Acan growth rate

[Vivalashay]

Just curious about the rate of your acan growth. I'm assuming that, like other corals, the rates are dependent on each individual coral but I would still like to hear your experience.

[Mel-E-Mel]

Keep it fed and it should grow pretty quick. I had a frag of about 5 heads and 6 months later it has about 12 to 15 heads.

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Low nutrient levels and lots of feeding (how to do, but can be done with work) will make just about any acan grow like a weed. There is a good thread on here showing exactly that, just spend some time searching the LPS forum.

[urastame]

Acan also like med flow to gather food.

[PhamtonBlue]

I feed mine and they grow pretty fast. But i have had acans that don't grow that fast even after like a year.

[Mark426]

Many different types of Acans with different growth rates.
One generalization I have noticed with my Acans is the ones that have big fluffy heads like this one have much faster growth rates
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/data/500/Acan2.jpg

Than ones with tight, squished and oblong heads like this one
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/data/500/Acan1.jpg

[buttons buster]

That bottom acan is beautiful

[Colione]

i've had some acans for over 6 months. I feed them a few times a week, and while a few heads have split they haven't grown on the rock, or spread to adjacent rocks. Kind of annoying so I stopped feeding them, cause feeding clearly wasn't helping them grow.

[Reef Bass]

In my experience, feeding encourages formation of lots of new polyps.

[Mark426]

In my experience, feeding encourages formation of lots of new polyps.

Mine too

[PCfishman]

From my experience one of the biggest myths about acan lordhowensis is that they grow fast. Don't get me wrong, baby heads typically form within the first 2-3 months, but it can take up to a year+ for them to become full sized polyps...

[hk855]

I agree with PCfishman in general, they tend to sprout up to a dozen baby heads but then take months till they grow up and start with newer ones. I feed an orange one almost daily for 3 months and it went from one quarter sized head to 5 or 6 in about 3 or 4 months and probably 2 inches of skeleton then I lost daily interest and its been growing slowly ever since(2 years). It would probably be 8+ inches today if I never fraged it, didn't switch tanks and lights, moved multiple times and maintained feeding but its still a good 20-30 heads and baseball+ sized.

[crsaz]

I have a colony of about 70 heads and in the 3 months I've had it it's popped up around 40-50 babies only a few have grown to about the size of a dime and the rest are now big enough for multiple mysis so hopefully soon I will have 40+ more adult polyps, I am going to try and feed them daily and see how they react.

[Colione]

what about the base? How does the base grow?

A few new heads have grown, but the stony base hasn't expanded at all, and now there are all these hard tube worm things on the side of the frag, not sure if the stony base will grow over that? Any thoughts on that?

[sc reefer]

What would you reccommend feeding small acan polyps? I just got a very small frag (less than dime size) and need to find something it will eat.

[Acronic]

cyclopeze ^ at night

[sc reefer]

Would you reccommend target feeding,small chuncks by hand or broadcast?

[75g brat]

I just got my frist one a week ago and have been feeding it mysis. And it is growing fast I think. I would stay with target feeding its working for me.

[PCfishman]

what about the base? How does the base grow?

A few new heads have grown, but the stony base hasn't expanded at all, and now there are all these hard tube worm things on the side of the frag, not sure if the stony base will grow over that? Any thoughts on that?

I've had one colony lay down a new row of polyps over a year ago and another after that. Neither row really have a thick or recognizable skeleton as far as I can see. There may be one under the polyp, but don't want to kill one to find out. Long story short, they seem to grow skeletons really slowly.

[reefgems]

two to three polyps to a dozen easy if you feed them depending on specific type, you will notice matchhead sized babies along the outer growth ring. feed those babies too for faster growth!

[SchmittyG]

I think also a key besides target feeding is making sure your calcium, magnesium and alkalinity are on point and stable. Patience is always key

[SchmittyG]

Ive had my acan for 5 1/2 months and havent had any new heads, it has grown a bit but nothing new to report... I feed it occasionally but Ill try feeding more regularly...

[DesertReefT4r]

Keep them happy and feed a coral food to the tank and they will grow well, I had 3 different acans all had 2-5 heads each and they grew into tea cup dish sized colonies in under a year. Mid-high lighting, mid flow a coral food that stays in the water colum for a little while.

[d0ughb0y]

a resurrected old thread.

I got 2 acans, 1 head each back in 2010. never fed anything. now it is over 50 heads (too many to count). It won't grow if you keep watching it.