Acan stretching ... for what?

[brad65ford]

Ok guys, need some advice. As any LED light fixture reef owners like myself it seems we are always wondering if we are to low on light or not enough intensity. My 40g fusion is chugging alone with very little growth but all LPS are alive including hammer and frog spawns but I still think it could be doing better. Currently running Hydra 26's at 45 percent on all channels 8 hours a day top of water is seeing 750 par and center sand bed is around 150 par. The Acan's pictured are Incredible Hulk's seeing 130 par which i've owned for over a year now. I've heard that Acan usually like 60-70 par which is odd since mine look to be stretching for light, also if they are not doing well causing them to stretch what is even more interesting is there are new baby's from the base. Any Acan coral LED users have any suggestions?

 

[Mark9]

Must need more light .
You feeding them?

 

[brad65ford]

Don't feed, was thinking the same about lighting but isn't 130 par from a Hydra 26 pretty intense?

 

[Mark9]

I have never seen acans stretch like that.

 

[brad65ford]

Wonder what other led users have to say about this. Most all acan lovers run t5

 

[Mark9]

T5's here. The few I have are on the bottom.

 

[brad65ford]

wow still amazed at the different look of t5 over LED. I so want to add t5 to my mix

 

[scooter31707]

that's a first for me, seeing acans stretch like that. Do you feed them? IMO, they are getting enough PAR.

 

[brad65ford]

I've searched the net and there were a few other guys that had similar results but they were running t5 and moved up the acan and it went back to normal. I have added 2 compact 50/50 bulbs above them to see if it changes anything.

 

[Tweaked]

I had a colony do this for over a year. Never could figure it out as I can grow SPS on the bottom of the tank and they were a bit up under a 250w radium.

 

[brad65ford]

Hey i'm not alone lol, thanks tweaked!

 

[brad65ford]

I had a colony do this for over a year. Never could figure it out as I can grow SPS on the bottom of the tank and they were a bit up under a 250w radium.

Do you feed them? I just started to to see if it changes anything.

 

[Tweaked]

Back when I had them I did. meaty foods weekly

 

[brad65ford]

someone said if a coral is stretching or polyps are stretching they are hungry not for light for food, might be possible.

 

[rt67ghy]

Do they stretch after you've fed the tank? If so, I'd agree with you that they're stretching to capture food particles from the water column.

 

[brad65ford]

Never have feed them, photos are from the point of no feeding. Decided to start feeding as well as raising the LED fixture

 

[Tweaked]

As stated mine were like that for about a year until I lost all acans. Right under a 250w radium and yes I fed it. It just liked to be puffy. The other lords were normal. I always thought it to be a different sub species but never looked into it further.

 

[Grnrado]

Mine do the same thing. I also was thinking it is PAR but my meter shows 180 where they are located. I have another colony that does not stretch that is lower in the tank. Strange. Also mine are under LEDs.

 

[Newstead]

I would definitely try feeding them. I feed mysis 3 or 4 times a week, trying to get a piece in each head, and they always eat like there is no tomorrow.

 

[WaReefer458]

I have a golf ball size colony on the sand bed in my 40. I run a Kessil 360we at 60% and they look great. Took a week or so for them to adjust but now they are just fine