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duncan behavior - growing or dying


Jbrock183

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I've had a single head duncan that has done beautifully for the past 3-4 months. In sack he was showing signs of splitting. Suddenly it became obvious that he was also growing a new head entirely. But for the past week he has not opened even one time.

 

Is this part of the splitting and reproduction process? Or is he dying?

 

This is him now. All closed up.

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oh that does not look good. Almost like it has some kind of disease. I would act quickly to dip it or move it to a different location. It may be losing a chemical war with an adjacent coral.

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What's going on in the tank?

 

What test kits do you use?

 

How do you measure salinity?

 

Salinity?

KH?

Calcium?

 

Anything change before this happened? Any changes to the lighting, additives, other equipment?

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My duncan does this every once in a while...usually right before I need to do a water change or right after. It stayed closed like that for probably 2 weeks at one point. I've actually had it close up completely so you couldn't tell what it even was. It always opens back up though, and it has a good half dozen or so new heads sprouting. I would do a water change of you haven't done one recently and see what happens.

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I recently did a 25% water change. I keep my salinity at 1.023 and only use reef crystals and RO / DI water. Parameters are perfect. I feed a rotated mix of flake food (Omega one with garlic), frozen brine shrimp, dried seaweed, and phytoplankton. I also supplement wit trace elements and a buffer

 

I recently did a 25% water change. I keep my salinity at 1.023 and only use reef crystals and RO / DI water. Parameters are perfect. I feed a rotated mix of flake food (Omega one with garlic), frozen brine shrimp, dried seaweed, and phytoplankton. I also supplement wit trace elements and a buffer

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1.023 is low for a reef, should be 1.025 - 1.026

 

Perfect params is not good enough, you need numbers if you want good help, otherwise everything is just a guess.

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Calcium 430 ppm

alkalinity 130 ppm

pH 8.2

Nitrate and ammonia 0

Magnesium 1300 ppm

Temp 77-79 degrees

 

I'm certain it's not my water parameters. Even my more difficult and sensitive coral is more than thriving - excelling would be a better word.

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That's a goner imo. I believe duncans get some sort of disease. I had happen few times. They get weird yellow things on skeleton and next thing know they are pissed off.

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I don't see any yellow on the skeleton. It just doesn't open any more.

 

So, the general conclusion is that it's dying and there's nothing I can do to help it out - even though it is showing obvious signs of life?

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IMO, it is going to sprout new heads. Mine does that as well.

 

Have you tried feeding it to see if it will open up? Might try some frozen brine or mysis to see how it reacts.

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Is it just me or is 1/2 the head missing from Skeleton?

Yes. Is it just the photo or is it missing a big chunk? Maybe something took a bite out of it??

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That looks like symptoms of brown jelly disease to me without the brown jelly coming out. The polyp detaching from the skeleton like that has always been a bad sign from what I've seen.

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Thank you for the suggestion of an iodine dip. I really want to try to save it if possible. Thank you. Any attempt at hope is mostly what I was hoping for.

 

It's not missing a big chunk , though it does look that way. The tentacles are shifting toward the back of the skeleton. So the place that looks like a missing chunk is a result of shifting position. I know it sounds strange.

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  • 1 month later...

So I tried the iodine dip but after a few days the entire head was gone. I debated on whether or not to remove it and decided to leave it and see what happens. A few weeks later I now see a tiny head starting to sprout. The base appears to be completely dead. Should I cut the tiny head from the base? Or should I just continue to wait?

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it's not brown jelly disease, it wouldn't have grown back after that. I would just leave it alone and feed it mysis. It will continue to lay down new skeleton and branch off that base. Any chance of a clearer pic?

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