- Location
- LONG ISLAND NEW YORK
I have two duncan frags and no matter what light/flow i tried (i'm pretty sure i've tried them all) i can't get them to consistently open. Both had bright green bases and are now bleached. What am I doing wrong?
Can't keep my duncans happy
- Thread starter DREUTZ
- Start date
- Location
- LONG ISLAND , NY
metalic green duncans huh? i have a colony of about 30 heads they didnt open for a few days i think my mh were blasting them now there under a rock on the sand bed where they get moderate light and they open all the time now, also have you checked your parimeters?
- Location
- LONG ISLAND NEW YORK
nitrates are high, 20ppm
calcium was 460 when I checked a week ago
temp 76-77d F
SG 1.025
all other corals are looking good.
calcium was 460 when I checked a week ago
temp 76-77d F
SG 1.025
all other corals are looking good.
- Location
- LONG ISLAND NEW YORK
bought from halide tanks.. i have a 29 gallon biocube (dimensions 20 inches wide x about 20 inches deep x about 15 inches from sandbed to water surface) with stock PCs... i've positioned them everywhere from 2/3 up in the tank to the bottom in low flow to high flow and no luck.
Actually one seems to open a bit more then the other..
Actually one seems to open a bit more then the other..
- Location
- Merrick, NY
I have a 29 Biocube too. When I got my Duncan coral I only had the stock lighting and I put the corals on the top LR which was like 2/3 off the bottom of the tank. I put it directly in the flow of the Koralia. It stayed closed for a good while at first, I guess it was getting used to my tank.
I kept blowing food over it with a turkey baster and the little bit of tentacles that were exposed would close up. Now they have long flowy tentacles you would think its an elegance coral. I think it is just a matter of time. I remember being worried and thinking something was wrong with it at first too.
I kept blowing food over it with a turkey baster and the little bit of tentacles that were exposed would close up. Now they have long flowy tentacles you would think its an elegance coral. I think it is just a matter of time. I remember being worried and thinking something was wrong with it at first too.
- Location
- Great Neck
Dreutz, how long have you had them?
How often have you moved them to new spots?
How long have you left them in the spot without disturbing them?
Do you feed them?
What are the alkalinity & PH values in the tank?
Your nitrates are a little on the high side, not disastrously high, but still I would work on lowering them none the less.
How often have you moved them to new spots?
How long have you left them in the spot without disturbing them?
Do you feed them?
What are the alkalinity & PH values in the tank?
Your nitrates are a little on the high side, not disastrously high, but still I would work on lowering them none the less.
- Location
- LONG ISLAND NEW YORK
AWIBRANDY:
I've had one for 2 months and the other for a few weeks.
-I move them every 3 or 4 days if they are showing no signs of opening, but if they open a little i will leave them for longer, however that only lasts for a day or two and then they completely close up for days.
-I do not feed them because my cleaner shrimp rips the food out of them and has damaged other corals when this happens. Tried to get him out but he is too quick.
-Alk and PH i have not tested for in a while
-Regarding the nitrates. I had an issue with the trates. I don't know if Awibrandy remembers, but she replied to my post about my nitrates being 160ppm. I got some livesand from a friend that became agitated and was leaching nitrates. After thoroughly stirring sand and siphoning out the detritus and repeating this rinsing process until the the water no longer was cloudy. That was was first adventure with nitrates... after that, I was doing everything wrong that is possible plus there was a little surprise in my back chamber. Long story short trates were over 80 ppm for a while even after my rinsing of the sand and by correcting my mistakes and doing a lot of WC they are down to 20. Here is the link if you would like to find out the second adventure with nitrates:
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/72956-nitrate-reducing-products.html
I've had one for 2 months and the other for a few weeks.
-I move them every 3 or 4 days if they are showing no signs of opening, but if they open a little i will leave them for longer, however that only lasts for a day or two and then they completely close up for days.
-I do not feed them because my cleaner shrimp rips the food out of them and has damaged other corals when this happens. Tried to get him out but he is too quick.
-Alk and PH i have not tested for in a while
-Regarding the nitrates. I had an issue with the trates. I don't know if Awibrandy remembers, but she replied to my post about my nitrates being 160ppm. I got some livesand from a friend that became agitated and was leaching nitrates. After thoroughly stirring sand and siphoning out the detritus and repeating this rinsing process until the the water no longer was cloudy. That was was first adventure with nitrates... after that, I was doing everything wrong that is possible plus there was a little surprise in my back chamber. Long story short trates were over 80 ppm for a while even after my rinsing of the sand and by correcting my mistakes and doing a lot of WC they are down to 20. Here is the link if you would like to find out the second adventure with nitrates:
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/72956-nitrate-reducing-products.html
mine is on the bottom of a 72 g bow..shaded a little bit by some hanging live rock..they got some flow from 1 of my koralias coz the tentacles are always flowing..dont keep moving them around. just leave them in one spot..whenever i move mine by accident..it takes a while for them to open up fully again..so since you are physically relocating them..they are probably getting stressed..patience patience..let us know how it works out..oh yea..i got all t5s in my tank..
- Location
- long island
i know this is going to sound retarted but check your iodine levels. I had this problem before but my iodine was very high
I agree with Del!! Stop moving them so much, let them stay put at least 2 weeks to give them a chance to get comfortable.
You need to feed them. You can try what others are doing which is they cut the bottom off of a bottle, and put it over the coral, and put the food in there for the coral.
I over feed my reef to insure that all the corals get food. I just step up maintenance in order to keep from polluting my reef.
Meaning more larger w/c (weekly 20%), and run gfo & carbon periodicaly.I'll go read your other thread to catch up on your other trates adventure.
- Location
- long island
you know they are both right stop moving them I have mine in a semi high flow area and they have grown hughe
I agree with Del!! Stop moving them so much, let them stay put at least 2 weeks to give them a chance to get comfortable.
You need to feed them. You can try what others are doing which is they cut the bottom off of a bottle, and put it over the coral, and put the food in there for the coral.
I over feed my reef to insure that all the corals get food. I just step up maintenance in order to keep from polluting my reef.
I'll go read your other thread to catch up on your other trates adventure.
- Location
- LONG ISLAND NEW YORK
Wow thanks everyone for the input. What is the consensus on placement regarding amount of light and flow? I'm going to move them tonight and then not touch them for a while and see if that helps.
Besides my cleaner shrimp being overly aggressive, I haven't been feeding my corals because one of the reasons my nitrates were so high was because I was overfeeding. I wanted to get my nitrates down pretty low before I started loading the tank up again when feeding the corals. Currently, when I feed every other day I will blow the mysis or brine "mist" (smaller pieces of shrimp and cloudy liquid that come about when defrosted) at a few corals at a time. The cleaner immediately jumps on each coral, but there isn't really much for him to grab and eat so he loses interest quickly.
When feeding like this the duncans don't seem to be getting any food like my acans and others do.
Besides my cleaner shrimp being overly aggressive, I haven't been feeding my corals because one of the reasons my nitrates were so high was because I was overfeeding. I wanted to get my nitrates down pretty low before I started loading the tank up again when feeding the corals. Currently, when I feed every other day I will blow the mysis or brine "mist" (smaller pieces of shrimp and cloudy liquid that come about when defrosted) at a few corals at a time. The cleaner immediately jumps on each coral, but there isn't really much for him to grab and eat so he loses interest quickly.
When feeding like this the duncans don't seem to be getting any food like my acans and others do.
- Location
- Great Neck
I usually spot feed the shrimp first with a couple pieces of mysis using the baster. If not, he goes straight after any in the sun coral, acan, or duncan. Once he's full he won't go and bother the other corals.
FIRST of all you really HAVE to RINSE the mess out of the frozen foods!!!
I thaw mine in plain old tap water(yeah yeah should use ro/di, but so far no ill effects), once they thaw out I proceed to rinse about 4 times with fresh water through a brine shrimp net. I squeeze the beedeejeez out of the net with the last rinse.
I spot feed the corals gently with the doohicky that Paul made me. Sort of like a baster, but thinner and longer.
My duncans are about 4" off of the sand bed. All my power heads & return lines are pointed at the top of the surface. Hope that helps.
I thaw mine in plain old tap water(yeah yeah should use ro/di, but so far no ill effects), once they thaw out I proceed to rinse about 4 times with fresh water through a brine shrimp net. I squeeze the beedeejeez out of the net with the last rinse.
I spot feed the corals gently with the doohicky that Paul made me.
Sort of like a baster, but thinner and longer.My duncans are about 4" off of the sand bed. All my power heads & return lines are pointed at the top of the surface.
Hope that helps.+1 leave them in one place.
Also I would keep them out of intense light and slowly acclimate them back after they start to open.
I keep mine in a medium flow on the sand under T5.
Started with two and now probably have 20. Its difficult to count them as they have grown on top of each other.
They opened the first day I put them in the tank and I feed them everything.
Also I would keep them out of intense light and slowly acclimate them back after they start to open.
I keep mine in a medium flow on the sand under T5.
Started with two and now probably have 20. Its difficult to count them as they have grown on top of each other.
They opened the first day I put them in the tank and I feed them everything.
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