Three duncans with unique appearances

[Cobyx]

Duncans have won me over so far. They're visually stunning, add movement to the tank, and aren't aggressive. Plus, they're fun to feed and seem pretty chill about everything. I've got three now, and despite there supposedly being only one type, I'm finding they can look pretty different - kinda like zoas.

My first duncan has been in the tank a couple of months. It's got a green center with light blue/purple, blunt-tipped tentacles that inflate when it's hungry:




I added the second one a few weeks ago, picked it up at Reef-A-Palooza. This one's almost white with a green center and long, sharp tentacles. The branches are this bright yellow-green color. The photo doesn't do it justice - it's way whiter than this, and the purple tint is just from the light reflecting off the rocks.

The third one I just added yesterday - got it as a freebie with my Kessils from the LFS. I'd been eyeing their colonies for a while 'cause they're so pretty. This one's got pink branches and flesh, with bright metallic green tips on the tentacles. I wish the colors showed up better in these photos, honestly.



I'm curious to see if they'll start to look more similar in a year or two, but for now, I love the unique look of each one.

[FlynnRode]

Those corals are absolutely stunning. I'm curious, what's your feeding schedule like for them? I've been targeting mine with Mysis once or twice a week, seems to be doing the trick.

[fleeton]

I've also noticed duncans can have different looks. Don't own one yet, but I'm planning to get one soon. When I'm on the hunt for new coral, I take my time - we're talking weeks of searching for the perfect one. I've come across around 4-5 different color variations of duncans, but I'm still in the dark about what causes these variations - is it food, lighting, or water conditions? Would be great to know if they'll keep their color over time. Maybe trailblazer can chime in with some insight.

[Cobyx]

Those corals are absolutely stunning. I'm curious, what's your feeding schedule like for them? I've been targeting mine with Mysis once or twice a week, seems to be doing the trick.

I also broadcast Reef Roids a couple times a week and feed Rod's Food to the tank a couple times a week too - it's super messy and has "stuff" in it for corals too. So they're getting plenty to eat.

The new pink duncan's settling in great - it was fully open within an hour of being in the tank, and I can see a couple more heads developing in addition to its 9. I moved Mr. Stubby down from mid-tank to the same rock as the other two, to see if the higher flow makes any difference in its tentacle length.

I'm upgrading to a 65g in a few weeks, and then they'll get their permanent spots in the new tank. I'm curious to see what a year or two of the same food, light - I'm putting Kessils on the new tank - and water parameters do to their color. I think they'll stay largely the same, but it'll be interesting to see if they start to look like each other. The color of the flesh and the way the pink one has green on the ends of its tentacles make me think there'll still be some differentiation in the long term. I'll try to report back periodically.

And if I see another duncan that looks different from these three, it's coming home with me. Fearyaks, I just noticed you're in L.A. - if you like the pink one, I got it from SPS Coral in La Canada, and they had a few more mini-colonies like this one.

[DeepB23]

I'm really drawn to the pink ones, there's something about the way the green pops on the ends of the tentacles. I've had my own purple duncan colony for a couple of years now, and it's amazing how well they thrive - I got it back when everyone thought duncans only came in one color, so it's been interesting to see all the different variations that have come out since.

My colony grows in a tree-like shape, with a stem that was once a bright green but has since lost some of its color as the heads have grown in. It's hard to see the disc sometimes, but you can just make out a couple of them - they're just so happy and full of life.

I'd love to see how your duncans grow and change over time, especially with the new tank setup you've got planned. I've found that my duncans have stayed pretty consistent in terms of color, even with changes in lighting - I've had them under both LED and T5, and they've always kept their purple hue.

[Cobyx]

I'm really drawn to the pink ones, there's something about the way the green pops on the ends of the tentacles. I've had my own purple duncan colony for a couple of years now, and it's amazing how well they thrive - I got it back when everyone thought duncans only came in one color, so it's been interesting to see all the different variations that have come out since.

My colony grows in a tree-like shape, with a stem that was once a bright green but has since lost some of its color as the heads have grown in. It's hard to see the disc sometimes, but you can just make out a couple of them - they're just so happy and full of life.

I'd love to see how your duncans grow and change over time, especially with the new tank setup you've got planned. I've found that my duncans have stayed pretty consistent in terms of color, even with changes in lighting - I've had them under both LED and T5, and they've always kept their purple hue.

Your duncans are absolutely stunning. I've got a white one with bright green stems, and it's really branched out - but to be fair, it came that way, so it's hard to say if that's due to my tank or its previous home. My pink duncan, on the other hand, isn't branching out much at all - I've seen the parent colony, and I know it was under Maxspect Razors with a ton of flow, so we'll see how it adapts to the Kessils. I'm definitely going to keep them in higher flow, though - I'd read they prefer moderate to low flow, but now I'm not so sure that's the case.

[DeepB23]

Duncans have won me over so far. They're visually stunning, add movement to the tank, and aren't aggressive. Plus, they're fun to feed and seem pretty chill about everything. I've got three now, and despite there supposedly being only one type, I'm finding they can look pretty different - kinda like zoas.

My first duncan has been in the tank a couple of months. It's got a green center with light blue/purple, blunt-tipped tentacles that inflate when it's hungry:




I added the second one a few weeks ago, picked it up at Reef-A-Palooza. This one's almost white with a green center and long, sharp tentacles. The branches are this bright yellow-green color. The photo doesn't do it justice - it's way whiter than this, and the purple tint is just from the light reflecting off the rocks.

The third one I just added yesterday - got it as a freebie with my Kessils from the LFS. I'd been eyeing their colonies for a while 'cause they're so pretty. This one's got pink branches and flesh, with bright metallic green tips on the tentacles. I wish the colors showed up better in these photos, honestly.



I'm curious to see if they'll start to look more similar in a year or two, but for now, I love the unique look of each one.

I'm with you on that - duncans seem to thrive in higher flow. I've noticed a huge difference in my own tank, the ones in the high flow area are always more open and seem to be growing faster. I've got some green duncans that are about the same age as my others, and they're growing in a really shrub-like way, close to the sand. It's interesting to see the different branching styles, even among the same type of coral.

[FlynnRode]

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check it out next time we're out that way for a soccer tournament.