aussie acans losing color

[checkerkitty]

Hi there!

I've just moved (about 2 weeks ago) all of my lps from my husband's system into a 180 gal lps dominant tank. All of my aussie acans have now started losing their color. They are very pale and almost look like gummy worms, for lack of a better description. Lighting on the tank is 3 150 W DE MH with 14K bulbs and 4-80 W T-5s, 1 6500K, 1 ProColor, 1 Aqua, and 1 actinic. MH are on 4 hours a day. Tank is 24 " deep and lights are about 9 inches or a little more off the water. Acans are a little more than halfway up. My other acans are fine as are all my micromussas. Well, everything else is fine. I'm at a loss and very concerned. Are they getting too much light? Maybe it was too much change too soon. BTW, they are all eating fine.

So what should I do? Put them on the sand? Move them down a few inches? Shade? Has anyone else had this happen to them?

Thanks,

Christy

 

[gastone]

what lighting were they under before?

Garrett.

 

[checkerkitty]

They had been in holding in our clam tank. Most of them were about a foot away from a 175 W SE 12K Reeflux. A couple of the frags were farther away and under more actinic, again about a foot from the actinic bulbs. I think I just nuked my babies. I just ran over and put them all on the sand. Is there any hope?

 

[gastone]

Moving them to the sand bed is a good start. Do you spot feed them? Mine gobble up mush/mysis/cyclopeeze without abandon. I feed 2-3 times per week and it's amazing how much they can consume. It wouldn't suprise me to see them color up more with the addition of spot feeding (added nutrients).

I find them to be quite resilient and hardy. I've gotten some online that didn't look like much more than skeletons with bare amounts of flesh. Moderate light and flow in conjunction with spot feeding and they color up and grow nicely.

GL.

Garrett.

 

[checkerkitty]

garrett,

thanks for both of your replies. I have been feeding the whole tank cyclopeeze every other night or so and have been doing a mix of mysis, krill and some other frozens for the the fish a couple of times a week as well. I have only 4 fish and they eat the cyclopeeze, too. I'm going to go and get a turkey baster and other syringes for feeding today so I can start spot feeding. they are already looking happier with just the move. thanks for the help!

Christy