Acans help :(

[bobo33]

Found this little frag in some live rock my buddy gave me. I think they are acans but Im not sure.

Also... do they look good? Do they look normal? Had them about two weeks, been feeding them and they have been taking food.

Thanks,
Bobo

 

[brannock_16]

They are acanthastrea lordhowensis. They appear to be stretching for light? What do you have them under and how far from the lights to the acans?

Also, do you target feed them?

 

[bobo33]

Have them under T5s, about 18 to 20 inches below the lights. My mushrooms do that too and I have them all over the tank, top and bottom. I bought my lighting system on ebay with no research. It was great for my fish but a friend gave me some shrooms and then I found the acans. It has 4 bulbs (2 - 10,000k coralife, and 2 actinic blue coralife bulbs. I even took 1 blue bulb out recently and replaced it with another 10,000k so Im running 3 and all of them are still stretched out like that.
I have been target feeding with frozen mysis shrimp and Coral Vibrance coral food (something my LFS advised me to try) and they are eating.
Do you think its my lighting?

 

[MBIETZ]

It looks healthy but it is trying to get more light a 4 bulb t5 unit should be good but not all light fixtures are made equal and you can spot feed it to help it grow faster but it is not required.

 

[sqwat]

u didnt find that hiding.lol. i little to big to be a stowaway

 

[bobo33]

yes, actually I did find them. He brought me two 5 gallon buckets with water, rock, and sand. They were at the bottom of the bucket down in the sand. "LOL"
Thanks though.

 

[sqwat]

wow have him send me some rock and water.i like the reaching look on acans as long as they are fed you should have no prob.some people mistake good polyp extension with reaching for light .i had the acan lords once that reached like youres and had huge feeders right under the light so dont worry

 

[sjwitt]

How old are your bulbs. May be time for a change out.

 

[bobo33]

2 are 2 months old, and two are 4 months old. My lighting system has no ballast, just lights. Could that be the problem? I knew zero about saltwater reef keeping when I bought the light, the ad on ebay said it was reef capable... Is my system crap? There isnt any brand name on the hood either.