Acan - Tentacles ALWAYS Out?!?!

[israel.kendall]

I bought an acan frag that was one and a half polyps four or five months ago. It looked normal and puffy like all the other acans I've seen for the first couple of months. For the last couple of months though, it always has it's tentacles out, and I mean always, all day, all night. This gets to me because it has these long tentacles and it doesn't look so nice like this, I want it to be puffy and fat!

I've tried it in medium and low flow, but doesn't affect it. I target fed it several days in a row, that didn't work. It's sitting on the sandbed of a 55 gallon under 4x54wT5. It's growing well, it now has probably 7 more heads on it growing in, color still looks great...

Has anyone experienced this, any ideas? Thanks,

 

[greech]

I have an acan that does the exact same thing. Right next to others that don't. Have no idea why.

 

[israel.kendall]

I have an acan that does the exact same thing. Right next to others that don't. Have no idea why.

How long has yours been doing this? This is the only acan I have, maybe I should just trade this one in and try another.

 

[impur]

All of my acans do this all the time. I have about 15 different colonies/frags.

 

[curlykid]

all of my acans are constantly in a feeding response. once i get my skimmer and start a vodka regimen, it will probably subside. (high nutrients ---> ultra-low nutrients)

 

[impur]

I dosed vodka for 6 months and they did not stop.



Here's an idea. Get a bunch of hermits. They will climb all over your acans and keep them from putting out feeders.

 

[curlykid]

i think i'll just feed them mysis every time i feed my fish.

 

[israel.kendall]

Looks like mine aren't the only ones! I was thinking maybe too many bits of food floating around keeping them in feeding mode or something. I cut back my feedings for a month and that didn't work.

Hopefully someone will figure this out and post it here.

 

[All Delight]

I have over 30 acans in my tank and all of them do this too. I thought it always had to do with my nutrient level. I have anthias in my tank and I feed them 4-6 times daily, which I figured kept the acans in this ready to eat mode.

Then after I came home from buying acan from another reefer that was running t5's, all his acan didn't have the feeders out. I got 4 acans from him, and walla a couple days later these acans are now in feeding mode. I'm going to be switching to T5's in a couple of weeks. I'd be crazy if it had to do with the lights. BTW I run 150 de 20k mh.

 

[impur]

I ran T5s for 3 years, now running MH. No change in the acans unfortunately. Let us know if you experience something different.

 

[curlykid]

hmm. leds?

 

[JMAdams]

A couple of my acans are always like that as well.

 

[slojmn]

Hmmm, interesting. My acans in my nano-reef, which has very little filtration, just a skimmer but no sump or anything else, and is pretty nutrient rich are always in feeding mode, super fat, and make baby polyps rather quickly. The acans I put in my main display which is cleaner with a huge skimmer, carbon, and Rowa never have their feeder tentacles out and are not as puffy. They have not been in the tank for as long as the others in the nano so I can't comment on baby production. One that was in the nano and is now in the main display is not nearly as puffy. It is still puffy just not super puffy like the nano acans. My nano is lit by 1x250w DE MH bulb. My main display is lit by 1x 250 SE MH/4 x 24wT5's 2x 24" Reefbright LED's. I think it has to do with nutrients in the water column...just a guess though.

 

[jonthany]

This is a really old thread but I'm wondering if anyone has found any answers to this. Mine are doing it as well.

 

[kegogut]

Corals are like people and any other animals. Youll get some that act like wierdos and theres nothing you can really do about it. Like BTAs that never have Bs.

 

[impur]

I've moved to LEDs and still have some that do this, while a colony right next to it won't. So i don't think it has anything to do with lighting. Not exactly an answer I know but it rules something out

 

[Mark SF]

Most of my Acans have their polyps out 24/7. I was always under the impression that they were healthy

-Mark SF

 

[mike nickerson]

I have 16 different acans under t5's and every single one is in feeding mode.

 

[ReeferBatman]

if they are extended they are 'fat and happy'.

If they are super-inflated but not extending tenticles, they might be reaching for extra light.

 

[rjdv420]

tentacules out ! means they are hungry! its normal!