What to look for when purchasing first Acan

[chrisstie]

Hello all. I'm almost done cycling a 55g and have a teklights 4x54 watt T5 setup for lighting. I have experience keeping LPS in my 12g nano but have only been keeping some of the easier to come by and not so expensive pieces.

I have recently acquired a gift card to an aquarium store for a modest sum and thought it would be a good chance to indulge on one of the more sought after and expensive corals. I don't plan to buy anything just yet since the tank is new. I thought I would make sure my experience with my little tank pays off in the bigger one first with some easier corals like zoos and shrooms etc.. I have noticed most LPS do a bit better in a more mature established tank

I really love all of the beautiful color patterns of the acans I've seen you guys post here (not to mention the micromussa as well.. i am no expert and sometimes can't tell everything apart! i just like to stare and drool at them all!)

I was hoping you could give advice for an acan-type newbie on what to look for in her first coral.

Admittedly price usually varies with color variation and indeed I would like something colorful so .. well thats where the gift card comes in.. I am not sure how colors and rarity work and would just like to find a nice good frag to start growing in my tank.. and if I am lucky it will be a little larger than a tiny frag

Thanks in advance, I feel al ittle lost sometimes staring at all the yummy stuff!

 

[jessp]

look for a nice plump, open polyps, colorful piece, and yes the brighter the colors the more expensive. they are imo real easy corals to keep so dont be intimidated in that sense. also i'd start them out low in your tank, i think up too high and they can get burned.

 

[chrisstie]

When you say low do you mean on the sandbed low or are they more comfortable being near a rock to encrust on? Or just start at the bottom and slowly work up?

I've read you can take porch screen and cover the top of the tank a little and every few days remove a layer of it also for the light.

Whatever I get will probably be under MH lighting and going to T5 so I really am not sure how best to do that but thank you very much!

 

[jessp]

i think on the sand if the rock it is attached to will allow, i prefer to keep the polyps off the sand, but put them near a rock that you would like them to encrust too. and i'd still keep em low anywayi don't think they need intense light.

there are others that are probably more knowledgable so i'd like to hear there input as well. most people i know w/ metal halides keep there acan lords low though.