Favia and Acan Placement

[Ranchhand02]

I have ordered some new Favia and Acan frags and they will be arriving next week. My current tank is a JBJ nano cube 28. I will be placing the frags close to the bottom of the tank for a few weeks to allow them to acclimate to my tank before I place them on my live rock. How much space do I need to put between the frags? Could I put two favia frags on opposite ends of a rock with close to 6" between the frags. I know they will grow and get closer over time, but how far should I put the frags apart when I put them on the rocks?

 

[jacksonpt]

Every coral is a little different, but IME... 3ish inches or so between them should be fine. They do have some polyp extension, especially at night... but we're not talking long sweepers like some euphyllias have. If you can give them more room, that certainly can't hurt.

 

[Ranchhand02]

Thanks. I am assuming they will eventually grow closer together over times. Will it be an issue as they grow closer to each other?

 

[jacksonpt]

Hard to say. Did you get 1 frag of each, or multiple frags? If multiple, I would think the favia would bother each other, nor would I think the acans would bother each other... but 1 might bother the other.

IME, favia don't fare well when other corals are too close.

 

[Ranchhand02]

I ordered three favia and three acans. I was thinking of putting the favia together and the acans together. I will not mix the favia and acans together. You don't think the favia will bother each other as they grow?

 

[organism]

Thanks. I am assuming they will eventually grow closer together over times. Will it be an issue as they grow closer to each other?

Usually there's a stronger one that kills off the others it comes into contact with as they grow closer. Personally I glue LPS onto larger rocks that I can move away from other corals as they grow out, but ymmv

 

[Reef Bass]

IME, favias will happily string the bejesus out of anything they can reach, including other favias. And as Organism has already stated, one is likely to emerge the victor. Imagine a 6 inch diameter lump capable of projecting tentacles 3 inches all around.

 

[Ranchhand02]

I will add some more spacing to my favias. What kind of spacing should I put my acans on?

 

[aromano]

Acans it depends on species. Same species can cohabitate no problems right next to each other. Acan lords (now micromussa) can sit right up against other acan lords. Echinatas on the other hand are more aggressive and will sting lords and other acan species that are placed nearby but are usually ok with other echinatas. My experience echinatas win over bowerbankii, bowerbankii win over rotundiflora , rotundiflora win out over lords.