Acan Experts. Help please

[Acanholic]

Ok. Let's start saying that acans are my favorite corals. But I have a small problem. I have a 25 gallons tank plus 15 gallons sump. It is 24 inches long and 15 inches deep. 3 inches sandbed plenty of love rock tank is Almodóvar 3 years old 1 blue tang and one yellow tang lives there from the very beginning (yes I know but kind of bonsai tangs) I have about 20 different acan lord and a few zonas and palys. Heavily feed with marine snow zoplan and photo plan By 2 little fishes and kz lps aminoacids and kz coral vitalizer and ocasional target feed with lps pellets from fauna marin I have lot of new heads but ACAN POLYPS DO NOT EXPAND I have tried a lot of things but I can't get the POLYPS expansion I saw in Other aquariums. My lightning are 4 ati 2 blue plus one purple plus and one aquablue special. My skimmer is a reef octopus sr1000 very efficient and I turn it off after feeding. Any ideas? Please help

 

[ritter6788]

What are your water parameters?

When you say the polyps don't expand do you mean the feeding tentacles or the actual polyps? Post a picture when you get a chance.

Dosing amino acids, coral vitalizer, phytoplankton, you don't need all that stuff.

 

[Acanholic]

What are your water parameters?

When you say the polyps don't expand do you mean the feeding tentacles or the actual polyps? Post a picture when you get a chance.

Dosing amino acids, coral vitalizer, phytoplankton, you don't need all that stuff.

Yes it is possible I don't need all that stuff. Just some food variation. Here are the pictures. Thanks

 

[Acanholic]

They are always like that. Manu new heads all the time. Feeding tentacles are out at the night but never that meaty look in most Other people's pictures. Please share your ideas

 

[ritter6788]

They look fine and healthy to me. If you see them more expanded than that they are probably in lower light and flow.

 

[debdp]

There are different species of acans. I have two different ones. My echinata stays closer to the rock, puts out tentacles but stays close to the rock. I've never seen them retreat to where you can see the rock they're in. They look similar to yours. It is aggressive. The Lordhowensis (I believe that's the second species I have) do expand to almost 4-5 times their size and move with the current. Occasionally they'll completely retract into the rock where you can actually see the rock. I have them right next to zoas and duncans and they're more irritating than they are neighbor killers. Hope that helps

 

[Acanholic]

Thanks. As I Saida they are healthy and growing but I want that fluffy look I don't have. I only have lordhowensis. Echinata is very agressive and long killer tentacles Come out at night time.

 

[ritter6788]

Either of those Tangs could be picking at them too which would cause them to retract. Even if you don't see them doing it they are known to pick at some LPS. Hermit crabs or shrimp walking on them or stealing food would cause them to retract but I don't know if you have either in your tank.

 

[jonbar1]

Some of mine are almost always closed like that, others are almost always open. When they "smell" food they are more out than normal usually. Try spot feeding mysis once or twice a week and they might start keeping their tentacles out in anticipation of their next feeding.

 

[Acanholic]

Thanks. I don't have hermits nor I have shrimps either. I never saw my tangs picking on them. But it is not impossible.

 

[Pkunk35]

lol, mine are always puffy and out and I want them to look more like yours. Great looking acans.

I actually wonder if mine are not being fed enough since they are always out during the day. I *think* sometimes they remain more compact after heavy feeding days, but it is not consistent at all.

 

[Acanholic]

Bump to get more help

 

[thewackyreefer]

What type of lighting are you using?

Edit. Nevermind...what is your lighting schedule?

 

[Dowtish]

I had this happen to my acans when I added an ATI purple plus bulb to my 6 bulb fixture. I believe there is something in the spectrum from these bulbs they just dont like. I switched it back to a blue plus, and after 3 weeks, they were all puffy fat and happy.

 

[Acanholic]

What type of lighting are you using?

Edit. Nevermind...what is your lighting schedule?

Hi 1 hour with the 2 blue plus only then 7 hours with the 2 blue plus the purple plus and the aquablue and then 1 more hour with the 2 blue plus only

 

[Acanholic]

I had this happen to my acans when I added an ATI purple plus bulb to my 6 bulb fixture. I believe there is something in the spectrum from these bulbs they just dont like. I switched it back to a blue plus, and after 3 weeks, they were all puffy fat and happy.

The PDF part here is that the same happens without the purple plus. But Thanks it worth a try.

 

[rosko23]

I have over 40 different morphs... Some are crazy puffy, others barely puffy. All urs look healthy to me. The colors are better I feel when they aren't fully puffed up, but again some look better puffy. My point is, all are different. You can try spot feeding.. Mysis or fauna pellets. I have 2 diff morphs that puff up to like half dollar or larger. No matter how much i feed them.

 

[myzislow]

those look awesome to me. Not sure what you are after. I prefer when my acan polyps are not as extended and a bit smaller because the colors are usually more concentrated. When acans over extend and get super puffy they can lose a bit of pop IMO.

 

[Kano]

They look fine to me as well. Acans in my friends tank never expanded much. When I took the same acans and put them into my system they got more fluffy. I don't know if it's flow related, lighting, water parameters, etc but I would think lighting would have the greatest impact with flow being a close 2nd. As a side note, no matter how you phrase it, your tangs they should not be in a 25g tank. If you love your acans I'd focus on that and get the tangs into a larger space. Nothing compares to the ocean but for two tangs that can easily grow to 7-12 inches after a year I'd imagine they're ready for a little bit more swimming room. You could try spot feeding mysis and larger meaty items instead of all the filter feeding and aa you're feeding to see if that'll increase their size. GL with your tank.