Duncanopsamia Axifuga

These tree-like branching corals are found in tropical locations; the majority of specimen available in the U.S. have been imported from Australia. In Captivity  Duncanopsamia exhibit hardiness and vigorous growth once established in the marine aquarium. 

In the wild, Duncanopsamia occur in diverse locations varying from caves to direct sun. Unlike their nocturnal cousins, the Sun coral, Duncanopsamia exhibit full polyp  extension all day long.

Proper placement in the home aquarium is vital for the health of your Duncanopsamia. Avoid placing the colony in the sand as sand can cause irritation and polyp retraction. Optimally, colonies will be placed on a rocky ledge or mounted to a piece of rubble rock or frag plug that elevates the colony out of the sand.  Use gel super glue or epoxy putty to mount the colony to your preferred substrate. Additional placement considerations include ensuring the colony will receive adequate flow and will be readily accessible for feedings.

Regular feedings are key to maintaining the health of Duncanopsamia. In order to stimulate the natural habitat, a minimum of one feeding of meaty foods  per week is recommended; daily feedings are optimal.  Underfeeding will cause the polyps to close, this invites algae growth which leads to tissue recession, malnutrition and death.

Before feeding it is important to turn off your filtration and circulation pumps, these should be left off for 15-20 minutes to allow the food to settle. An easy slurry of frozen foods can be made by thawing  Mysid shrimp, Krill, and finely chopped Squid in a cup of tank water, then straining the meat from the liquid. Discard the strained liquid, add some more tank water to the strained meat, if you use cyclops add them to the mix at this time and target feed the Duncanopsamia polyps using a plastic turkey baster.  For a better option check out Reef Nutrition's ready to use refrigerated foods; Arti-Pods, Roti-Feast and Phyto-Feast, we use this daily and have experienced explosive growth on all corals! 


Here are some pictures of assorted Duncanopsamia Axifuga:

 

   

 

If you have any questions about this fascinating creature, feel free to email me.

Thanks,
Jen=)

 

What did you think of this article?

Liked
Disliked
No Opinion