? on the size of acans

[sadie]

A long time ago I had a beautiful acan.  It was orange and the heads were large, between the size of a nickel and a quarter.  When I see them for sale on line, they are tiny like the size of an eraser head; 3-4 will fit on an inch disk.  Will the individual heads get bigger and look like this or are there different types?

 

Here is a picture of the one I had.

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

Probably what you’re seeing that are smaller, are micromussa amakusensis. 
 

What you had, used to be referred to as acan lords. They have since been reclassified as Micromussa lordhowensis. 

[Jakesaw]

I've had the same question for a while.  

[sadie]

though they have been reclassified, people still sell them under the name of acan lord and they look small.  Mine was a good size when I originally got it, so I don't know what it would have looked like when it started.  It had "babies" while I owned it.  They would pop up "under skirt" or between two large heads.  And they were small.

 

I just want to make sure that if I get something small, it will get big, like the one I had.  Not just the colony getting bigger, but the actual heads getting bigger too.

 

So I'm assuming if it's sold as an acan lord it will get big like my old one, even if the few heads are small...is that safe to assume?

 

I'm not buying one for a while, I'm just looking right now.  

 

 

 

[Jakesaw]

I have 2 acans.  

 

One - single head - acan lord as described on this site

 

Another was about 5 small heads as a small, flat frag that has grown to about 15 heads into a ball like structure.  Whenever I touch or move this acan, it retracts quickly into it's stony base, but when it's left alone for a while and happy it can puff up quite a bit.  It's not as large a polyp as my single head, but over 8 months I've had it the polyps have gotten larger when inflated.

[sadie]

1 hour ago, Jakesaw said:

I have 2 acans.  

 

One - single head - acan lord as described on this site

 

Another was about 5 small heads as a small, flat frag that has grown to about 15 heads into a ball like structure.  Whenever I touch or move this acan, it retracts quickly into it's stony base, but when it's left alone for a while and happy it can puff up quite a bit.  It's not as large a polyp as my single head, but over 8 months I've had it the polyps have gotten larger when inflated.

can you post a picture?  I didn't think acans could retract.  I have seen their feeder tenticles out, like in my picture above, but when they go in, their fleshy parts are still out and puffy...

[Jakesaw]

Just now, sadie said:

can you post a picture?  I didn't think acans could retract.  I have seen their feeder tenticles out, like in my picture above, but when they go in, their fleshy parts are still out and puffy...

I don't have alot of sand real estate in my 10 gal, and My acan has been half way under rock b/c of a bugger fish digging around him, but I'll see if I can get a good puffy and less puffy pic of my ACAN.  When I moved it the polyps pulled in a bit.  

 

ACAN is in a new spot now - hopefully he'll feel happy enough there to get a pic for ya.

[jcrisman2009]

It varies from species to species. Some get big while others stay tiny. Btw Acan lordhowensis are now under micromussa.

 

edit: just saw that NoOneLikesADryTang already beat me to that information 😭

[Jakesaw]

Single Lord Acan about size of nickel to a quarter

 

Acan after being moved to new spot and flat / deflated - you see a few larger heads with smaller ones on the side ( probably from stuck under rock shadow )

 

 

 

 

 

[Jakesaw]

Same ACAN after resting in new spot for a while - the larger polyps puffed up a bit

 

 

The larger polyps when full cover over some of the smaller ones in pic above. 

 

It's kindof strange to try and describe, but if I touch them, I get a slime on my fingers and the ACAN instantly flattens out around stony base.

 

When I got the frag 7 or 8 months ago it was a small flat rock with 5 or so smaller polyps on it.  It's been moved around, buried under sand, and slid under rock along that time period.  --- BAD FISH

 

Pardon my dirty glass at bottom.  Couldn't find my scraper

[jcrisman2009]

23 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

Same ACAN after resting in new spot for a while - the larger polyps puffed up a bit

 

 

The larger polyps when full cover over some of the smaller ones in pic above. 

 

It's kindof strange to try and describe, but if I touch them, I get a slime on my fingers and the ACAN instantly flattens out around stony base.

 

When I got the frag 7 or 8 months ago it was a small flat rock with 5 or so smaller polyps on it.  It's been moved around, buried under sand, and slid under rock along that time period.  --- BAD FISH

 

Pardon my dirty glass at bottom.  Couldn't find my scraper

You can use an old credit card as a scraper. Certain fish can be absolute terrors when it comes to having corals that prefer the sand bed.

[jcrisman2009]

39 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

Single Lord Acan about size of nickel to a quarter

 

Acan after being moved to new spot and flat / deflated - you see a few larger heads with smaller ones on the side ( probably from stuck under rock shadow )

 

 

 

 

 

Well they look flat from that angle because the glass refracts the light.

[Jakesaw]

I think I need a razor blade.  Card not doing the trick.   Here's the best pic I can get puffy

 

[Jakesaw]

Not puffed

 

 

Puffed

 

 

for easier comparison

 

 

[Jakesaw]

14 minutes ago, jcrisman2009 said:

Certain fish can be absolute terrors when it comes to having corals that prefer the sand bed.

Talbot Damsel is up there on the list.  And he's not even a sand sifter.  He thinks he is - and that's all that counts.

[sadie]

Thanks so much for posting the pictures!! that's amazing how it can go flat and then be so puffy! That is exactly what I want.  I see what you mean now when you say recedes.  It is beautiful when it's puffy.  

 

Do you think the one in the first picture will look like the orange one when it gets bigger?

[Jakesaw]

Don't know.  It has really good polyp exension, but had in 3 months and hasn't made a 2nd head.  The orange one was a multi head with flat rock base when I got it, just alot smaller.  

 

I'm going to start direct feeding them both and see if I can stimulate faster growth on orange and maybe force a 2nd head on the first one.  Haven't done that in a good while.  

[jcrisman2009]

30 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

I'm going to start direct feeding them both and see if I can stimulate faster growth on orange and maybe force a 2nd head on the first one.  Haven't done that in a good while.  

That might be a good idea. Btw what are your perimeters in your tank? 

[jcrisman2009]

2 hours ago, Jakesaw said:

Talbot Damsel is up there on the list.  And he's not even a sand sifter.  He thinks he is - and that's all that counts.

My two clownfish will fan the substrate with their tail if I move any thing around. Even a small insignificant change sets them off.

[Jakesaw]

28 minutes ago, jcrisman2009 said:

My two clownfish will fan the substrate with their tail if I move any thing around. Even a small insignificant change sets them off.

The talbot does that alot.  Looks like it's snowing sand in the tank sometimes when he does.  

 

Also likes to dig around the base of rock so you can see the glass.  It's his safe space

[Jakesaw]

37 minutes ago, jcrisman2009 said:

That might be a good idea. Btw what are your perimeters in your tank? 

Nitrate = 5-10 typically

Phosphate = Weekly dose to keep measurable on test kits.  Sits on the low side of scale though

 

I don't test much else b/c I do weekly water changes to keep other parameters up

My tank is mostly SPS Acans, Green Cauliflower, 2 Hammers, 2 x duncans and 2 multi-head candycanes, GSP and a Ricordia.  

[jcrisman2009]

Just now, Jakesaw said:

Nitrate = 5-10 typically

Phosphate = Weekly dose to keep measurable on test kits.  Sits on the low side of scale though

 

I don't test much else b/c I do weekly water changes to keep other parameters up

My tank is mostly SPS Acans, Green Cauliflower, 2 Hammers, and 2 multi-head candycanes, GSP and a Ricordia.  

Those sound about idea. What about the PAR/brightness from your lights?  

[Jakesaw]

1 minute ago, jcrisman2009 said:

Those sound about idea. What about the PAR/brightness from your lights?  

Haven't measured.

 

I've got my Viparspectra 12" over 10 gallon running about 35 or 37 percent blues and 1 percent on White.  Most of my corals are low to moderate light corals and they seem to be growing well. 

 

 I'll move my Hammers off the sand one of these days, but my intention is to do that after tank upgrade.  I keep finding reasons to keep the 10 gallon alive though.

[jcrisman2009]

19 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

Haven't measured.

 

I've got my Viparspectra 12" over 10 gallon running about 35 or 37 percent blues and 1 percent on White.  Most of my corals are low to moderate light corals and they seem to be growing well. 

 

 I'll move my Hammers off the sand one of these days, but my intention is to do that after tank upgrade.  I keep finding reasons to keep the 10 gallon alive though.

Oooh, what size tank are you thinking of getting? My lights are just the basic led. They were too much light on my 20g but just perfect on my new 40 gallon. If your corals are doing fine where they are I’d leave them where they are. 

[Jakesaw]

11 minutes ago, jcrisman2009 said:

Oooh, what size tank are you thinking of getting?

Eventually a 40 Breeder, but likely gonna do 20L or 29 Gallon for first upgrade. I've got all 3 tanks, the 20L is already painted black on the back.  DINO and Bubble algae has slowed down the transition plans.  I could keep as is or upgrade any time.  I've got plenty of spare Marco Rock and extra sand from my initial setup purchase.

 

With the 20L I'm gonna really appreciate the extra 2" of sand in front of tank.  If the Talbot Damsel lets me.... lol