Please help me help these Acan Lords get better

[lkoechle]

So I adopted this small colony (about 6 heads, although 2 I'm not sure are with us anymore) on Monday. The guy I got them from stopped target feeding when he moved them from a 40b to a 65 and also put them lower in the tank. He had them under t5s and metal halides at the top of the tank in the 40b (2 ft from the acans) and target fed every three days.

 

The colony receded from 20 to 6 heads when he stopped target feeding and moved them to the deeper 65 and he didn't want them to totally die so put them up for "adoption" for $10 which he ultimately didn't even take from us. He just wanted someone who wasn't looking for something for free. $10 is close enough to free that I don't think that tactic was really effective... but anyways, I digress.

 

I fed them 1 piece of mysis each yesterday but they're still pretty flat (kind of fluffy but not really) with their little teeth frills out (not sure what they're called, but I think they're feeders). What would be the best way to help these guys recover? Its my first time keeping acans. They have great vivid colors. Nothing out of the ordinary from what I've seen, but I still think they're very pretty.

 

Where they are in my tank:

1/2 to 3/4 ways up in my tank (so about 8 to 9 inches off the sand bed)

approx under 9 to 10 inches of water with AI SOLs about 12 inches above with max intensity of 60% for blues and royal blues and max 50% for whites.

 

Is this placement comparable to what they were receiving when in the 40b?

 

Secondly, I know most people only spot feed every other day or every three days. Due to their condition, would spot feeding every day be more advisable until they come back to a healthier condition?

 

Third, I soak whatever the fish are getting in SELCON Boost, would this also help the acans?

 

Fourth, what would you do to help them?

 

Photos:

The first was after acclimating, coral rx, and an iodine dip. Mainly posted so you can see how much skeleton is exposed, but I'm assuming that has to do with the death of the other heads.

 

The second was taken yesterday while they were eating mysis.

 

 

[Reefkid88]

Acans are food whores,I've got 9-10 frags of Acan's and they are ALWAYS hungry,mine went from being fed everyday to maybe 1-2 every 2-3 days. I have a lot of SPS so when I feed my Sps Dr.G's SPS Max they catch small particles of that even though it's not a lot. I try and feed them before water changes due to how dirty the water gets. With how much tissue they've lost the only way to get them to grow would be try feeding them everyday or every other day. Try and find some Dr.G's LPS Max,and feed them that. Not that Mysis isn't going to help them,it will.

[Bingo1213]

I can't keep acans to save my life. They just don't like my tank for some reason and I have come to accept it. All my sensitive corals such as gorgonians, gonioporas, SPS, and clams do fantastic. Even Lobos and Favias rock. Just not Acans. I even fed them too!