Lighting for Acans

[RubberFrog]

I got this pretty acan last weekend. The blue was really this blue! The blue has since turned greyish brown and the red is beginning to brown as well.

 

It is sitting on the sand bed with a par rating of about 200. I'm not sure what to do. Should I move it up for more light? Maybe less light? I have other areas of the sand bed with 160par (due to rock structure). I just don't know which way to move it.

 

My lighting is 2 x 250w 20k, with 2 blue+ t5s, and 2 purple plus t5s.

 

 

 

[trockafella]

Less light and you could feed them to if you'd like.

[Jan]

never mind. You mean the acan on the lower right.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Jan

[Ryan S]

anywhere on the sand bed should be fine. i dont know if 160 vs 200 par will matter? i also recommend target feeding. i believe mysis shrimp is what i used to feed mine, they loved it.

[RubberFrog]

I have some frozen mysis cubes, I'll try a bit of that tonight. I'm kinda bummed they browned up. I didn't think the sandbed would be too bright.

[surf&turf]

Corals will brown when moved from one system to another, once its settled and happy it will color back up, might be a little different, depending on your lights spectrum.

[Ryan S]

I have some frozen mysis cubes, I'll try a bit of that tonight. I'm kinda bummed they browned up. I didn't think the sandbed would be too bright.

 

its hard feeding them. the best thing that worked for me was an upside down 2L bottle over them (or 20 oz if its not too small) and shooting the mysis inside of that with a turkey baster. or u could hold the mysis for a second until each mouth grabs it... but if you have fish or shrimp or high flow, it can be tricky!!

[RubberFrog]

So you just let the food float around in the bottle until they grab it?

[Ryan S]

So you just let the food float around in the bottle until they grab it?

 

well, if u have a long feeder, like this one with the extension:

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Taam_Rio_Coral_Feeder_Deluxe_Set_(4pcs)_Coral_Feeders-TAAM_Via_Aqua-TA01023-FIFDFECR-vi.html

 

you can lay the mysis on them and they will eat them.

 

if u dont use the bottle, the flow in the tank will just float them around the tank, or fish or shrimp will grab them. i dont remember who gave me the bottle advice. sounds like something paul would've recommended to be honest. works great. but try it normally, and you'll see what happens. u can hold it for a few seconds and they will grab it, assuming a shrimp or fish dont yank it away; but repeating that for each mouth will take a while. its very fun to watch and i believe they grow faster/healthier with the feeding. i am not sure how often to feed them though. maybe someone else can chime in there. once or twice per week maybe?

[RubberFrog]

I do have one of those. I'll try a targeted feeding first, and if they don't grab it quick enough I'll try the bottle trick.

[Valeria]

PaulB makes these feeders that are great for feeding lps.

[Valeria]

I do have one of those. I'll try a targeted feeding first, and if they don't grab it quick enough I'll try the bottle trick.

Feed when tenticles are out looking for food.

[mindeeo]

I guess food makes a lot of things better for me, too. We will try it, and keep our fingers crossed.

 

But a margareta usually works even better for me.... should I give my acan one of those as well with its meal?

[Supreme Reefs]

Acans like that need less light, how high is the light off the tank and how long you keep it on for?

[RubberFrog]

The light is 15" off a 24" deep tank. I keep the halides on for 5 hours a day.

 

I did some target feeding last night. Sure was a pita trying to lay a shrimp on each mouth! In the end, I think I was able to feed about 3/4s of them- the ones in the back were harder to target.