TankBud

Duncan coral

Duncanopsammia axifuga

Also known as Duncanopsammia, Whisker Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Duncan coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
User:Haplochromis · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Dendrophylliidae
Origin
Australia and the northern Indian Ocean

Overview

The Duncan coral is one of the most peaceful LPS corals for a reef tank, and one of the most forgiving. It is a good step up from the easiest corals.

Did you know

Well-fed Duncan colonies pump out new heads about once a month. A single-head frag can become a crowded cluster within a year.

Caring for the Duncan coral

Give the Duncan coral light anywhere from about 50 to 150 PAR, with moderate, indirect flow. Place it on low rockwork or a middle shelf where the polyps can extend. It needs a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L).

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. The Duncan coral is an eager feeder and responds strongly to meaty foods such as mysis and coral pellets. Offer them two to three times a week. Regular meals like these can turn one head into ten or more in a few months.

It has no sweeper tentacles, so you can place it safely near most other corals. A colony buds new heads readily, and propagating it is easy, since you only need to separate the heads.

Good to know

Duncanopsammia axifuga is the only species in its genus. Unusually for a member of the family Dendrophylliidae, it hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae.

In the wild

The Duncan coral comes from deeper, often sandy areas around Australia and the northern Indian Ocean. There it forms branching, tubular stalks, each topped with a fleshy polyp fringed by long tentacles.

Common questions

What size tank does a Duncan coral need?

A Duncan coral needs at least 11 gal (40 L).

What temperature and pH does a Duncan coral need?

A Duncan coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Duncan coral eat?

A Duncan coral responds strongly to meaty foods such as mysis and coral pellets. Feed it two to three times a week, and it can grow from one head to ten or more in a few months.

How big does a Duncan coral get?

An adult Duncan coral reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

How does a Duncan coral breed?

A Duncan coral reproduces in the tank by budding new heads from the colony, and it does so readily.

Related species