Can you identify this Acan?

[novadan67]

Just wondering what kind of Acan I have. From my research, my guess would be bowerbanki, but I'm no Acan expert. I picked it up as a single head and it has not grown in 2 months. It has an endless appetite and I feed it brine, mysis, etc daily. I love it for it's color and the size of the polyp - it's bigger than the plug (1.25" plug)!

Any tips to get this thing to start growing and producing more polyps?

I'm keeping it under a DIY LED light system (3W LEDS)... which produces enough light to keep a maxima clam on the sand bed. The setup is about 10 months old and my parameters are pretty steady at:
Temp = 79F
Ca = 480
Mg = 1380
KH = 10.5
pH = 8.2

 

[Tweaked]

A. Lordhowensis

 

[pow400]

Do you see any heads around the base? I have never had an acan with a single head but the ones I have with 3 or four heads loves to grow the new head in between the heads that are already grown. A head might just be on the underside towards the frag plug.

 

[novadan67]

A. Lordhowensis

Really? It looks different in size and shape from the other Acan lords that I have. I've done a lot of google searches and it seems more similar to the bowerbanki images I have come across. I suppose those could be mis-labled as well.

 

[novadan67]

Do you see any heads around the base? I have never had an acan with a single head but the ones I have with 3 or four heads loves to grow the new head in between the heads that are already grown. A head might just be on the underside towards the frag plug.

This is the only "single polyp" acan that I have as well. I'm guessing it was fragged that way because the heads are so large. I don't see any heads around the base... hopefully I will soon.

Anybody else have any tips for growing Acans? I think I'm doing everything right... I guess I just need to give it more time.

 

[Tweaked]

It's a fragged single polyp of a lord IMO. Nothing more

 

[novadan67]

That's fine... I didn't pay much for it - I just want it to start growing!

 

[Reef Frog]

It's fine to keep it on the sand bed during aclimation and even beyond. But Lord H. and Bowerbsnki growth will occur on a rock substrate. Never seen it happen on the sand.

I would eventually find a place on your live rock where light & flow are suitable and place it there. Be sure no notorious stinging corals can reach it.

 

[novadan67]

I have been thinking about moving it to the rock. I'll find a spot for it and see if that makes a difference... Thanks!

 

[Reef Frog]

Certainly. Make sure the frag is stable on the rock. Growth is fairly slow and they won't encrust if the frag is moved around IME. Ive had the best results when mounting the frag permanently in a good location where the polyp is flush with the surface of the rock. Good luck. Nice looking polyp.