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Coral Vue Hydros

Acan growth, a question of speed.


Frag Factory

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Hello,

 

I've been looking for more coral, found some lovely looking Acans... but they are sold as a single polyp.

 

I'm not really a "fan" of how 1 polyp looks on a frag plug, so if this is something that would take years to grow out to a typical Acan colony.

 

So.. for those that bought similar 1-3 head Acan frags... How long did it take for them to grow out and not look like frags?

Thanks

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 It Depends.

 

I have had acans grow very quickly. My 3 head acan after 2 years has too many heads to count.

I have another one that after a year only has 5 heads purchased with 3.

 

I had purchased 1 with half a head, very damaged and within a few months it had 4 heads....unfortunately another coral killed it. 

 

they like to be fed.

 

All purchased with 3 heads.

 

First 2 scans are 2 + yes old.

The last pic is 1 year old

 

20180628_124527.jpg

20180914_165554.jpg

20181104_222244.jpg

  • Like 4
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The first couple of heads around the circumference of a single polyp frag will grow pretty fast if you feed. After that it takes a while for them to grow larger.  

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I will agree with most here about the growth patterns of acans. I have one acan that has went from 4-10 polyps in a couple months. While a few others have yet to grow any additional heads. Nutrition is huge in my opinion when it comes to acans. I like to feed chunky foods or pellets to most acans, if they are smaller go for a powder mixed to a paste. 

 

That being said like MrObscura said unless it's a super awesome rainbow I would opt to find a mini colony. You can easily find some for a reasonable price, and they will more likely start growing more rapidly.

 

  • Like 1
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I tend to buy single polyps since rainbows are so expensive and grow them out. I do not target feed any of my corals, but I do feed my fish pretty heavily. 

 

This rainbow acan was purchased as a single head on 1/23/17.

neptune_rainbow_acan_012317.jpg

 

3 months later on 4/17/17. Babies are starting to form around its base.

rainbow_acan_with_lobo_041717.jpg

 

10/10/17. All surrounding polyps are now the same size as the original purchased polyp in size. 

rainbow_acan_101017.jpg

 

Orange yuma to the left of it decided that the acan was too close for its own good and decided to nuke half of it over night.

rainbow_acan_damage_101717.jpg

 

After a series of ups and downs, including two crashes, it finally regrew to its original size. 4/27/18 sitting in the new and current tank.

2018_04_27_neptune_rainbow_acan.jpg

 

I eventually decided to glue it to a 4.25" disk as in this picture. Wanted to get a closer look at the polyps so I brushed against it to get it to withdraw its tentacles which are usually out 24/7. On 10/4/18. 

2018_10_04_neptune_rainbow_acan.jpg

 

What it looks like when it's puffy and all its tentacles are out. 10/16/18.

2018_10_16_neptune_rainbow_acanb.jpg

 

That single polyp has grown to the size of a baseball. 

  • Like 3
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  • 1 month later...

My Acan frag has looked great for 3 weeks now and today when I got home it was withdrawn. I waited a while to see if it would come out but hasn’t yet do you guys think it’s ok?  I spot fed yesterday some bribe but I’ve done that before without issue

82660540-FE91-4C0C-931B-77532EB71B77.png

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Mine have suddenly sprouted a bunch of new heads, especially my largest frag. I have been increasing my lighting and just up the glow a lot as well as started feeding benereef, so a combination of those things combined that may of helped. 

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Same 'ole regimen as always. Just on the sandbed and no spot feeding. Some of the daughter polyps are now large enough to see now versus before when it was just the mother polyp. Approximately 1 month difference between this set and the last pic and 2 months after picking up the single polyp. 

2018_12_07_neptune_rainbow_acan02.jpg

 

Brushing the mother polyp reveals 6 of the 7 daughter polyps.

2018_12_07_neptune_rainbow_acan02b.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
Gourami Swami

I got three one-head frags on black Friday. One of them now has 9 heads, one has 7 (hard to count, they are of diff sizes, and one only has 3. I feed them a couple times a week with Mysis or LRS reef frenzy. If they like your tank and you feed them, I think they actually grow pretty quickly

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  • 3 weeks later...

What parameters have you found to be best for your Acans? I have a rainbow 2 head frag right now. I've kept it alive... no growth though in 6 months.

 

My parameters are:

35ppt salinity

450 Cal

1350 Mag

8.6 Alk

10ppm nitrates

2-5ppm phosphates

78F Temperature.

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mitten_reef
18 minutes ago, DOJOLOACH said:

What parameters have you found to be best for your Acans? I have a rainbow 2 head frag right now. I've kept it alive... no growth though in 6 months.

 

My parameters are:

35ppt salinity

450 Cal

1350 Mag

8.6 Alk

10ppm nitrates

2-5ppm phosphates

78F Temperature.

A lot has to do with direct feeding, I think.

I feed mine some mysis, the same day I feed the fish mysis, which is probably once or twice a week - fill every single head/mouth that I can.  They’re a hungry bunch. 😄.  Again, it’s not totally necessary, but it seems to boost growth. 

 

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6 minutes ago, micoastreefing said:

A lot has to do with direct feeding, I think.

I feed mine some mysis, the same day I feed the fish mysis, which is probably once or twice a week - fill every single head/mouth that I can.  They’re a hungry bunch. 😄.  Again, it’s not totally necessary, but it seems to boost growth. 

 

Ah, yes you know I actually do that too. Mysis shrimp or reef roids 2x a week. I suspect maybe my Salinity fluctuations are to blame. I top off 2-3x/week with RO water. I just  bought an ATO though so hopefully that will help.

 

I've also been instructed to use Low light areas of my tank for placement, Even so much as shaded areas.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have some that have grown like crazy, 3 full sized polyps with a couple baby polyps to over 15 in a couple of months.

Others that sit at 2-3 polyps for a year under similar lighting and flow.

Another that withered and died while the others survived or thrived.

 

I do feed on a pretty much daily basis.

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