Dumb question about Acans.

[DannoOMG]

I have seen my Acan (micromussa) poop before. It clenches and gets all funny looking. Lately it seems to be in a shrunken up state more often than not. It is growing new heads on all side of it. I did get a newer light. I went from a weak Fluval Nano Marine Light to a Hydra 32. I have the lights on low and the light is 10.5" away from water. Acan is close to the bottom of the tank.

Do Acan's just look like this as they grow or is this not normal? It has a very define blue line running between the main heads.

This is what it normally looks like....

This was the best picture I had of it looking normal. Is this just par for the course with this type of coral?

 

[Timfish]

Is "normal" under the old lights? Changing light intensity and/or spectrum can cause changes in how a coral looks and inflates and in extreme cases kill it.

 

[DannoOMG]

Sorry to not be clear. That "normal" shot was under the new light.

My pH is around 8.0
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 0
dKH - 161
calcium - 420
salinity - 1.025

 

[Timfish]

How soon after you changed the light? What is the time line we're looking at?

 

[DannoOMG]

I got the light October 29th. It started getting cranky looking about a week ago.

Too give you an idea of location in relation to the light.

 

[Timfish]

I'd say it's adjusting to the new light and you shouldn't be surprised if takes another month or maybe longer.

 

[afrokobe]

Any new acans I get, I notice that they can look like that for a few days, so I would chalk it up to the lighting change. I also noticed that if I have an acan producing babies, sometimes it will get a little shriveled. I could be wrong...

 

[DannoOMG]

Thank you for your responses. Everybody on this forum is scholar and kind.

 

[Marinexx]

Thank you for your responses. Everybody on this forum is scholar and kind.

How did your acan fair over time. I wonder if your nutrients were too low e.g., nitrates of 0, what about phosphates? 0 too?

 

[DannoOMG]

How did your acan fair over time. I wonder if your nutrients were too low e.g., nitrates of 0, what about phosphates? 0 too?

It is still chugging along. I have moved it twice since this post.

At the time of this post my Nitrates were around 10-15 and phosphates were .03 - .1

As of now I THINK my filtration set up is making my tank a lot more stable. Yesterday my nitrates and phosphates were detectable for the first time in 2 weeks since the new set up.

I moved the acan to the right side in the shade where he was starting to puff up again. So I am being brave and moved him an inch higher on a rock. If he gets cranky again baby goes back into the corner.

I am fighting turf/hair algae right now so I am trying to lower my nutrients. Not sure if my reefugium is working or not. We will see.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Acans are harder than acros! They don't tolerate anything changing, they hate direct light they hate alge-b-gone chemicals, and undetectable nutrients. In my xp they are only happy if the tentacles are out all day and all night if not they are not 100% happy, I've had some do great and right next to it one stay shrunk up due to flow, they hate constant blasting flow, try feeding it and stop moving it..

 

[DannoOMG]

Acans are harder than acros! They don't tolerate anything changing, they hate direct light they hate alge-b-gone chemicals, and undetectable nutrients. In my xp they are only happy if the tentacles are out all day and all night if not they are not 100% happy, I've had some do great and right next to it one stay shrunk up due to flow, they hate constant blasting flow, try feeding it and stop moving it..

I spot feed it reefroids twice a week.

Edit* I was dosing a lot of algae removal chemicals. Maybe that is what did him in. Now I don't. I rely on proper nutrient export (or at least my attempt in doing so).

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I spot feed it reefroids twice a week.

Edit* I was dosing a lot of algae removal chemicals. Maybe that is what did him in. Now I don't. I rely on proper nutrient export (or at least my attempt in doing so).

Careful with overfeeding reefroids also I only feed them once every 2 months i dump it in their mouth heavy, reef roids will do a number on your tank! Be careful. Algae blooms and feeds every little thing in there. I like reefroids in a long syringe then let it trickle down onto coral mostly just acans and favias are all that get them in my tank.

I've lost a few too it sux but look for outstretched feeder tentacles all the time thats when they look the best! And they can come back with just a speck of flesh so don't give up on it until all the tissue is gone!

 

[PeterEde]

I thought no one put baby in the corner.
Just bought an Acan. It's on my lowest rock trying to keep lighting close to where it was in the LFS tank. They had a pretty low light intensity.

 

[DannoOMG]

Careful with overfeeding reefroids also I only feed them once every 2 months i dump it in their mouth heavy, reef roids will do a number on your tank! Be careful. Algae blooms and feeds every little thing in there. I like reefroids in a long syringe then let it trickle down onto coral mostly just acans and favias are all that get them in my tank.

I've lost a few too it sux but look for outstretched feeder tentacles all the time thats when they look the best! And they can come back with just a speck of flesh so don't give up on it until all the tissue is gone!

When I feed reefroids I dip my finger in the bag and then dip it in some tank water. I go as light as possible. Then I suck it up in this goofy spot feeder I have and spot feed my blasto's, acans and favia. Sometimes I put a little on some Zoa's that I want to grow.

I have no fish in the tank so I got to get them food somehow.