Duncan Coral Care Guide

Duncan Coral is one of the most beginner-friendly LPS corals available in the reef aquarium hobby. Duncans tolerate minor water parameter fluctuations, thrive under low to moderate lighting without demanding specific PAR ranges, and grow rapidly with minimal intervention. The lack of aggressive sweeper tentacles simplifies placement decisions for reef keepers still learning coral compatibility. Stable water conditions and occasional feeding are all Duncans need to thrive, even in newer reef tanks that have completed cycling.

Duncan Coral grows faster than most LPS corals, producing new heads approximately every one to two months under favorable conditions. Reef keepers who feed Duncans meaty foods like mysis shrimp or reef roids two to three times per week report dramatically faster head production, with some colonies growing from a single head to ten or more within five to six months.

Colonies grow by budding new polyps near the base of existing heads, and individual stalks bifurcate to form branching structures that expand outward over time.

Duncan Coral is photosynthetic and can survive on light alone, but supplemental feeding significantly accelerates growth and improves polyp size and coloration. Duncans respond well to target feeding with meaty foods like mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and coral pellets two to three times per week.

The tentacles actively grab and pull food into the oral disc when offered, making target feeding straightforward even for beginners. Consistent feeding results in faster head production and larger, more extended polyps compared to unfed colonies.

Duncan Coral is one of the most peaceful LPS corals and does not produce the long sweeper tentacles found in Euphyllia species like torch, hammer, and frogspawn corals. The tentacles are short and lack significant stinging power, making Duncans safe to place near most other coral species without risk of contact damage.

Duncans are more likely to be stung by aggressive neighbors than to cause harm, so reef keepers should maintain at least 3-4 inches of spacing from aggressive LPS corals with sweeper tentacles to protect the colony.

Duncan Coral can retract polyps in response to several environmental stressors, and colonies often serve as an early warning system for tank problems that other LPS corals tolerate longer before showing symptoms. Excessive or direct water flow is the most common cause of retraction, as polyps cannot fully extend against strong current. Heavy metal contamination, particularly elevated iodine levels, can also cause prolonged closure.

Reef keepers should check flow direction, test water parameters for unusual readings, and inspect the colony for pests such as vermitid snails, which produce mucus nets that irritate polyps. Running activated carbon or polyfilter can help remove potential contaminants if the cause is not immediately apparent.

Duncan Coral performs best in the lower to middle regions of the reef tank where lighting falls within the 100-150 PAR range and water flow is moderate and indirect. Duncans can be placed on the sand bed or mounted on rockwork, and both locations work well provided the colony receives adequate flow to prevent algae buildup on the skeleton.

Reef keepers should plan for long-term growth when positioning Duncans, as healthy colonies expand substantially and can develop dozens of heads within a year. Keeping distance from aggressive corals with sweeper tentacles like torch and hammer corals protects the colony from stinging damage.