acan questions

CoralWealth · Jan 10, 2019

So my tank is really SPS dominated with a couple torch corals on the sand. However I really like some of the acans and I want to start a garden of them.

1- Can different acans touch eachother? Like can I have a rainbow one right next to say a really red one, etc?

2- How fast do these normally grow compared to torchs growing another head, etc?

3- Do you have to target feed them? I blow my sand around every 2-3 days that stirs up a lot of stuff that my SPS love and I am sure they would too, would I have to directly feed them still?

marlinmon · Jan 10, 2019

codydemmel4 said:
So my tank is really SPS dominated with a couple torch corals on the sand. However I really like some of the acans and I want to start a garden of them.

1- Can different acans touch eachother? Like can I have a rainbow one right next to say a really red one, etc?

2- How fast do these normally grow compared to torchs growing another head, etc?

3- Do you have to target feed them? I blow my sand around every 2-3 days that stirs up a lot of stuff that my SPS love and I am sure they would too, would I have to directly feed them still?

I can give my experience on two questions. On growth it depends. I have a couple colonies that have just blown up in my SPS dominant tank. I had one single-head acan turn to seven heads in three months. I didn't do anything special for that. I had one two-head acan that took four months before sprouting some new heads. I used to target feed (maybe the first month), but don't anymore. They don't seem to care.

CoralWealth · Jan 10, 2019

marlinmon said:
I can give my experience on two questions. On growth it depends. I have a couple colonies that have just blown up in my SPS dominant tank. I had one single-head acan turn to seven heads in three months. I didn't do anything special for that. I had one two-head acan that took four months before sprouting some new heads. I used to target feed (maybe the first month), but don't anymore. They don't seem to care.

Thank you! Do you have yours touching or no?

marlinmon · Jan 10, 2019

codydemmel4 said:
Thank you! Do you have yours touching or no?

I don't have any touching. They've run into each other before and I never noticed any negative impact. Maybe someone else here knows better?

Amps Reef Life · Jan 10, 2019

codydemmel4 said:
So my tank is really SPS dominated with a couple torch corals on the sand. However I really like some of the acans and I want to start a garden of them.

1- Can different acans touch eachother? Like can I have a rainbow one right next to say a really red one, etc?

2- How fast do these normally grow compared to torchs growing another head, etc?

3- Do you have to target feed them? I blow my sand around every 2-3 days that stirs up a lot of stuff that my SPS love and I am sure they would too, would I have to directly feed them still?

I will answer number 1. You can have acans touching each other but do not mix the different types. Micro can touch while acans can touch but if you have the two touching coral warfare can happen.

marlinmon · Jan 10, 2019

._Z_. · Jan 10, 2019

Growth rate seems to vary from tank to tank and species to species. Some fast some slower.

You do not have to feed, but they love catching a piece of mysis. I’ll occasionally target feed mine, which does seem to speed up growth.

Can’t speak much to the touching question.

I say go for it, they make a great addition IMO, especially if you have a lower light and flow spot in your sps dominate.

CoralWealth · Jan 10, 2019

Amps Reef Life said:
I will answer number 1. You can have acans touching each other but do not mix the different types. Micro can touch while acans can touch but if you have the two touching coral warfare can happen.

I do not know the different types of acans so I will have to learn about this, thank you!

CoralWealth · Jan 10, 2019

marlinmon said:

I would like to do something like this

CoralWealth · Jan 10, 2019

._Z_. said:
Growth rate seems to vary from tank to tank and species to species. Some fast some slower.

You do not have to feed, but they love catching a piece of mysis. I’ll occasionally target feed mine, which does seem to speed up growth.

Can’t speak much to the touching question.

I say go for it, they make a great addition IMO, especially if you have a lower light and flow spot in your sps dominate.

Thank you!! I think I will pull the trigger on some

Mikedawg · Jan 10, 2019

I have some lords and bowerbanki touching with no aggression; echinata should be given several inches border since they can be aggressive to the others.
For maximum growth, tentacle extension, etc. I give some of my lords more room.
Good luck, my LFS, Nemo Aquarium, has a beautiful lord colored deep purple which I have never seen before; heading out to get it right now.