Acanthastreas

Capt_Cully · #1 01/01/2008, 09:45 AM

So just when it seemed you could find reasonably priced beautiful SPS frags, along comes these acanthastreas. UNBELIEVABLE colors. Stunning. So why wouldn't these be unGodly expensive.

That being said, and with the understanding that I'll probably be pennyless and divorced:

Anyone have info about placement, flow, and care of acans?

Thanks....I think....

Gary Majchrzak · #2 01/01/2008, 10:16 AM

seems like a thread tailor made for RandyO, Klier and a few others here.
I've never tried Acanthastrea but I was first looking for any of it LONG before it entered the trade with any regularity.

jjj1100 · #3 01/01/2008, 11:39 AM

Hey capt.

I have tried a few things with my acan's and have finally had great success. I tried keeping them attached to the rocks at various heights in the tanks, and they never opened (polyps stayed smaller) and there colors didn't look that great.

I rerocked my tank and put them all on the sand bed in a low flow area. Wow, I am getting new growth all the time and by mid day the polyps are huggge. I have 2#250's MH and 4 VHO's for lighting.

You may get mixed responses on this, but I am just telling you what worked for me. I have 60 colonies total now, and other than loosing 1 to a brown sludge outbreak...no idea what happened...they are all growing great. I think these are the MOST ADDICTING coral becuase of the vairety, morphs, and colorations you come across..

one really important thing I have found is glue them to a disk so they can grow OUT...if they don't have room to grow out then they have to grow up and this takes much longer. I have found myself buyig bigger disks for almost all of the colonies since I started this.

just my 2 cents

Capt_Cully · #4 01/01/2008, 03:20 PM

I agree, the variety is unbelievable. Not that I want my whole tank to be filled, but in combination they can really punch a system up, especially if you get a few choice colonies.

I've been dabbling. I have a non-descript greenish colony I got to test the waters, fairly inexpensive. I just added a cool reddish grey colony as well. Keeping them low and out of heavy flow.

Also one of the guys at TRS told me to spot feed them for great results and growth. I sprayed them with cyclopeeze and they retracted, then released mysis near them and none stuck. Turns out I just went too fast. If I had waited and gone slower, the presence of the cyclopeeze opened their tentacles, but it took a few minutes. Then I should have added the mysis and brine. Gonna do it more slowly today.

Thanks for the tips.

SkiFletch · #5 01/01/2008, 05:25 PM

Capt, I totally agree about spot feeding them, but they can handle much larger foods. Mine readily accept Mysis and Brine. And when I feed them, they grow like wildfire. I've got mine at a PAR reading of around 140 which is pretty low-moderate but they're doing great. Color isn't fantastic, so my gut tells me they could handle more light, but they do great like that with regular feedings.

Also beware, they do have some potent sweepers and will go after other corals in the vacinity overnight

Gary Majchrzak · #6 01/01/2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak
I've never tried Acanthastrea but I was first looking for any of it LONG before it entered the trade with any regularity.

I got thinking about this and I was wrong. I did have a colony of Acanthastrea in my last aquarium! DUH!

Willistein · #7 01/02/2008, 01:56 PM

I have a red/grey colony from RandyO (from CA I think) that has done great. It is super hardy and I've fragged it several times. Every frag has grown just fine. Moderate/low lighting is all you need and spot feeding helps. I started with 12 heads about 3 years ago and I've probably "harvested" about 100 heads by now. I can't speak for other varieties of course...

Capt_Cully · #8 01/02/2008, 04:32 PM

Yeah, Will, I remember I wanted a frag of those, but just couldn't get out to pick it up. I almost called you this past weekend when I was out that way makin the rounds. Please don't tell me you have any left. I'd kick myself. Those are Beautiful!!!!

Gary Majchrzak · #9 01/02/2008, 05:12 PM

this thread jolted my memory.
Not only did I have Acanthastrea...
I had it in a reef aquarium with a Majestic Angelfish!

Capt_Cully · #10 01/02/2008, 05:49 PM

Glad to help you with your "senior momments".

Either that "been there, done that" is the understatement of the century when it comes to your salt water experiences.

Gary Majchrzak · #11 01/02/2008, 05:56 PM

I must admit this was an extreme case of "senior momentitus", but thanks nonetheless.

It's given me the courage to place an Acan in with my Emperor.

RandyO · #12 01/03/2008, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak

It's given me the courage to place an Acan in with my Emperor.

You had what looks like an Acanthastrea echinata in your past tank. They are not very fleshy. If you were to try one with your Emperor, I'd suggest another echinata. A fleshy Lordhowensis my be too tempting for him.

Just my .02

Willistein · #13 01/03/2008, 01:27 PM

...uh no, none left here

Willistein · #14 01/03/2008, 01:28 PM

I'll add that this is my favorite coral for many reasons - the color, the hardiness and the rapid growth rate. Also it's really cool to watch it eat.

fatrip · #15 01/03/2008, 01:55 PM

what do you feed your acans for optimum growth? i usualy feed mine chunks of fresh clam, scallope, oyster, and shrimp, its all choped fine and mixed into a fish food.

Capt_Cully · #16 01/03/2008, 02:42 PM

How do you get it to stick? do you actually take small pieces of food and place it in each mouth???

fatrip · #17 01/03/2008, 02:47 PM

yup i have aquaired a pair of tweezers...i have heard about it ever since i have taken them...lol...and i put a chunk in each mouth. not very hard since my 2 acans only have a total of 10 heads...lol...but i am goin to get one of those feeding tubes and try it that way and see how things work out. i find the tweezers are good cause when i feed i can fight the fish away until the acan gets it all the way in its mouth. last night a chromis bit my hand and almost got stabed..

Capt_Cully · #18 01/03/2008, 03:00 PM

I may have a touch too much flow on mine because the syringe method is clearly not working. It wakes up the tentacles, but the shrip just blow by. I'll try the tweezer method, when my wife's at work of course....

Aquired some new acans from a buddy. I think our fragging method was sub-optimal, so some rehab may be in order.

How do you frag acans. I'll wait to see how it's done before i reveal our method.

razzmatazz · #19 01/03/2008, 03:20 PM

I just turn the pumps off for a bit to feed mine. Oh why be shy,

Hammer and chisel and a sharp knife/scalpel.

fatrip · #20 01/03/2008, 03:28 PM

yea hammer and chisel will work nicely.

Capt_Cully · #21 01/03/2008, 03:36 PM

Ok, we razorbladded them and hammer and chiselled them. Glad to see we weren't far off the mark.

Gary Majchrzak · #22 01/03/2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RandyO
You had what looks like an Acanthastrea echinata in your past tank. They are not very fleshy. If you were to try one with your Emperor, I'd suggest another echinata. A fleshy Lordhowensis my be too tempting for him.

Just my .02

thanks very much for your suggestion, Randy

Willistein · #23 01/04/2008, 08:36 AM

I've used wire cutters in the past. It's great that even when you get partial heads after a cut, they usually survive and become "whole" again.