Please help my Duncan

[acexotix]

Ok. I can't figure this thing out. I have a biocube 29 (coralife) stock lighting. Running filter floss chemipure and purigen in back. Ive had a duncan with two small heads for a couple weeks now. I'm running wp10. I have tried everything I can think of and it won't open. I've gone low middle and high in the tank. I've put it right in the flow and completely out of it. Nothing I do gets it to open. I did an iodine dip yesterday and it's still shut up today. Water parameters are

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate maybe 10 (not very specific but it's about the yellow color of 10)
Calcium 440
dkh 6
I don't have a pH tester.
Salinity 1.024

When I got it it would take food spot fed. It never opened all the way was just short fat tentacles. Now it won't catch food if I try to feed it. Take k is filled with ro. Topped off with ro. Any thoughts? Also of note, crabs shrimp and fish are all great. 2 clowns 2 damsels. I have gasp that won't open either. Same story.

 

[Neebles]

Hmm. Do you have any other corals in there that are doing ok? GSP not opening is sometimes an indicator that your water is out of whack somehow. My duncan is doing fine on the sand bed, out of direct flow... It goes through phases of being closed but nothing like 3 weeks. How often are you messing with it? Do you give it a good amount of time between when you move it?

 

[acexotix]

For reference here it is tonight.



Here's best is been. Stupidly I moved it from that location and now it's back. I usually give it a few days. Think I should just leave it alone? The gsp hasn't penned since i got it. My peppermint shrimp really went to town on it. I got it a week before the duncan.

 

[kurt_n]

Just leave it be for a couple weeks. When I first got mine, it took a week (left completely alone) for it to open up. Just stop moving/dipping/futzing with it and I'm thinking it'll reward you.

 

[saltmix]

your dkh is low /8.5 to 9 it should be / check your mag/ 1260to 1350ppm and your at max for nitrate

 

[acexotix]

Ok i will leave it aloneand see what happens. Thanks for the info on alk and mag too. I will look into them to try and fix.

 

[acexotix]

I have not done anything with it. Crazy thing opens but only at night. Tentacles are short and stubby but he's open nice and big. I will continue to juat watch him. Has anyone experienced this? During the day it's shut up tight. Maybe I just got a nocturnal one?

 

[Nina51]

if it stays closed up during the day, i wonder if a fish or one of your inverts (snail? hermit?) are bothering it. that would explain why it opens at night when everything is asleep but that would be unusual. hmm...

 

[acexotix]

Yea its the craziest thing. It's in a bc 29 and have 2 damsels and 2 clowns. Peppermint shrimp and 4 astreas.

 

[kurt_n]

Not that it's anything to do with your original question, but...

2 clowns and 2 damsels in a 29g is something you might want to reconsider. There's going to be some serious turf wars going on in that tank.

 

[acexotix]

Ya. I had the damsels to cycle and the clowns are buds. So fast been good and they all keep to their own but I'm sure one day someone will be missing

 

[Principal_P]

I was having trouble with my Duncan being shy, so I moved it under a ledge out of direct light and with a calmer flow. It seems to like it better, but it doesn't open up nearly as long as I'd like it to. I'm wondering if I have it too far back and it's not getting enough light??? It's been there for about 3 weeks...might be time to try a new spot.

 

[giz1007]

I found that my duncan doesn't like the flow to change, it clamed right up when the flow was turned up. As pointed out in a previous post, keep your calcium levels up, also I found Magnesium plays a big part so you should be keeping an eye on this too.