How to properly feed an acan colony?

[CoralChaos]

Hi everyone, hope you’re all doing well. I have a few questions regarding the proper way to feed an acan colony. I tried feeding my acans some reef roids but they didn’t seem to like it, they secreted some mucus. I have an acan colony that’s about 20-30 heads, I try to feed them about 3 times a week with some rods food (breeder blend), it’s hard to feed every head (tedious and I’m worried about over feeding). If I were to feed half the colony for example, will that feed the entire colony or do I need to feed each and every head so I can see a difference in size and coloration? Am I feeding my acan too much as well? They seem to love being feed often, they develop intense colors and get really nice and plump. Please leave me any suggestions as well as what you feed your acans! If you guys want pictures let me know :)

 

[Waynerock]

I use LRS and usually feed my acans a couple times a week when they are looking hungry. If I don’t wanna wait for them to tell me they want food I will broadcast a small amount of Reef Roids that usually gets the tentacles out ready to except the meaty food. I use a pipette and squirt a few chunks into each mouth if possible. You will notice a huge jump in growth once you start feeding. The little heads will pop up all over. If you have shrimp be ready to cover them or stand there till the food is eaten because they will steal it and usually hurt the coral ripping the food out. I have to feed my Scolly and cover it overnight because the shrimp will be on it and almost kill it.

 

[Cell]

They use the mucus to collect the food and then suck it in.

 

[jerrod]

I have multiple acans and some do this while others don't. I was told awhile back that they do not share the food unless there is an injured one. I do not know if its true or anecdotal. I rotate the feedings between the heads and broadcast feed reef nutrition and reef roads once a week leaving the skimmer and return pump off for an hour. I'll also feed mysis/brine every now and then and haven't had any issues.

 

[CoralChaos]

I use LRS and usually feed my acans a couple times a week when they are looking hungry. If I don’t wanna wait for them to tell me they want food I will broadcast a small amount of Reef Roids that usually gets the tentacles out ready to except the meaty food. I use a pipette and squirt a few chunks into each mouth if possible. You will notice a huge jump in growth once you start feeding. The little heads will pop up all over. If you have shrimp be ready to cover them or stand there till the food is eaten because they will steal it and usually hurt the coral ripping the food out. I have to feed my Scolly and cover it overnight because the shrimp will be on it and almost kill it.

I always have that problem with hermits and shrimp trying to rob my acans, I usually have to fight them off with the baster haha. What’s LRS? I haven’t heard that acronym before and it sounds interesting.

 

[CoralChaos]

They use the mucus to collect the food and then suck it in.

I’ve never heard that before, i always thought they were rejecting it because my frogs pawn would do the same thing but now I know, thanks!

 

[CoralChaos]

I have multiple acans and some do this while others don't. I was told awhile back that they do not share the food unless there is an injured one. I do not know if its true or anecdotal. I rotate the feedings between the heads and broadcast feed reef nutrition and reef roads once a week leaving the skimmer and return pump off for an hour. I'll also feed mysis/brine every now and then and haven't had any issues.

I was under the impression that each head would feed the colony because new heads start to sprout when I feed them but I’m still not sure what’s right or wrong so I just try to feed every head. Thanks for your input I appreciate it!

 

[Biokabe]

I always have that problem with hermits and shrimp trying to rob my acans, I usually have to fight them off with the baster haha. What’s LRS? I haven’t heard that acronym before and it sounds interesting.

LRS = Larry's Reef Services, he puts out a frozen mix that is pretty universally hailed as fantastic. I use it as an all-purpose food for my tank - pull out a chunk each day, thaw it and feed. I'll alternate between broadcast feeding the tank and target-feeding everything. I noticed an immediate improvement in my tank when I switched to LRS from the previous frozen foods I used.

What I've heard re: sharing food is that if a coral has 'connected' flesh, it'll share the food between heads. So for most corals, the answer is yes, if you feed one head or two heads or ten heads, they'll share the nutrition between the colony.

If you have tissue recession that separates the heads - say, a branching hammer coral where the flesh recedes and leaves bare skeleton - then the heads lose the ability to share and you effectively have two colonies that happen to be close to each other.

 

[Waynerock]

I always have that problem with hermits and shrimp trying to rob my acans, I usually have to fight them off with the baster haha. What’s LRS? I haven’t heard that acronym before and it sounds interesting.

Highly recommend LRS. The list of ingredients is like walking through a fish market. Bunches of everything in it. Plus Larry is a great guy and for me it’s local

 

[CoralChaos]

LRS = Larry's Reef Services, he puts out a frozen mix that is pretty universally hailed as fantastic. I use it as an all-purpose food for my tank - pull out a chunk each day, thaw it and feed. I'll alternate between broadcast feeding the tank and target-feeding everything. I noticed an immediate improvement in my tank when I switched to LRS from the previous frozen foods I used.

What I've heard re: sharing food is that if a coral has 'connected' flesh, it'll share the food between heads. So for most corals, the answer is yes, if you feed one head or two heads or ten heads, they'll share the nutrition between the colony.

If you have tissue recession that separates the heads - say, a branching hammer coral where the flesh recedes and leaves bare skeleton - then the heads lose the ability to share and you effectively have two colonies that happen to be close to each other.

Thanks a lot for your input I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!

 

[CoralChaos]

Highly recommend LRS. The list of ingredients is like walking through a fish market. Bunches of everything in it. Plus Larry is a great guy and for me it’s local

Thanks a lot man I appreciate the answer!

 

[Cell]

I'm a fan of LRS Reef Frenzy as well.

 

[gotmesalty77]

I am glad that i found this thread as i just made the switch to LRS from WWC frozen mix. I also feed my coral and fish PE piscine mysis pellets. i started to use them for a wilsoni that i am trying to rehab and properly acclimate. Turns out ALL of the coral love those pellets, at least the ones that have the ability to accept and consume them.

 

[LadyTang2]

If I were to feed half the colony for example, will that feed the entire colony or do I need to feed each and every head

Good question OP, I can't give an authoritative answer but I did find this after some searches...

Individual polyps are connected via gastrovascular canals that allow sharing of nutrients and symbiotic algae. These canals run through the coenosarc, tissue that connects individual polyps at the surface of a coral colony.

I also saw some threads where people were saying they can share but those individual polyps that get fed will do better which makes sense. For what it's worth a few threads had a fair number of people who said theirs did better with no spot feeding if they broadcast. Experts can you help us out? Is sharing caring in the world of acans?

 

[Sarlindescent]

I am not sure if they share, but here is my process of making sure everyone gets a bit. I mix hikari mysis and reef roids and melt it with selcon, brightwell aminos and recover, and a phyto liquid. I try and target feed one mysis per, but this only works well for the ones that are in sight. Once I have target fed the mysis, I use the slurry and blast the colonies. If all else fails, everyone is getting some of the slurry.