Acan Growth Help

Davesgt · Mar 16, 2016

Ok I have been keeping acans for a long time and have great luck with them growing but they always seem to grow into a mound with smaller acans always being shaded, in the past ive always just broke the rock underneath and tried to lay them flat with glue, it works but only for the ones you had already not the new growth. Ive been talking with a friend who has the same problem and i didn't really think much of it till ive been starting to see colonies with less heads than my own but they are growing flat like that classis acan colony you see everywhere. Any help would be appreciated.

Reefing Madness · Mar 17, 2016

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

Yea any help would be awesome!

Tippfish · Mar 17, 2016

Bump... I need some advice on these guys too

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

Yea I have multiple pieces that are growing great but I guess I'm just picky and want that uniform growth that I see with other colonies.

shovelhead · Mar 17, 2016

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

shovelhead said:
Bump

Yea figured id get us some info but I guess me and you are the only ones who like our acans like this

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

instead of this lol

domination2580 · Mar 17, 2016

I think it has a lot to do with lighting and water parameters but I'm sure there's more to it which is why I'm sticking around waiting for the awesome guys on here to post some epic advice

AmatuerAuer · Mar 17, 2016

Eckolancer · Mar 17, 2016

Think of them like a chalice encrusting. They will encrust an area then grow flat if you leave them alone or only give them a flat place to grow they will grow out flat. Give them a place to grow sideways they will grow down and then out.

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

I'm hoping that these 4" flat plugs I got will help with that

Coralfornialiving · Mar 17, 2016

Davesgt said:
Yea figured id get us some info but I guess me and you are the only ones who like our acans like this

How do you get them to grow flat like that

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

Coralfornialiving said:
How do you get them to grow flat like that

that is what we are trying to figure out whether its our flat plugs or if its back a lighting element of leds that we use.

Coralfornialiving · Mar 17, 2016

Oh i see. What kind of lighting system are you running on your tank, i have kessil leds and mine are growing in a dome like way

Diesel · Mar 17, 2016

Coralfornialiving said:
How do you get them to grow flat like that

You don't.
Common thing with acans but also blasto's.
The grow towards the light and as our tanks aren't even close to the reef out there it will grow in a clump.
How much par your think the reef gets compared to our tanks?
The flat pieces you see are all wild Acans from the reef.

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

Coralfornialiving said:
Oh i see. What kind of lighting system are you running on your tank, i have kessil leds and mine are growing in a dome like way

Multiple types of lights on my many tanks from Ai leds, reef radiance leds, and ATI t5.

Davesgt · Mar 17, 2016

Diesel said:
You don't.
Common thing with acans but also blasto's.
The grow towards the light and as our tanks aren't even close to the reef out there it will grow in a clump.
How much par your think the reef gets compared to our tanks?
The flat pieces you see are all wild Acans from the reef.

Very true, this actually makes me thing of a test I did last year when visiting the ocean. I taken 5 water samples from varius areas of depth and levels and all of the test came back on point to what we strive for in our aquarium to spite the fact of thousands of people swimming in the water and all the equipment and litter that is washed ashore. I guess what I'm saying is I know the wild acans will have a different look cause of the oceans varients but id love to mimic the look if at all possible