Lighting for ACANS w/photos

Nanolifeuk · Jul 27, 2022

Really quick question- are these frags too high (ignore GSP) ?

Ai Prime is set as shown below (Fluval Evo tank) . Never kept Acans before, I understand they prefer lower light.
I am not in possession of a PAR reader and to be completely honest I am struggling to tell if this acan is happy or sad. I only scooped it from lfs this morning.
thanks in advance

Nanolifeuk · Jul 27, 2022

Some more pics

MaxTremors · Jul 27, 2022

I would say yes, they are too high. At higher PAR, micro lords tend to lose a lot of their color and sort of just turn red. I would put them closer to the sand bed.

Nanolifeuk · Jul 28, 2022

Yeah they got a lot bigger & plump last night as the lights dimmed out and feelers came out, going to pop them on the bottom right rock near the coralline, I wouldn’t go as far as to say they look unhappy right now? so I’ll leave it till Saturday. Thanks man !

Steven Garland · Jul 28, 2022

About 75-150 par is suffice. But those aren't acan's. Those are favia's,the car should be very similair though.

Within a few days,you will tell if they are happy or not. They are pretty high in the tank,but not in direct view of the Prime so they may be okay. What percentages is your prime at ?

Nanolifeuk · Jul 28, 2022

dang both of them ? Do you mind if I ask how you can tell- the red one I can see but the blue one I’m stuck.

it’s not a permanent home for them, I’m just keeping them on the fragholders while they adjust to my water parameters . Primes running as below (at peak).

I have been thinking on pulling the whites down and maxing the blues out

Nanolifeuk · Jul 28, 2022

Steven Garland said:
About 75-150 par is suffice. But those aren't acan's. Those are favia's,the car should be very similair though.

Within a few days,you will tell if they are happy or not. They are pretty high in the tank,but not in direct view of the Prime so they may be okay. What percentages is your prime at ?

Just realised I didn’t reply to your comment, unsure if still notifies you as you aren’t OP. thanks for advice

Reefer4fun · Jul 28, 2022

Yes. They are too high. They might adapt but coloration will change. Better to keep them in the sand, out of the center of the light.

Steven Garland · Jul 28, 2022

Yeah I would move them to at least the sand or bottom 3-4" of the rock work. Don't move them around a bunch either. Give them time to see where they like iy beforre moving again.

MaxTremors · Jul 28, 2022

Nanolifeuk said:
dang both of them ? Do you mind if I ask how you can tell- the red one I can see but the blue one I’m stuck.

it’s not a permanent home for them, I’m just keeping them on the fragholders while they adjust to my water parameters . Primes running as below (at peak).

I have been thinking on pulling the whites down and maxing the blues out

I didn’t even look closely at the photos, lol. The one on the right is a Favites, the one in the left is likely a Goniastrea or Coelastrea, both commonly sold as ‘Favias’ (there are no actual Favias in the hobby).

As far as how you can tell the difference, it’s just experience and reading Corals of the World (used to read the books, but the website is better and more up to date now, stuff gets reclassified pretty frequently).

Nanolifeuk · Jul 28, 2022

Thanks for the advice everyone going to pop the stems off the frag plugs and try them at the bottom of the tank.

Nanolifeuk · Jul 28, 2022

MaxTremors said:
I didn’t even look closely at the photos, lol. The one on the right is a Favites, the one in the left is likely a Goniastrea or Coelastrea, both commonly sold as ‘Favias’ (there are no actual Favias in the hobby).

As far as how you can tell the difference, it’s just experience and reading Corals of the World (used to read the books, but the website is better and more up to date now, stuff gets reclassified pretty frequently).

Wow I think you are bang on there with goniastrea. So neither of them are even acans haha. Good eye man

MaxTremors · Jul 28, 2022

Nanolifeuk said:
Wow I think you are bang on there with goniastrea. So neither of them are even acans haha. Good eye man

It’s worth noting that both Goniastreas and Favites can take a little bit more light than I would usually give an Acan/Micro lord. Not massively more light, 100-150 PAR versus 50-100.

Nanolifeuk · Jul 29, 2022

MaxTremors said:
It’s worth noting that both Goniastreas and Favites can take a little bit more light than I would usually give an Acan/Micro lord. Not massively more light, 100-150 PAR versus 50-100.

Hey maxtremors just another quick question I’m presuming you know the answers to lol.

Will these be fine in the same garden together ? I’ve moved them around (see pic). I Wouldn’t want aggression between each other and they are placed quite close. Thanks for the help man.

MaxTremors · Jul 29, 2022

Nanolifeuk said:
Hey maxtremors just another quick question I’m presuming you know the answers to lol.

Will these be fine in the same garden together ? I’ve moved them around (see pic). I Wouldn’t want aggression between each other and they are placed quite close. Thanks for the help man.

No. The Favites (often called a war coral) is pretty aggressive and can put out some nasty sweeper tentacles (several inches long). The goniastrea is less aggressive but can still sting other corals. I would give them at least a 3” of space, and try to ensure that the Favites is the one down wind in terms of flow.