Please Help With My Duncan Coral

[OllieGreen]

I have had a duncan coral in my tank since September now, and the past month or so especially it has been completely closed up. Can anyone help me figure out how to encourage it to open back up. It's one of the centerpieces in my tank so it would be awesome to have it back open again. Almost every other coral in my tank is coming along just fine as of right now, and the duncan is not dying, its just not opening either. I will attach a picture and give all the specifics on my tank below. Thanks

Pictures of the duncan :

General Specs on the Tank:
20 Gallon Waterbox Cube
Using an AI HD Prime Light that I keep on something very similar (but calmer) than David Saxby's presetting
I have the flow of the return pump only right now, as my wave pump creates too heavy of a flow for my tank at the moment.

Stocking: Water Parameters: (Right after a water change)

Corals Salinity- ~1.023
-Pulsing Xenia Calcium- 476
-4 different zoa frags Alkalinity- 9.4
-Green Star Polyps Phosphates- ~ 0pmm
-Trumpet Coral Nitrates- ~ 0 ppm
-Clove Polyps
-Superman Monti
-Mushroom Coral

Fish/Inverts
-2 Ocellaris Clowns
-BiColor Blenny
-3 Blue Legged Hermits
-2-3 Turbo Snails

 

[OllieGreen]

sorry that didn't come across clearly

calcium-476
alkalinity-9.4
phosphate/nitrates- 0 ppm
salinity- 1.023

 

[Basementreefer]

I have had a duncan coral in my tank since September now, and the past month or so especially it has been completely closed up. Can anyone help me figure out how to encourage it to open back up. It's one of the centerpieces in my tank so it would be awesome to have it back open again. Almost every other coral in my tank is coming along just fine as of right now, and the duncan is not dying, its just not opening either. I will attach a picture and give all the specifics on my tank below. Thanks

Pictures of the duncan :

General Specs on the Tank:
20 Gallon Waterbox Cube
Using an AI HD Prime Light that I keep on something very similar (but calmer) than David Saxby's presetting
I have the flow of the return pump only right now, as my wave pump creates too heavy of a flow for my tank at the moment.

Stocking: Water Parameters: (Right after a water change)

Corals Salinity- ~1.023
-Pulsing Xenia Calcium- 476
-4 different zoa frags Alkalinity- 9.4
-Green Star Polyps Phosphates- ~ 0pmm
-Trumpet Coral Nitrates- ~ 0 ppm
-Clove Polyps
-Superman Monti
-Mushroom Coral

Fish/Inverts
-2 Ocellaris Clowns
-BiColor Blenny
-3 Blue Legged Hermits
-2-3 Turbo Snails

Could be a fish nipping at the coral. I’ve seen my bicolor blenny nipping multiple times at my micromussas and had to give him away. They look way better now.

 

[Tcook]

phosphate/nitrates- 0 ppm

This is not good. How long have they been zero and what test kit are you using?

 

[OllieGreen]

This is not good. How long have they been zero and what test kit are you using?

As far as I know they have always been like that. That 0 number is with a small grain of salt because that's just the closest number I have in colors. I use the API reef master kit for phosphates and nitrates. It's possible it could be a slight bit higher.

 

[OllieGreen]

Could be a fish nipping at the coral. I’ve seen my bicolor blenny nipping multiple times at my micromussas and had to give him away. They look way better now.

Really? I'd heard that they were reef safe. That's definitely said because I really like my blenny. I'll do some extra research and keep a closer eye on him over the next few days. I did have a hammer coral that died a little while ago, and it wasn't too long after I introduced the blenny. Do you have any ideas of similar fish that i could have instead of him if i decide to give him away.

 

[Basementreefer]

Really? I'd heard that they were reef safe. That's definitely said because I really like my blenny. I'll do some extra research and keep a closer eye on him over the next few days. I did have a hammer coral that died a little while ago, and it wasn't too long after I introduced the blenny. Do you have any ideas of similar fish that i could have instead of him if i decide to give him away.

Yes that’s what I thought myself when I bought him. Over time I noticed that every time I put my micros close his cave they shrinked and didn’t look good overall. I first thought it had to do with the lighting, because it was up some inches from the sand bed where they were before. Then I searched for similar problems other reefers had with acans/micros, but didn’t really find anything that helped me. Out of pure luck you can say, I stumbled across a thread where someone had problems with a frogspawn where one head looked fine and the other shrinked up completely and thats because on one head was a blenny nipping the base of the euphyllia. So I watched mine very closely for some time and saw him indeed nipping at my micros multiple times! I was shocked and sad I had to give him away because I really did like him. Though now, just 4 days later, my corals look nice and plushy again

I am not quite sure which blenny I would go for, if yours is really the problem. I am now looking for a pink streaked wrasse. There is even a thread about it in the forum, if you are interested.

Though I don’t want to imagine the worst with your blenny, but I suggest you keep a good eye on him

 

[OllieGreen]

Yes that’s what I thought myself when I bought him. Over time I noticed that every time I put my micros close his cave they shrinked and didn’t look good overall. I first thought it had to do with the lighting, because it was up some inches from the sand bed where they were before. Then I searched for similar problems other reefers had with acans/micros, but didn’t really find anything that helped me. Out of pure luck you can say, I stumbled across a thread where someone had problems with a frogspawn where one head looked fine and the other shrinked up completely and thats because on one head was a blenny nipping the base of the euphyllia. So I watched mine very closely for some time and saw him indeed nipping at my micros multiple times! I was shocked and sad I had to give him away because I really did like him. Though now, just 4 days later, my corals look nice and plushy again

I am not quite sure which blenny I would go for, if yours is really the problem. I am now looking for a pink streaked wrasse. There is even a thread about it in the forum, if you are interested.

Though I don’t want to imagine the worst with your blenny, but I suggest you keep a good eye on him

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks . If my blenny stalking has poor results than i'll start my search for a more peaceful fish.

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

I have had a duncan coral in my tank since September now, and the past month or so especially it has been completely closed up. Can anyone help me figure out how to encourage it to open back up. It's one of the centerpieces in my tank so it would be awesome to have it back open again. Almost every other coral in my tank is coming along just fine as of right now, and the duncan is not dying, its just not opening either. I will attach a picture and give all the specifics on my tank below. Thanks

Pictures of the duncan :

General Specs on the Tank:
20 Gallon Waterbox Cube
Using an AI HD Prime Light that I keep on something very similar (but calmer) than David Saxby's presetting
I have the flow of the return pump only right now, as my wave pump creates too heavy of a flow for my tank at the moment.

Stocking: Water Parameters: (Right after a water change)

Corals Salinity- ~1.023
-Pulsing Xenia Calcium- 476
-4 different zoa frags Alkalinity- 9.4
-Green Star Polyps Phosphates- ~ 0pmm
-Trumpet Coral Nitrates- ~ 0 ppm
-Clove Polyps
-Superman Monti
-Mushroom Coral

Fish/Inverts
-2 Ocellaris Clowns
-BiColor Blenny
-3 Blue Legged Hermits
-2-3 Turbo Snails

Your salinity is kind of low for a mixed reef tank. How are you measuring it?
Maybe you could slowly increase your salinity to 1.024 to 1.025.
See if that helps, but do it slowly.

 

[anthonygf]

I have the same problem. My 5 year old 30 head duncan was closed up for several months last year. Tried everything, water params ok, no fish nipping. Was using IO/RC for the whole time, changed salt to Fritz and was happier and coming out for a couple of months, then I switched back to IO/RC and now is closed up again. Can it be the salt? I make sure the params of the new water is the same as tank. What salt are you using?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Any possibility it was stung or touched another coral? Honestly I am terrible at keeping Duncan’s myself but mine seem to thrive until they were knocked around one day. Flow and lighting have been tough to dial in for me.

 

[Sallstrom]

We have two colonies in an experiment tank, following in the temp etc on a reef. Both colonies did great until we got to about 27 degree Celcius/ 80F. Then they started to close up. After the "summer", when the temp decreased to about 27, both colonies have opened up great and they look healthy.
So perhaps they are a bit sensitive to higher temp? At least something to test for.

Good luck!

 

[uhgster1]

I have a 100 head colony. EVERY time my salinity changes I know it just by looking at the duncans. If you have fish that mess with them they get used to it, mine is hosting clowns. They also like to be fed once in a while.

 

[zaq11]

I have had a duncan coral in my tank since September now, and the past month or so especially it has been completely closed up. Can anyone help me figure out how to encourage it to open back up. It's one of the centerpieces in my tank so it would be awesome to have it back open again. Almost every other coral in my tank is coming along just fine as of right now, and the duncan is not dying, its just not opening either. I will attach a picture and give all the specifics on my tank below. Thanks

Pictures of the duncan :

General Specs on the Tank:
20 Gallon Waterbox Cube
Using an AI HD Prime Light that I keep on something very similar (but calmer) than David Saxby's presetting
I have the flow of the return pump only right now, as my wave pump creates too heavy of a flow for my tank at the moment.

Stocking: Water Parameters: (Right after a water change)

Corals Salinity- ~1.023
-Pulsing Xenia Calcium- 476
-4 different zoa frags Alkalinity- 9.4
-Green Star Polyps Phosphates- ~ 0pmm
-Trumpet Coral Nitrates- ~ 0 ppm
-Clove Polyps
-Superman Monti
-Mushroom Coral

Fish/Inverts
-2 Ocellaris Clowns
-BiColor Blenny
-3 Blue Legged Hermits
-2-3 Turbo Snails

watch at night and see if the tentacles open , and feed if in feeding mode
keep in low light
keep away from high flow current