What's up with my Acan's?

[PJ2]

So I've had these acans for about 5-6 weeks and they have never really "plumped" up. Even at night they don't have tentacles out for feeding. Any ideas??? All my other LPS & SPS are just fine.

 

[FranklinDattein]

How are the thank parameters and flow?
They do pop more at low flow and don't tolerate how high nitrate.

You can also target feed for a while to make them grow faster.

 

[PJ2]

How are the thank parameters and flow?
They do pop more at low flow and don't tolerate how high nitrate.

You can also target feed for a while to make them grow faster.

Sal= 1.026
Ph= 8.2
Alk= 7.2
Cal = 410 ppm
Mg= 1250
Nitrates = .10
Phos = .o5
Temp = 78.0 deg

They have medium to low indirect flow as well. I'll try the direct feeding. How often would feed them? Mysis fine?
Thanks for the reply!

 

[FranklinDattein]

You can feed as often as you wish, as long as it doesn't raise nutrients to undesirable levels.

Mine accepted frozen mysis, bribe shrimp and reefroids very well.

I don't bother feeding anymore. I only did it for their first 6months, untold they were settled.

 

[CindyKz]

Also how much light are they getting? They might be getting too much or not enough.

 

[pdisner]

Sal= 1.026
Ph= 8.2
Alk= 7.2
Cal = 410 ppm
Mg= 1250
Nitrates = .10
Phos = .o5
Temp = 78.0 deg

They have medium to low indirect flow as well. I'll try the direct feeding. How often would feed them? Mysis fine?
Thanks for the reply!

Acans are a strange coral to keep. One minute they can be happy and healthy and then the next minute they are shrinking and or dead

 

[NickNiz]

Sal= 1.026
Ph= 8.2
Alk= 7.2
Cal = 410 ppm
Mg= 1250
Nitrates = .10
Phos = .o5
Temp = 78.0 deg

They have medium to low indirect flow as well. I'll try the direct feeding. How often would feed them? Mysis fine?
Thanks for the reply!

I would personally try to raise nitrate a bit, unless you have acros or something. I find that Acans thrive at nitrates between 5-15...

The only other thing I can think of is flow and lighting. I keep lower flow during the day (I actually turn my Koralia pump off for 10hrs) and I find that the polyp extension is much greater from this. But then again I've only got softies and LPS... this will be different if you're keeping flow-sensitive SPS.

 

[PJ2]

Also how much light are they getting? They might be getting too much or not enough.

They're unde T5's and my day lights are on from 8am to 2pm. Then my blues go on from 2:00-8:00. From 8-10pm my moon lights are on.

 

[dodgerblew]

They're unde T5's and my day lights are on from 8am to 2pm. Then my blues go on from 2:00-8:00. From 8-10pm my moon lights are on.

Can you be more specific. Which T5 fixture and what brand bulbs? How many bulbs and which bulbs exactly are daylight and which are blue? Acans are a deeper coral and respond better to 18-20k then they do to 10k.

I think you meant nitrates at 10, not .10, right?

They don't look distressed or retracted. They just don't have feeding tentacles out. They feed middle of night. Do you have crabs or shrimp in tank?

 

[lou dog420]

Acans are a strange coral to keep. One minute they can be happy and healthy and then the next minute they are shrinking and or dead

agreed, mine often shrivel up for no apparent reason.

 

[PJ2]

Can you be more specific. Which T5 fixture and what brand bulbs? How many bulbs and which bulbs exactly are daylight and which are blue? Acans are a deeper coral and respond better to 18-20k then they do to 10k.

I think you meant nitrates at 10, not .10, right?

They don't look distressed or retracted. They just don't have feeding tentacles out. They feed middle of night. Do you have crabs or shrimp in tank?

You make some good points...the bulbs are ATI. There are 4 of them. The day bulbs are 10 or 12k. The blues are actinic 420nm. The nitrates are 10 not .10. Also have a coral banded shrimp.

 

[mikey5290]

Acans are my nemesis. Tried 4 different times now only to watch them slowly wither away and die. Everything else does great and thrives, softies, sps and Lps. Sorry not very helpful but I have just come to grips that acans are out the picture for my tank.

 

[CindyKz]

I would agree with dodgerblew...they don't look horrible, maybe not thriving but not awful. Before you start moving them around I would get some reefroids or similar and try target feeding them just after lights out. See if you get a feeding response. Mine love that stuff See if you can keep the shrimp away while you do it though...I give mine some food of his own when I feed my corals.

 

[dodgerblew]

Acans did best for me with blue+ and a purple+. The bright bulb might be a contributor but can't know for sure. If you can move them to a shadier area with low to moderate flow, give it a try and see if that creates a different environmental reaction. If you can get up in middle of night for a minute just to shine a light and see what they look like that might help you. As I mentioned they look fine to me. Oyster Feast from Reef Nutrition is what I like to add to tank prior to feeding as it stimulates a feeding response. You can squirt some right over the acan with no flow going and see what it does.

 

[pdisner]

So I've had these acans for about 5-6 weeks and they have never really "plumped" up. Even at night they don't have tentacles out for feeding. Any ideas??? All my other LPS & SPS are just fine.

Do you feed mysis?

 

[DHill6]

Oyster Feast and Reefroids. LRS food fed to fish and left in water column also gets a feeding response. They're plump all the time.

 

[PJ2]

Acans are my nemesis. Tried 4 different times now only to watch them slowly wither away and die. Everything else does great and thrives, softies, sps and Lps. Sorry not very helpful but I have just come to grips that acans are out the picture for my tank.

Thanks for your input.

 

[PJ2]

Acans did best for me with blue+ and a purple+. The bright bulb might be a contributor but can't know for sure. If you can move them to a shadier area with low to moderate flow, give it a try and see if that creates a different environmental reaction. If you can get up in middle of night for a minute just to shine a light and see what they look like that might help you. As I mentioned they look fine to me. Oyster Feast from Reef Nutrition is what I like to add to tank prior to feeding as it stimulates a feeding response. You can squirt some right over the acan with no flow going and see what it does.

Sounds good! Thanks!

 

[PJ2]

Do you feed mysis?

Yes....also phyto feast.

 

[jd371]

agreed, mine often shrivel up for no apparent reason.

Yep, Mine have been doing great for so long until a few months ago. They're still alive but no new growth and not plump like before. Meanwhile no changes to the tank and all parameters are good and all other corals are growing and doing great.
PJ2 if you haven't done already try target feeding for a while. I did for the first couple of months until they settled in and started growing.