Acan growth.

[burkhart.5150]

So just curious how fast everyone's acans grow? Would like to know if mine are normal or slow growing.
This is from 7/19/2014 when I got it.

And this is from today 12/31/2014

 

[burkhart.5150]

Sorry for all the blue, the first had been adjusted and the second is from an iPhone

 

[avijay23]

5 months and more than 3 x heads. I'd say that 's a good growth rate.

 

[Fudz Cwerner]

Thats about the growth that I see. Thats why the colonies that have 100 heads on them cost so much $$$. Nice looking frags!

 

[bpcardona]

Sorry for the poor before photo, it was taken with my phone.

Feb 2014

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/15541625973" title="Build-1.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7475/15541625973_1af232db2e_c.jpg" width="767" height="800" alt="Build-1.jpg"></a>​

Dec 2014

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/16123670852" title="Corals-17.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8575/16123670852_2fbf3f1f0e_c.jpg" width="800" height="671" alt="Corals-17.jpg"></a>​

 

[justthewife]

I find if you feed them directly, they grow more. If you don't feed directly, they seem to grow at a slower pace.

 

[burkhart.5150]

Thanks everyone. I do not feed directly. when I feed my fish I mix in oyster feast every couple days and put my mp10 on feed mode. Bpcardona what lights are you using? Great looking frags btw.

 

[ThorEffex]

Do they grow faster if you place them on a rock or can you leave them on the sand bed will they grow at the same rate?

 

[burkhart.5150]

From what I understand they will spread out better on rocks, if they are placed on the sand bed they will grow into a ball, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[bpcardona]

Thanks everyone. I do not feed directly. when I feed my fish I mix in oyster feast every couple days and put my mp10 on feed mode. Bpcardona what lights are you using? Great looking frags btw.

They were under 4 T5 in the drag tank, and 8 T5s in the display. I just added a reefbrite XHOs, and man do they pop.

 

[burkhart.5150]

They do pop indeed wish I had colors like that

 

[Reef Frog]

From what I understand they will spread out better on rocks, if they are placed on the sand bed they will grow into a ball, correct me if I'm wrong.

Yes new polyps spread outward on rocky substrate. This is where they're found in the wild.

I've never seen them spread on the sand bed in an aquarium. If a frag is kept on the sand bed bc the light & flow is just right, I'd glue it onto a flat piece to give it a chance to expand. I also think direct sand-tissue contact irritates them and could be a vector for disease in certain tanks.

 

[davidadelp]

I have one acan frag that I've had about 3 months if that and I have 8 new heads started with only 3

 

[biecacka]

What are you guys feeding them? Fauna?

Corey

 

[TheSaltySnailer]

What are you guys feeding them? Fauna?

Corey

Yup that's what I feed. I get great color and growth.

 

[Pegadi]

I think that a great growth

 

[jimmy_beaner]

Acans are the coral I struggled with the most... any of you pros want to share things you do that encourage them the most? I'm trying to figure out where I go wrong. I'd like to use LEDs. This time, I'm also looking at bare bottom, more frequent water changes, more frequent activated charcoal changes. They always seemed to do "ok" and then fizzle away. Acans are the reason I'm looking at getting back in the hobby with a nano tank dedicated exclusively to growing acans. If I am successful with that, I may move to a bigger tank.

 

[Cabo2008]

My acans are growing pretty well I think. I don't really have any before and after pics right now, but I'm going to start video cataloging them. I've gotten at least 1 and on some 2 new baby polyps in the past 2-3 months (depending on frag/colony).

Mine are under LED's and my tank is bare bottom with 2 power heads in the back pointing forward, combine that with my return and a gyre 130 and that makes up the flow in my Biocube 29. I do direct feed though at least once a week.

 

[Typography]

Havent had acans in a while, miss them. But I never fed mine and they grew pretty slow