Acan question

[davelin315]

No, I'm not getting into Acans, although I do think that they have some amazing coloration!

 

My question is this, I've seen some Acans recently and the polyp extension makes them look like mushrooms almost, or even individual polyps versus part of a whole, swelling out like a Trachyphyllia (sp), but I have one from the frag fest that is pretty much in its corallite. I am wondering if this has to do with the amount of light it's getting. Since I can't put LPS in my display because of my angel, it's in my frag tray which at max depth is about 8" of water, if that. There's a 400W bulb on this tank in a Lumenarc III reflector so I know its getting tons of light. Would it swell if I were to reduce the light? Also, what if any signs of a healthy Acan are there as far as polyp extension? I know that mushrooms tend to swell and "reach" for the light when they are unhealthy, needing to try and capture more light, while others swell to catch more prey (sometimes as a result of low light conditions, sometimes to support the active photosynthesis going on inside them), but what of Acans?

[lanman]

I am rather new to ACANS... in the sense that all the ACANS I got during my first two years of reef-keeping either died, or shriveled down to near-nothing. This last year, I have started growing them very well. They tend NOT to like 'HIGH' lighting. I put mine near the edges of my T5 fixtures in my frag tanks, and they do nicely. So - you may have hit the nail on the head.

 

bob