shriveled acan

PapaBear941 · Mar 4, 2022

Hello All,

Wanted to check in and see if I can get some opinions on why my acan looks the way it does.

I purchased this piece from Tidal Gardens back in October 2021, and when I first received it, it was beautiful, nice and full and fluffy, but since then I have had not much luck in replicating its original condition, and I feel like ive finally reached a point where I need to ask for some help.

About the tank, its a Fluval 13.5, no fish, corals only, its been up for about a year, using an AI Prime, ill post a pic my schedule also.

I feed the corals in my tank 2-3 times a week frozen mysis. I recently introduced Red Sea AB+, but this acan looked the way it did before that.

I use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt.

Parameters tested as of today:
PH- 8.13
Alk- 8.1
Calcium- 482
Mag- 1280
Nitrate- 0.0
Phos- 0.0
Temp- usually around 78.6

This is what I use for testing:

My lighting schedule:

The acan when I got it:

The acan today:

I dont want to make my initial post too wordy or overwhelming, but im sure there will be other questions.

Thanks in advance

aSaltyKlown · Mar 4, 2022

You should have some readings for nitrates and phos. I keep my nitrates at 10-20 and phos anywhere between .05-.1

PapaBear941 · Mar 4, 2022

aSaltyKlown said:
You should have some readings for nitrates and phos. I keep my nitrates at 10-20 and phos anywhere between .05-.1

Theres no fish in the system so the only bioload is from the corals, which I only have LPS and Zoas. I tested Nitrates 2 times in the last 3 days, same reading each time. And last time I checked Phos on 2/18, it was 0.02.

G Santana · Mar 4, 2022

I have an acan that is fickle, most days it is plump as can be but ever since it game me 5 new heads, it has been deflated and only occasionally does it partially plump up.
I'm wondering if it's just recovering from the reproduction.

Mr Cypher · Mar 4, 2022

are you feeding it?

bruno3047 · Mar 4, 2022

My Acans eat only at night. And late at night. At least 2-3 hours after the lights go out. It takes them a long time to consume all of the mysis that I drop on them. I do the cut off 2 L bottle trick with a half inch rigid tube attached so they aren’t disturbed. I set the feeding utensil in place an hour or so before I want to feed them. They’re most ready at 2 o’clock in the morning. I have not been able to get them to eat during the day, despite my best efforts. This is just my experience. I can’t speak for anyone else. If you want more info on my feeding utensils, just ask. BTW. My acans are always fat and happy the day after I feed them.

thatmanMIKEson · Mar 4, 2022

Acans are more difficult than acros! But the no fish thing isn't helping imo, unless your feeding and have detectable n03/p04,

Good luck tho some acans for me just don't survive they are so fickle in my tank, if it doesn'thave tentaclesout sometimesits a bad sign 4 me......

Mr Cypher · Mar 4, 2022

sorry just saw the feeding section, missed it lol you could try going with something a little more robust i feed mine lps pellets

thatmanMIKEson · Mar 4, 2022

Also try reef roids in a long syringe VERY thick with water so its almost a paste but wet, and drop it onto acan, the roids will fall like sand in the water into the acan, people feed way to big of food like mysis and pellets wich is fine if its strong and robust but powdered food is easier to digest when its stressed..

mdb_talon · Mar 4, 2022

Poor guy probably starving. Try some large LPS pellets (or large fish pellets) and drop one in each mouth). Or if tentacles out can use some tweezers to feed him mysis. Do this every few days and I bet it perks up within a week or two.

aSaltyKlown · Mar 4, 2022

PapaBear941 said:
Theres no fish in the system so the only bioload is from the corals, which I only have LPS and Zoas. I tested Nitrates 2 times in the last 3 days, same reading each time. And last time I checked Phos on 2/18, it was 0.02.

Feed more and try to get the nutrients up. .02 would be the minimum you would want for phos. I only have softies and LPS and they all look better with elevated nutrients.

BigB72 · Mar 4, 2022

My acans love phytoplankton
I broadcast Feed it 2-3 nights week

PapaBear941 · Mar 5, 2022

Thanks for all the replies folks.

The tank is at my work, and I work M-F, so I have to do most of my feeding during the work week.

1 week I had tried doing multiple feedings in a week with AB+, mysis and reef roids during different days of the week, but then I started to have what I would call a problem with the water turning like a cloudy white, which from what I had read was like a bacteria outbreak, so I cut back.

So does this become more of a nutrient issue, since my phos and nitrates are at 0? Do I need to look into dosing Nitrates?

Do I think about removing some of my filter media? I currently run the Marine Pure 1.5” spheres, and Mini Chemi Pure Elite. I think I have 8-10 of the spheres in the 2nd chamber along with the CPE.

Thanks again.

PapaBear941 · Mar 6, 2022

Does anybody have thoughts about looking into dosing Nitrates?

aSaltyKlown · Mar 6, 2022

THis thread has some good info in it.

What to use to dose Nitrate?

I've got higher phosphates and no nitrates. I'm at .08 phosphate (Hanna phosphorous) and 0 nitrate (salifert and red sea). Still have gha and some Cyrano starting to build. I feed daily heavy and and have some nps corals and inverts that I also feed heavy with (gorgonians, flame scallop, sun...

www.reef2reef.com

KStatefan · Mar 6, 2022

PapaBear941 said:
Does anybody have thoughts about looking into dosing Nitrates?

I have been dosing Nitrate and Phoshate in my Coral QT tank.

PapaBear941 · Mar 7, 2022

KStatefan said:
I have been dosing Nitrate and Phoshate in my Coral QT tank.

What products do you use? I ended up purchasing a bottle of the ME Coral Nitrate, so we’ll see.

KStatefan · Mar 8, 2022

PapaBear941 said:
What products do you use? I ended up purchasing a bottle of the ME Coral Nitrate, so we’ll see.

Food Grade Sodium Nitrate and TriSodium Phosphate

Jeffbear · Mar 8, 2022

Have you checked your salinity? Some of your numbers are a bit low for that salt mix mixed to 34ppt and even 35ppt. The alkalinity is usually around 10.5-11.5 for that salt. Your Magnesium looks a bit low as well. I have found when my Salinity is off, my Acans are the first to let me know.

Good luck with this guy, he's chonky when happy!

PapaBear941 · Mar 8, 2022

Jeffbear said:
Have you checked your salinity? Some of your numbers are a bit low for that salt mix mixed to 34ppt and even 35ppt. The alkalinity is usually around 10.5-11.5 for that salt. Your Magnesium looks a bit low as well. I have found when my Salinity is off, my Acans are the first to let me know.

Good luck with this guy, he's chonky when happy!

I check it every other day or so and it’s always 1.026, I use a BRS refracto, I even double checked and calibrated it, but it’s consistently 1.026.