How do acans grow?

[greenreefer]

I've been thinking about trying an acan and I recent got a micromusa frag at a local swap. How do these grow? Do they need a rock to encrust or do they build their own skeletal structure?

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by GreenReefer
http:///forum/post/2775069
I've been thinking about trying an acan and I recent got a micromusa frag at a local swap. How do these grow? Do they need a rock to encrust or do they build their own skeletal structure?
They build their own calcium carbonate skeleton.

 

[paintballer768]

They encrust as far as they can, and will build a skeleton after that. If you place it on the sand, it will produce its own skeleton. Making it make its own skeleton makes it take longer (from a reproductive standpoint) than just encrusting

 

[netimreefer]

good info i will get the one of mine out of the substrate

 

[mr_x]

put in on a plug, or nice flat rock. it will cover it quickly.

 

[greenreefer]

I guess my question was will the coral be limited by the size of rock that it is placed on or will it build it's own skeleton once it reaches the edge of the rock,assuming it's not right next to another rock.

 

[mr_x]

it will build it's own skeleton, but it will start from the center....in other words, the frag will start to grow "thicker" rather than spread out more.

 

[netimreefer]

that's pretty cool good info MR X, buy the way V for Vendetta is a phenomenal movie!

 

[bizzleb01]

My acan has pretty large heads and a bunch of baby heads underneath it. How do I know if it's growing more skeleton or not.

 

[coastie81]

can these be grown under PC lighting.....Sorry for placing this here but I was just wondering

 

[mr_x]

if the tank is not too deep, i don't see why not. they don't need a tremendous amount of light. i would say they need about the same light as a trumpet coral, or favia.
bizzleb01- you'll know if the acan is alive. as long as it lives it will attempt to increase itself.

 

[rotarymagic]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2777378
put in on a plug, or nice flat rock. it will cover it quickly.
That's an easy and smart way to frag it out to recover initial costs.

 

[briguy350]

i have a few different kinds under pc's right now and ive seen a couple new heads after about 3 weeks. but i do plan on getting t5's soon.

 

[a&a2]

Not to high jack or anything but I had mine under PC's and it died. It was at the top of the tank too???? PH8.2 amm 0 nitrate 5-10 nitrite 0???

 

[nikesb]

this thread was started in 2008, i doubt you are hijacking anything
can you explain how it died? once acans get stung by something, they usually recede really quick and die

 

[a&a2]

Lol i didnt even notice the date! It was eating fine and just quit than shriveled up?

 

[nikesb]

did it die head by head? and how fast did it die?

 

[a&a2]

It was only one head as i thought i would try a frag on a plug since i only have had mushrooms. It died within a week. I have since upgraded my lights and would like to try something again

 

[nikesb]

two things i see here
if it was one head, it should have been healed for at least 2 weeks before being transferred to another tank. at the two weeks mark, some baby heads should have been seen already
another problem with acans is that i notice theyre really finicky about alkalinity. they tend to die when alk is too low

 

[a&a2]

Ok===I never test for that but maybe I should start?