"Duncanopsammia" Need some advice

[GRTTSOU]

Hello guys,

I need some advice regarding my Duncanopsammia coral.
My coral has all the heads next to each other while I have seen the same coral to have heads along with a big body separately.
I am attaching two photos, the first one is the one in my tank and the other one is the same coral but in different shape (this is how I liked to be, 2nd photo)

Does anyone know what I have to do in order for my coral to grow that way?

 

[cjk76]

Mine started out as only 2 heads about an inch from each other. A bunch of heads grew in the middle after a short time. I think you should just wait for it to fill out on your own. Keep target feeding them!

 

[jerpa]

The second picture is a branching duncan. I believe they are two different subspecies like regular hammer corals versus branching ones. In other words I think you need to buy another one if you would like it to branch.

 

[MechEng99]

I bought a "branching" duncan (I saw the mother and got a frag of it) almost 6 years ago. It stayed bunched up until it hit about 50 polyps on the base, and then it finally started branching.

My guess is the coral needs to put down a good base before it decides to branch (less likely to get knocked away by the flow in the ocean). You may have luck placing it in a low flow area.

 

[chrisfont23]

Hello guys,

I need some advice regarding my Duncanopsammia coral.
My coral has all the heads next to each other while I have seen the same coral to have heads along with a big body separately.
I am attaching two photos, the first one is the one in my tank and the other one is the same coral but in different shape (this is how I liked to be, 2nd photo)

Does anyone know what I have to do in order for my coral to grow that way?

Target feed. Mine like good flow... moderate lighting. Started w/ 2 heads and now over 12.

 

[GRTTSOU]

I have this coral for more than 3 years. When I bought it, it was only two heads. With the same import the store had bigger corals with brunching heads, hence I am sure that is the same specimen and something has to do with my water parameters or flow. I am not feeding the coral at all, I am a believer that all corals are capable to collect food from the water column without our help (with only a few exceptions like sun coral etc.).

Anyway, as you can see in the first photo all heads are next to each other, I may have 50 heads right now and as the coral is growing up some of them are stay in the shadow, this happens because as the upper level is growing is creating shadow to the edge of it. I was expecting these heads to give it a try and grow faster in order to catch some light but instead of that are dying (due to lack of light). These heads are so close to each other that I cannot even frag them.

 

[mikexnxike01]

the base needs to get a good foothold before it can start branching