How do you make your Acan(s) thrive?

Highside · Jan 25, 2009

I have seen a big difference on my acans when I stop target feeding them. If I feed they swell up and look great. If I don't feed they look deflated and don't seem to grow. Feed them at night when they have their tentacles extended. Cyclops and even formula one pellet food seems to work.

CharlieDavidson · Jan 25, 2009

Highside said:
I have seen a big difference on my acans when I stop target feeding them. If I feed they swell up and look great. If I don't feed they look deflated and don't seem to grow. Feed them at night when they have their tentacles extended. Cyclops and even formula one pellet food seems to work.

yep! What he said !!

mak060 · Jan 25, 2009

Hey Highside. I'm no Acan expert, but if you took an educated guess, what would you say you have, A. lordowensis, bowerbanki, echinata, etc., or "yes" it doesn't matter. Also, could you comment on lighting (same or different requirements?) and flow (high, med, low). Thanks much. I could save a lot by using Formula One!

Ditto CD. Thanks.

CharlieDavidson · Jan 25, 2009

mak060 said:
Hey Highside. I'm no Acan expert, but if you took an educated guess, what would you say you have, A. lordowensis, bowerbanki, echinata, etc., or "yes" it doesn't matter. Also, could you comment on lighting (same or different requirements?) and flow (high, med, low). Thanks much. I could save a lot by using Formula One!

Ditto CD. Thanks.

I have mostly lords for acans, i do feed prime reef, but cylopeze is awesome for many critters.. Tank is 48"x 16" x 12" deep, lights are 175 20k xm.. In-tank flow is 2 x 650g return to tank is 250g...
I am just now starting to visit this web-site (again) , so maybe I missed something important? --why would I want to guess what you have? ( no disrespect intented)

mak060 · Jan 25, 2009

Oh I see, maybe I phrased that poorly. I was wondering if you had a good sense of what Acan species were in your tank. I used the phrase educated guess because many who write articles on Acans talk about how it is not uncommon for us to think we have an Acan, and be wrong (see long-winded RC link a page back). Thanks for letting me clarify that. Do you think halides are important for all the specimens you have? I just moved some high under T5, but am watching them closely.

CharlieDavidson · Jan 25, 2009

so, true!
I was mostly sps for so long! I am very new to LPS, (have always had lobo)
Since recently changing over from clams/sps.. to LPS (chalice/acans) I have dropped my light drasically! MH is needed for good clams IMHO.. Acan/chalice?? I am not sure,, but love the shimmer of mh...

Highside · Jan 25, 2009

mak060 said:
Hey Highside. I'm no Acan expert, but if you took an educated guess, what would you say you have, A. lordowensis, bowerbanki, echinata, etc., or "yes" it doesn't matter. Also, could you comment on lighting (same or different requirements?) and flow (high, med, low). Thanks much. I could save a lot by using Formula One!

Ditto CD. Thanks.

No Idea, I have never even tried to positively identify them. I have 3 different colonies one has heads about twice the size of the other two. They all act the same when fed though.

chadfarmer · Jan 28, 2009

i gave all my acans to a local that wanted them, he was very excited to get mine

mak060 · Feb 3, 2009

chadfarmer said:
i gave all my acans to a local that wanted them, he was very excited to get mine

Interesting experiment of sorts, chadfarmer. Will you let us know what the recipient thinks the reason for lack of thriving might have been? I'm very interested.

jamirlima · Feb 3, 2009

Whats the difference between indo and aussie in terms of care, lighting, flow etc?

Poseidon · Feb 3, 2009

I can keep an Acan alive.... but it sure doesn't thrive. I think I am melting them with light, so it might be better for me to skip these then to keep killing them.

JuniorMC8704 · Feb 3, 2009

low low low light, bluer the better, and flow can be anything but full tilt or very very low.

Mag is important too, keep that above 1350.

Feed if you want them to grow. Dont if you like the size, they will still grow, but not as fast.

With well over 1000 polyps, and only 1 colony death in almost 3 years (knock on wood) I feel this theory works very well.

Halides are not acans friends IMHO...

Here is just a few.

Currently, you can hardly see, if at all, any of the mounting disks.

TCK Corals · Feb 3, 2009

Just to chime in yes my chalice did recover after losing a few frag that to this day i have not abtain back yet. The "unknown" parasite attack all LPS not just chalice. I lost two aussie bleeding scoly, watermelon lobo, 10 mini colony of rainbow aussie acan, few frag of echino, and a whole bunch of other lps affected. Nothing was working for me and i tried everything and losing lots of money. You all know how it cost for aussie acan when they first hit the USA. One mysterious day reefmonger pm me to use interceptor and without question i tried it. Within 12 hours i could see that the lps were opening up again and after months they are now healed and finally growing again. I lost half of my Melting pot chalice due to fragging and parasite attack. Now a day all my chalice and aussie acan are always nuke with interceptor before going near the display where all my prize lps are. I am not risking it. My acan are in meduim flow with 4 T5 3 22k blue and one daytime and the daytime only run for 4 hours. They seem to love it and grow like crazy. Hope this help.

mak060 said:
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.

rick van vladricken · Feb 3, 2009

jr.mc8704 you do the same thing as i do. i had my acans for 1 yr. started with 2-3 heads now about 15-20 heads on each. low light t5s low water flow and feed once a weed