Duncan retraction

[Marinereefiner]

Hello I would like to see if anyone has some idea as to what’s up with my Duncan’s. I’ve had some previously that did well until a breeding pair of clowns ate them alive. I have since removed the breeding pair. I do have two clowns still though and they don’t appear to touch the Duncan’s and don’t leave there home inside my Pulsing Xenia at all.

I purchased 3 new frags and about 2 weeks in they started staying partially retracted

I have attached images of the theee different branches I have, they all appear to have the same polyp retraction. the frags had been a vibrating green branch and extending fully when placed into the tank.
Each frag is placed in different locations.

I do have a high nitrate problem that I cannot get rid of, and next to none in phosphates.

N03 = 50+
P04 = trace always less than 0.03
Ph= 8 to 8.3
Dkh = 7.6
Cal = 530
Salinity= 1.0245

Thanks in advance,
I don’t usually take parameters other than nitrates as they for 2+ years haven’t changed and like to keep an eye to see if nitrates ever lowers.

 

[Shirak]

I am guessing you mean PO4. Corals look pale. Without any phosphate in the tank they can't photosynthesize and will fade away into nothingness. You won't get any algae growth either to help eat up the nitrates.

You could do carbon dosing to help lower nitrates but I think you need to dose some phosphate or reef roids or something to raise up your phosphate.

 

[Uncle99]

Mine are lovers of light
As you mentioned, N and P need balancing.
light.

 

[Marinereefiner]

I am guessing you mean PO4. Corals look pale. Without any phosphate in the tank they can't photosynthesize and will fade away into nothingness. You won't get any algae growth either to help eat up the nitrates.

You could do carbon dosing to help lower nitrates but I think you need to dose some phosphate or reef roids or something to raise up your phosphate.

I do mean PO4 error and will correct that.

I dose reef roids atleast once per week. Usually spot feeding and let some remaining float around the tank.
I also feed 1 frozen mysis cube daily. I have 10 fish that pretty much gobble it up.

Algae growth isn’t a problem. I will have to clean the tank glass once a day and have recently just removed some large clumps of Hair algae.

 

[Marinereefiner]

Mine are lovers of light
As you mentioned, N and P need balancing.
light.

I have kept one of mine away from light. One is in partial low light and another is in direct low light.

Should I bring one up to more light?
Low light in my tank is around 50-70 par near the sand.

 

[Shirak]

I do mean PO4 error and will correct that.

I dose reef roids atleast once per week. Usually spot feeding and let some remaining float around the tank.
I also feed 1 frozen mysis cube daily. I have 10 fish that pretty much gobble it up.

Algae growth isn’t a problem. I will have to clean the tank glass once a day and have recently just removed some large clumps of Hair algae.

You could try upping the reef roids. less than .03ppm is essentially 0 Most test kits are not that accurate. Even the Hanna ULR has a .02ppm accuracy. I would shoot for at least .05ppm or a little higher

 

[Uncle99]

I have kept one of mine away from light. One is in partial low light and another is in direct low light.

Should I bring one up to more light?
Low light in my tank is around 50-70 par near the sand.

Mine are in around 150, some 100, have one on the sand so likely close to your par, does great but is darker green in colour to those I have higher.

But if I move that coral even a few inches it retracts for 5-7 days.

It’s been two weeks only and I find Duncan’s resilient, but very slow to fully extend, if touched or moved.

But sure, bring one up for 30 days and see how it performs.

Mine do like a taste of whites.