fed them twice with mysis shrimp, they would grab them and then close and then reopen in roughly 10 minutes and the shrimp would be gone. As far as water its not exactly perfect, when i started the hobby I figured a smaller tank would be easier to manage than a larger one, and now i realize my mistake but I have a 10 gallon tank and I test the water every two weeks and I do water changes 1-2 times a week to keep everything stable as possible. The last time i Checked the water; nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, ammonia were all at zero or very close to. My calcium was 380 and alkalinity was around 6dkh. As far as lighting I have two true lumen led strips: 12k White and a blue actinic which i have sitting about 6 inches above the surface of the tank. The white is on full blast and the blue is 3/4 power.

 

[pegasus]

Parameters sound okay, but your calcium and alkalinity are below where they should be. Calcium should be (minimum) 420 ppm, and alkalinity should be (minimum) 7 dKH. You might try cutting back on the white lighting a little to see if it helps. Most corals extend their polyps to feed, and the majority of the food they receive is through photosynthesis via the zooxanthelae algae that lives inside them. If they are getting too much sugar from the algae, they will retract their polyps to reduce the amount of photosynthesis occurring. Reducing the lighting may help. It's worth a shot...

 

[FloridaGrown]

Ok thanks again, ill try that and hopefully I see improvements!

 

[pegasus]

Good deal. If you don't see an improvement in polyp extension, it's more than likely going to be that the duncans don't like the current lighting. Full-spectrum lighting makes most corals happy...