Mounting A Duncan

[iflytoohigh]

so, i got this duncan frag off the internet. but it is not mounted and has been freshly cut off the mother colony. how do i mount this ? i'm not familiar with this coral at all and i'm totally unsure of how i should go about adhereing it to some live rock.

right now i have it wedged into a piece of rubble, but i'd like something more permanent so those stupid snails and crabs don't knock it off.

so , from what i've seen of frags of duncanopsammia axifuga ( whisker coral ) they have a hard tube like structure they grow through. kinda like a dendro or tubastrea. well, my frag doesn't have that tube structure. i think it was lopped off one of those structures. it was probably growing out the side of one, and whoever fragged it, dremel'd it off.

so, right now i have a fleshy disk of poly that is slimed over. any ideas?

i was thinking of keeping it in a really low flow area and trying to get it mounted much like you would a mushroom or something. with some lace or a panty hose or something? maybe even putting it in a cup to keep the snails away?

any ideas would be appreciated.

[GKarshens]

Do you have a fuge? Maybe put it in there with some rubble until it attaches. If not the pantyhose idea sounds like a good one.

[iflytoohigh]

i posted over at reefcentral, and some guys who have duncans seem to think that gluing it to a frag plug with some gel is the best bet.

i'm also worried that it might not survive though. here is a pick of what i received.

you can see that it is cracked and the insides are showing !

Edited April 26, 2007 by iflytoohigh

[Noodle]

Just make sure the superglue doesn't end up on any of the meaty portions. I'd also cordon the duncan away from any hermit crabs or shrimps (netting, tupperware container w/ holes). They might pick at the coral and cause more damage. Set it in an area with good lighting and feed it - hopefully it'll rebound from a not-so-great frag session.

[Headless_donkey]

What is a "duncan?" I tried to look it up and had no luck. I am assuming it is soft, but that is all I found. I use needle a thread to sew softies on to rock. I think it works better then the glue. The trick is dealing with the thread and getting it tight while your hands are wet.

[JamesL]

What is a "duncan?" I tried to look it up and had no luck. I am assuming it is soft, but that is all I found. I use needle a thread to sew softies on to rock. I think it works better then the glue. The trick is dealing with the thread and getting it tight while your hands are wet.

Lookie that the Duncan Thread on nano-reef.

[+ACampbell]

Thanks for the link seahorsejl.

iflytoohigh, keep us updated on its status.

[Headless_donkey]

Dude! We have one those in a tank. It was a hitchhiker on a rock. If I had know I would have catered to its needs more.

Thank you for the link. When in doubt ask nano-reef.

BTW please disregard that sewing thing. I think I was wrong. sorry

[iflytoohigh]

so, i called the guy i got the frag from. i emailed pics of the injury. he stated that duncans are very hardy corals and feels confident that it will heal up. he suggested placing in in the sand bed, or on a flat rock to let it heal up. he also said that if it died, or did not make it, he would replace it or refund my monies. so that is super cool. right now i have it sitting on the sand bed and this morning when i left for work, i could see that it was starting to polyp out. it was not fully extended, but i could tell it was making an effort. i'm keeping my fingers crossed, because i really want it to make it.

[Noodle]

Seems like your seller is a stand up type of person. Rock on! Hope your duncan heals up nicely.

[iflytoohigh]

ok. just a short update on the frag.

so, the broken carapace has not healed up. it is still pretty much broken. the tentacles on the broken side do not extende ever. the tentacles on the opposite side do extend in the mornings but close up a bit in the evenings. not completely closed up, but not all the way out.

on the bright side, it is eating. i have successfully fed it mysis /cyclopeze/rotifers and what not. also, it seems that the broken head has stimulated growth for a new head. there is a new head forming on the non broken side at an alarming rate. i'll try and get some pics of it tonite. the new little head already has a mouth and the startings of tentacles. i can see the mouth open during feeding and suck up cyclopeze. this is very encouraging. although im a little annoyed that i was originally sent a sub-par frag, i'm glad that it did not die and seems to be recovering nicely.

[caferacermike]

I'm so confused. I have about 50 of those, except I've always thought of them as majano anemones. What is the difference? Mine reproduce about every 3 weeks. It's almost at the "worry" point.