What is the difference?

[angler man]

Okay, I'm learning here. I now know that a Zoo and a Paly are different, but what is a Acanthasthrea Lordhowenis? How similar are these to the Zoo's and Paly's as far as lighting, feeding as flow are concerned?
Thanks!

 

[reefkprz]

zoanthids are softies, while acans are LPS acans are tolerant of medium to low light and need low flow to protect their tender flesh from the damage they can get in high flow. acans can eat meaty food much like protopalys but their feeder tentacles need to be extended to do this. LPS are more dependant on proper calcium and alkalinity levels too.

 

[angler man]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
zoanthids are softies, while acans are LPS acans are tolerant of medium to low light and need low flow to protect their tender flesh from the damage they can get in high flow. acans can eat meaty food much like protopalys but their feeder tentacles need to be extended to do this. LPS are more dependant on proper calcium and alkalinity levels too.
Just so I'm clear on this, are you saying they can survive with medium to low lighting but prefer high, or are you saying they need medium to low lighting?
Also, what, and how often would you feed them(best method).
Lastly, what would be the ideal calcium reading as well as alkalinity?
BTW, I read your palytoxin thread as you suggested. Very informative, thank you!

 

[yosemite sam]

Acans do fine under high light. You don't really need to feed them but they'll take cyclopeze or small mysis shrimp, which you can feed with a small syringe or eye dropper.
As for the alkalinity, if you haven't already, check out the Calcium-Alkalinity Chart here. Which shows what the two should be at in a balanced tank.

 

[angler man]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam
Acans do fine under high light. You don't really need to feed them but they'll take cyclopeze or small mysis shrimp, which you can feed with a small syringe or eye dropper.
As for the alkalinity, if you haven't already, check out the Calcium-Alkalinity Chart here. Which shows what the two should be at in a balanced tank.
Thanks for the chart, this helps!
Other than Sun Corals, is it rare that corals require feeding? Soft/SPS/LPS?

 

[yosemite sam]

There are some other nonphotosynthetic corals/inverts that are common in the hobby, like some types of gorgonias and dendronepthyas. They are all fairly difficult to take care of since it can be hard to make sure they're getting enough food.

 

[reefkprz]

honestly, All corals require food of some kind, there are NO truly purely photosynthetic corals that I have ever heard of. its just many corals can subsist on photosynthesuis and available nutrients in our tanks. (aka fish poop, freefloating bacteria, nitrate, other natural microfauna etcetera), thats one reason corals are reccomended for established tanks, new tanks often dont have the naturally occuring foods in high enough numbers to support some corals so they "fade" away with no explination.
just to add to that a little IMO most corals in our closed systems are severly undernourished, while we may be thinking we are getting great growth compared the the growth rates of wild specimines we are barely growing IMO its due to lack of proper nutrtion for the coral, thats one of the reasons I have such an insne feeding ritual and water change ritual, because I feel to provide proper nutrition you need to provide each type of coral with its specific food, and you need to maintain water quality which is damn hard to combine. when you feed 5-7 times a day (like I do) water quality can suffer in a heart beat.

 

[angler man]

(when you feed 5-7 times a day)
I'm going to pretend I didn't read that.......