Duncan Growth. How do you speed it up.

[Tankjunkie0481]

So far everything in my tank is growing just fine with the exception of my duncans. I target feed them a few times a week as well as a few others corals but hey seem to be the only ones that just don't grow. The heads on both of my frags are open and full everyday so as far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with them. Are there certain water parameters I should be looking at that I may want to raise to possibly help them along.
I know they can be slow growers but with everything else growing i'm starting to wonder.
I keep my Magnesium around 1350- 1400, Alk is at 8.5 Calcium is between 450 and 500 depending on the day. ph is stable at 7.9.

Both calcium and alkalinity are tested with Hanna checkers.
Ph and magnesium are tested with salifert.

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Phosphates barely readable on a salifert

I currently run GFO in a reactor. Carbon and purigen in the media basket. No skimmer until christmas.

Any thoughts?????

[staindsoul]

I'd just be patient. Feeding more than once a week MAY be too much. Mine are my fastest grower.

Sidenote: if your phosphates are near 0 and you don't feed heavy, consider stopping the gfo reactor. I stripped mine too low and the first way I noticed was my Xenia stopped growing and started looking bad. Maybe your stripping too low. Do you have any softies as a warning sign?

[Wills612]

Mine wasn't shooting off any babies after it had been in my tank for like 1-2 months. Then like over night noticed 2 new baby heads, couple days later 3 more new heads. Seems like the coral just felt like it was time. Nothing changed with my parameters or lighting. If it looks healthy and water quality is good, just give time some time.

[Tankjunkie0481]

I do have a few softies. My pulsing xenias are almost 8 inches tall. mushrooms are huge and open. GSP is doing very well. I do feed moderately heavy when I feed but I may cut back the gfo a little just in case.

Wills I have had these duncans for almost nine months now and there has been near zero growth. The single heads themselves are a little bigger than when I got them but not much. Maybe you're right. One day I may wake up and see several heads popping up.(Fingers crossed)

[staindsoul]

What's your lighting, tank depth, and Duncan's location?

[Spazdad]

You might wanna incorporate alittle more flow.

[Tankjunkie0481]

Lighting is Cree LEDs approximately 6 inches above the surface and currently at 50%.
Tank depth is 18 inches. Duncans are about 10 inches below the surface. Basically midpoint in the tank.

Not doubting but im curious. How would increasing flow help?

[Spazdad]

I have 4 different strands with multiple colonies that produce very quickly. In fact I can't get rid of them fast enough. Lol. I've noticed they like about 130ish par with medium current. You said your Xenia was very long and I figured you had more of a lagoon flow. I would put them alittle lower and give them some flow. But that's my .2

[chrisfont23]

Speed it up? I don't think there is a special tonic for speeding it up. Feed them twice a week - it does not matter what - mysis shrimp, cyclopeeze, phyto, oyster feast etc. Eventually they will close / shrink for about 3-4 days or so. When that happens, I usually see new growth. My Duncan's don't care whether they are whipped around or modestly touched w/ flow like a majority of LPS out there.

I started with frags of 2 heads on 3 stalks. I now have over 25 heads so I know a thing or two about Duncans ;)

[Tankjunkie0481]

So I may have become concerned a little too soon. Last night I was doing my usual night time critter watching with a flashlight and I noticed on of my duncans was closed up. I noticed 4 bumps surrounding the head on the stalk. Would this be the growth i've been waiting for????? Hope so.

[staindsoul]

Sounds about right. They grow on their terms, :lmao:

[Tankjunkie0481]

So do duncans not actually split but instead just sprout new heads around the base of an existing head???

[reef_of_flames]

So do duncans not actually split but instead just sprout new heads around the base of an existing head???

That's what I think since mine has two baby heads growing out.

[staindsoul]

So do duncans not actually split but instead just sprout new heads around the base of an existing head???

yep. just above the where the hardened base meets the soft tissue.

[NewbyReefer]

My 2 head frag turned into a 20+ head colony in about 4 months. I just fed it chunks of silver sides twice a week. It has slowed down considerably since I stopped feeding it directly. Maybe a head a month since then.

[Tankjunkie0481]

From looking at the heads a little closer while feeding, there are 5 heads starting on one and 5 maybe 6 on the other. Wow, if I had never asked I probably never would have noticed the bumps or even known to look for them. Yet another reason why I love this forum. Can any of you post a couple of pics of your duncans. I would really like to see some before and after shots if you have them.

[Tankjunkie0481]

Newby, do you notice more waste when you feed silversides versus brine or mysis?