New to acans, how do you feed them?

[btb72]

Like the title says... How do you feed acans? I tried feeding them mysis but it seemed like they never really opened their tentacles to feed. Would it work if I just put the mysis in the tank for the fish, would they be able to get any that way? What is the best way. Sorry for all the questions thanks for the help! :)

[AndyH5512]

Its best to wait until after you turn your lights out for the night. The acans will normally cast their feeders then. If not, once they sense the mysis shrimp, they will morph to feed. The reason for doing it at night is because if you have fish, they will steal the food out of the acans mouth. In worst case scenarios, the fish learn to do this, and may start nipping at the coral all the time.

Or, you can make a feeding helmet with an old Coke or similar style bottle. Cut the bottom off so you can use it as a dome over them to keep the fish away.

[garygonzales]

Its best to wait until after you turn your lights out for the night. The acans will normally cast their feeders then. If not, once they sense the mysis shrimp, they will morph to feed. The reason for doing it at night is because if you have fish, they will steal the food out of the acans mouth. In worst case scenarios, the fish learn to do this, and may start nipping at the coral all the time.

Or, you can make a feeding helmet with an old Coke or similar style bottle. Cut the bottom off so you can use it as a dome over them to keep the fish away.

+1......i also use a jar to cover it up so no one steals the food...wait for tenticals to come out then feed it ..i use mysis.......

[scolylover]

how long have you had your acan for? when i receive a new acan they won't throw their tentacles out until a few weeks later... let them smell the food too, that way they'll want to open their mouths up and gobble away! they are pretty crazy eaters!

[btb72]

ive had them for about a week.. looking really nice and plump, they stick the tentacles out but the problem was that i couldnt ever get the mysis to stay around the acans long enough..

[btb72]

thanks for the coke bottle idea... i will try that some time.

[AndyH5512]

I should add that I usually turn my pumps off to keep the food from being pulled away by the current.

[LPS_Blasto]

Turn pumps off and use a turkey baster to target feed each polyp. Feed at night when the tentacles are out.

Give them 20 minutes to eat before you turn the pumps back on.

Don't forget to turn the pumps back on. Been there, got the T-shirt :lol:

[docbattysreef]

Its best to wait until after you turn your lights out for the night. The acans will normally cast their feeders then. If not, once they sense the mysis shrimp, they will morph to feed. The reason for doing it at night is because if you have fish, they will steal the food out of the acans mouth. In worst case scenarios, the fish learn to do this, and may start nipping at the coral all the time.

Or, you can make a feeding helmet with an old Coke or similar style bottle. Cut the bottom off so you can use it as a dome over them to keep the fish away.

+2 Acans will eat almost anything. Even if they dont have there feeding tentacles out if you place food in the oral disc the polyp will react and envelope the food.

[amore169]

Acans will eat pretty much anything.

[Joe]

I use tweezers and hand feed each head a mysis or something similar. Just brush the acan with the shrimp and it grabs onto it, enveloping the meal. Then, as others have said, find a way to keep fish from stealing it from the acan's mouths.

Joe

[Raceimage]

I cut up fresh scallops and shrimp from my local supermarket. When I move my lights and turn off the pump all my fish hide. I just place the food on the acan and wait 5 - 10 minutes before I turn the lights and pump back on. I feed my fish then and they leave the acans alone.

[wkureef]

thanks for the info on this thread.. I didnt know you could feed them big chuncks

[125galbiznotch]

coke bottle idea is good never thought of that lol

[dmyers557]

I would wait until night when the feeders come out.

[RokleM]

You can relatively easily train acans (and many LPS) for certain "tastes" or "smells" for lack of any better term. When I use to target feed on a regular basis (once or twice a week), the second mysis/selcon/vitachem hit the water column, out would come the feeders. I would let the mysis soak in the selcon/vitachem for a while, so 15-20 minutes before dosing I'd throw a little in the sump to be blasted into the tanks. 15 minutes later, everyone is ready to go mouths open ;)

Feeding at night isn't necessary, but it's probably one of the easiest times to start if they aren't "trained" to feed during the day.

[travis32]

How often do you feed. I went from not feeding mine at all to feeding them daily, just because it's fun. Though I hate sticking my hands in the tank to target them. I've just been targetting the largest head. So far it's always grabbed onto something. I usually just target them at night. I have really tiny nano frag of acans, so would like to feed them more to get them to grow faster and larger. IT's smaller than the frag plate it's on, maybe 3/4" in diamater. It has 3 heads and I see another hed in the process of forming.

I've only had it a couple weeks though. Is daily too often for them?

[RokleM]

You can indeed feed too much. Just like BTA's and other feeders, it's possible to overfeed LPS and get what's referred to as "gut rot". In short, they get too much food, don't expel enough waste, and can actually start to rot/decay from inside. Two-three times a week is what most would recommend at max for photosynthetic corals.

[travis32]

Good info! I think a snail stole some of the food one day. The acan had it and in 10 seconds a snail was sitting on top of the acan, and 10 seconds later turned around and went back where he came from.. Didn't know snails had a taste for brine shrimp, but this one did anything for it, including sit on my acan!!