Acans, can you feed them too much?

[thatsruff]

Hi, I just got my first handful of acan heads a little over a week ago. They are doing well since gluing them down so the urchins don't walk away with them and moving them away from my frogspawn so they don't get stung.

I have been spot feeding them once or twice a day, when I feed the fish, various shredded meaty foods and they voraciously eat anything I give them.

My question: is that too much? Is it possible to over-feed acans (or any coral for that matter) as long as your parameters stay in line?

 

[geckoejon]

Yes, it is possible to over feed. They have a slow metabolism. If you feed too much, the food is liable to start rotting inside of them. Personally, I feed my acans once a week and have great color and growth.

 

[thatsruff]

Yes, it is possible to over feed. They have a slow metabolism. If you feed too much, the food is liable to start rotting inside of them. Personally, I feed my acans once a week and have great color and growth.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I have read people feeding between every other day, to once a week, to never. I have also read that the fleshy part of the acan will grow faster than it can grow skeleton if fed too much. In any case, it seems like daily might be too often.

 

[akitareefer]

I feed my acans no more than once a month. As long as they're pest free with good parameters and lighting there's no need to feed

 

[thatsruff]

I really appreciate the responses so far. I have to say I am slightly surprised though, I thought there were more heavy feeders around here. That is part of my education though, trying to learn what heavy feeding really means and how much is too much - especially with coral that seems like it would eat as many times a day as I could feed it.

 

[NorthGaHillbilly]

I have found that if im feeding mysis or cyclops, mostly water, I can feed every other day and they will happily eat with no I'll effects. But if feeding pellets, really dense foods, it takes much longer for them to be ready to feed again. Acans, chalices, trachys, plates...

 

[thatsruff]

I have found that if im feeding mysis or cyclops, mostly water, I can feed every other day and they will happily eat with no I'll effects. But if feeding pellets, really dense foods, it takes much longer for them to be ready to feed again. Acans, chalices, trachys, plates...

Thanks for replying with your experience. Yeah so far these little guys will gladly take fairly sizable chunks of mysis, clam, etc. and be ready for more a few hours later; over the weekend I fed them that way 3 times in one day.

 

[NorthGaHillbilly]

Thanks for replying with your experience. Yeah so far these little guys will gladly take fairly sizable chunks of mysis, clam, etc. and be ready for more a few hours later; over the weekend I fed them that way 3 times in one day.

Keep an eye out, they can puke it up after eating, don't want big chunks laying around in the tank

 

[thatsruff]

Keep an eye out, they can puke it up after eating, don't want big chunks laying around in the tank

Ah, I had not seen/heard of that before and I will indeed keep an eye out for it now, thank you.

I know now that feeding that much is excessive, but as always I am still curious to hear others experiences.

 

[Reef head]

I haven't feed this colony for over 1 1/2 years and growing fine from a single polyp.

 

[footballdude2k3]

Yes, it is possible to over feed. They have a slow metabolism. If you feed too much, the food is liable to start rotting inside of them. Personally, I feed my acans once a week and have great color and growth.

would love to read more about this, any chance you have some links about it? I was never a huge feeder, but I always figured they would either stop trying to eat if they had too much. I have a scoly, fed it a fire shrimp molt, it at the whole thing, didn't have feeder tentacles out until a couple of days later, so I just thought they knew if they needed anything or not.

 

[leicalux]

I find that my acan don't eat when they are full but eats pretty quickly if they are hungry. So I would drop some mysis on them and if the mysis is not eaten in 1/2 hour, I take them out.

 

[thatsruff]

I haven't feed this colony for over 1 1/2 years and growing fine from a single polyp.

Beautiful piece, it seems that many have similar experiences to you.

would love to read more about this, any chance you have some links about it? I was never a huge feeder, but I always figured they would either stop trying to eat if they had too much. I have a scoly, fed it a fire shrimp molt, it at the whole thing, didn't have feeder tentacles out until a couple of days later, so I just thought they knew if they needed anything or not.

I find that my acan don't eat when they are full but eats pretty quickly if they are hungry. So I would drop some mysis on them and if the mysis is not eaten in 1/2 hour, I take them out.

It is good to hear that at least some people were of the opinion that they would know when they don't want to eat.

I agree that I would love to see more info about some of these things, or perhaps hear others that have actually over-fed with detrimental effects. My first instinct was to think, unless they were not taking the food or they were puking it up, then they either wanted/needed more or would be happy to have it. But our first instincts are certainly not always right and I certainly won't be spot feeding 3 times a day again.

 

[jpmunoz]

I feed my lps 2 or 3 times a week. Usually pellet. I find that my guys are just like me, even if they are full they will still eat! If they are too full they will puke it back up with in an hour or so. I have seen this with acans, chalices, favias and blastos. I have not noticed any long term ill effects from them puking up the extra food. I do make sure to check on them a few times after feeding so I can remove the uneaten/puked up food.

 

[thatsruff]

I feed my lps 2 or 3 times a week. Usually pellet. I find that my guys are just like me, even if they are full they will still eat! If they are too full they will puke it back up with in an hour or so. I have seen this with acans, chalices, favias and blastos. I have not noticed any long term ill effects from them puking up the extra food. I do make sure to check on them a few times after feeding so I can remove the uneaten/puked up food.

Great thanks, I haven't noticed it yet but will continue to monitor; I am glad to hear some behavioral agreements though. And yeah I guess when it comes to watery shredded raw seafood or better yet dried miscellaneous marine foods, how could you turn it away?

 

[jack89]

i love feeding i feed all my corals and scans every alternate day and they love me with feeding tentacles out .... i feed them variety of mixtures.. have never seen them puking out anything back

i do water change also every alternate day

 

[mr.Green]

Hi all!

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but since the topic of feeding acans is up, I thought I'd try my luck here...

I've got three small (3 sq inch, 1 sq inch, 1 sq inch) acan colonies, all of which are not growing as expected (the rest of the tank looks great and has lots of growth and good parameters). One was given to me when receeding, and it continues to do this.

Should I try to cut back the excess skeleton? (I don't have a good saw, and the result might turn out messy.)

I've been spot feeding them without succes, thawed mysis and dried cyclopeeze. They never seem to catch the food, even though a few tentacles are out and the current is low. I also feed Phytofeast to the entire tank.

There are some algae compeeting with them, but my grazers seem to keep them in check.

Got any tips?

 

[Eienna]

Hi all!

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but since the topic of feeding acans is up, I thought I'd try my luck here...

I've got three small (3 sq inch, 1 sq inch, 1 sq inch) acan colonies, all of which are not growing as expected (the rest of the tank looks great and has lots of growth and good parameters). One was given to me when receeding, and it continues to do this.

Should I try to cut back the excess skeleton? (I don't have a good saw, and the result might turn out messy.)

I've been spot feeding them without succes, thawed mysis and dried cyclopeeze. They never seem to catch the food, even though a few tentacles are out and the current is low. I also feed Phytofeast to the entire tank.

There are some algae compeeting with them, but my grazers seem to keep them in check.

Got any tips?

I always had to turn the pumps off when feeding my acans. They also seem to need fairly large chunks to be able to hold onto it.