How do you make your Acan(s) thrive?

[mak060]

Recently, very experienced R2R members have expressed outcomes with Acans ranging from "mine all die" to "simple as pie." I suppose many of us have tried at least one or two of A. lordowensis, bowerbanki, echinata, or others.

What factors have you have personally found/suspect are important in keeping Acans alive and growing? Please comment on species (if known), lighting, feeding, water flow, temperature, water quality, or any other factor you think is important.

 

[ss7]

I haven't really figured it out, myself.

A lot of people stand firm on the interceptor for stopping the "mine all die" situation.

I've had a couple tanks going at the same time, and in one the acans recede and when moved to a different system, they perk up and begin growing again!

The main 3, Mg, Ca, CO3, in all systems measure within marginal differences..

The tank I had issues with keeping the LPS has since been taken down, but it really had no fundamental differences than the others I've maintained. This was an isolated case, and I've not had the issue in any others.. I never did peg the culprit.

Having said all that, LPS tend to be easy to raise, and I've not had any other issues.

SS

 

[mak060]

That's tricky, whoa, multiple tanks with no fundamental differences. By "people stand firm on the interceptor" I assume you mean many people are firm about what is critical?

 

[ReefRunner]

I have three display tanks that share a total water volume of about 580 gallons. I have had acans that struggle in one tank thrive in another. With the water parameters being the same the primary differences would be lighting and flow. The tank some have struggled in has T5 lighting and not the greatest flow in the world. I put those acans in my main display in an area with very good flow. The lighting is 250 watt metal halides but the corals are low in the tank and to the side. My impression is that it is the higher flow that has made the difference.

Robin

 

[ss7]

The interceptor treatment came up in a receding chalice thread. Many people were having issues keeping LPS, and a simple interceptor dosing procedure cured the issue. It was determined that really small black bugs were eating live flesh and killing coral.

I read about it here, originally:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1400291&highlight=help+chalice

I will say I never did try this treatment on my system I was having issues with. I was content keeping it the 'SPS' tank.

SS

 

[Salt Water Crazy]

Mine always do better when I feed them.

 

[mak060]

The interceptor treatment came up in a receding chalice thread. Many people were having issues keeping LPS, and a simple interceptor dosing procedure cured the issue. It was determined that really small black bugs were eating live flesh and killing coral.

I read about it here, originally:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1400291&highlight=help+chalice

I will say I never did try this treatment on my system I was having issues with. I was content keeping it the 'SPS' tank.

SS

Okay, had to do some reading. Interceptor (capital "I") is the brand name for the drug milbemycin oxime, a drug used mainly for heartworm treatment in dogs. The drug is a neurotoxin that causes paralysis in parasites (and crustaceans).

Sounds like it is used in mainly in situations where chalices (and/or acans) undergo relatively rapid tissue recession and death, wiith presumed parasitic infection the cause.

Thanks for clarifying that SS7.

Ktar, if you're around, did I get this right? Did you chalices recover? I think in this thread, most people with Acan troubles are experiencing a more gradual decline in Acan health, with statements like, "they just don't grow," presumably with slow wasting.

 

[Saltysteele]

first, i have to say that i have a problem with mine coloring up. what i do understand, though, is first you need to have an understanding of where they are from. if from indo region, usually are shallow water creatures, and will appreciate more light in a tank. if an aussie, usually deeper water with only indirect light.

that's about all i know. mine grow and eat, but i can't get the suckers to color up

 

[mak060]

ReefRunner's experience suggests flow, and possibly light (T5 -> halide, low- to mid-level), made a difference in tanks that shared the same water!

SaltWaterCrazy's experience suggests feeding is important.

Bret emphasizes the importance of collection site, Indo versus Aussie. And an RC article confirms by mentioning Acans are collected anywhere from shallow water to 20 m. Bret, by coloring up, do mean they lose the color they had initially? I'd guess so, because otherwise how would you know the color they were supposed to be?

 

[Tankguy001]

I've got my acans in a shallow 50G with low flow and 150W 20K's. A few like being directly under the lights while others like being off to the side. They get fed very well and have no problems growing

 

[mak060]

So we got flow, lighting to suit, and feeding.

With the color issue still unresolved, is there anyone out there who has adjusted all of the above parameters and doesn't get good results with Acans, or at least some of them?

 

[mak060]

Anyone with a pic of an Acan not doing so well?

 

[Saltysteele]

.........Bret, by coloring up, do mean they lose the color they had initially? I'd guess so, because otherwise how would you know the color they were supposed to be?

Yes. I've got one that was a purple and green combo. I had it about halfway up, under vho's, and it faded to where you almost couldn't see the green, and the purple was very faint.

i've got another that was a dark red, but now is more of an orangish red.

the purple green fell off the rock it was on, and landed somewhat under a piece of rock, so i left it. it does seem to maybe be coloring up a little, but I can't be for sure about that. i just switched to T5's a couple weeks ago, so don't know if it's the T5s or being under the rock.

 

[mak060]

Anyone share Bret's experience? Salt, I have a mostly orange Acan that because I needed some quick space, put right under the surface about 6 inches from 250 watt/10K HQI, for about a week. About a half dozen polyps developed a more "desirable" color and stayed that way when I moved it to a T5 tank (2 weeks now). The whole colony has about 80 polyps. With what you're saying, I'm wondering whether I might frag it and put half high under HQI and leave the other half under T5 (same water). I believe it's an Aussie, but could be wrong.

 

[chadfarmer]

my problem is that they live for about 6 months

i had them in my display and did did good for about 3 months -- i did the interceptor on them and no difference and iodine

display is a little high in flow (t5 lighting)



so i moved them to my sump 150w metal halide -- low flow (they did better)but they will start to die on me from 1 polyp to than they just go 1 after the next


my tank is mainly sps, a few chalice and acans

all parameters are good i run a calcium reactor and low phosphates

i just thank that my water is too clean for them (i really dont feed them except for what they collect when i feed)


one of the things that i have notced on 6 of them is that they has sunk into the skelaton and are very small

I am done with them I have lost way to much cash on them in the last few months and will most likely give them to local reefers so that i can see them

 

[mak060]

Thanks chadfarmer. You may be right. The owner of the oldest LFS in town comes in to feed his display Acans three times a week. He loves doing it and every time I visit they seem open and expanded. Yet, I know a lot of people don't feed and don't have Acans perish. Maybe they have well-fed tanks in general, productive refugims, etc. I just don't know. One question I have is have all your acans come from one source (shipper/seller), or many sources? Any other opinions appreciated.

 

[Tankguy001]

I have brought from 4 different people and so far only 1 loss. I don't know if this may or maynot matter but my acans are in a tank that has no refugium. Its just a straight forward tank with a protein skimmer. Nothing special

 

[FaviaFreak]

I've found low flow/vertical mounting & placement/and weekly feedings/ go a long way in helping them get a foot up so to speak

 

[chadfarmer]

mine came from more than 1 place its always the ones i like the most that die

 

[mak060]

I have brought from 4 different people and so far only 1 loss. I don't know if this may or maynot matter but my acans are in a tank that has no refugium. Its just a straight forward tank with a protein skimmer. Nothing special

I've found low flow/vertical mounting & placement/and weekly feedings/ go a long way in helping them get a foot up so to speak

mine came from more than 1 place its always the ones i like the most that die

Tankguy does feed regularly.

I don't know if this helps, but variability in species identification (not addressed in this thread) and collection site and depth (usually not available) may account for at least some of the different outcomes experienced by various veteran reefkeepers.

Feeding, lighting, and flow seem recurring themes.

Regarding feeding, go to page 10 of:

http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/downloads/pdf/version6.pdf

And here is an article that has more than I want to sift through right now:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-08/ebac/index.php

Also, ficklefins informs me we have a Spotlight series that might need a little updating.