Acan Help

[Dave]

I bought an Acan on July 3rd, and up until 3-4 days ago it was looking great. It was very inflated, and the tentacles were out.

3-4 days back it shrunk down where you can now see the space between the polyps and has yet to recover.

I had it at the bottom of the tank until last night, and now I have brought it up to the lower middle. Will have to see later today if this had any impact.

The same day I bought some acropora, a monti, a few other SPS, and they are going strong.

Everything else in the tank seems to be doing great.

Can't figure out what happened???

Parms look good, and I would have thought the Acro would show signs of a problem before Acans if it was a parameter issue. However, definitely not experienced enough to be sure about that.

 

[ReeferNets]

Do you feed them?

mine do that a couple days after eating or after a water change.

 

[Dave]

I usually feed the tank keeping the power head on and filter off. This has been working for me generally. I had not been target feeding them specifically.

I did not perform a recent water change prior to this occuring.

I did add Seachem Reef Calcium and Reef Complete for the first time within days prior. The additions of the two supplements were about 2 days apart.

I doubt their is any coorelation given the Acro is fine, but I don't know.

Based on your response, I am assuming this behaviour is considered somewhat normal for Acans, and maybe I should just take a wait and see approach?

 

[mnat]

I have noticed on my acans they will inflate deflate a lot. You know you have a problem when you see recision and the "skeleton" starts to show. Also, how are the colors?

 

[ReeferNets]

LPS alike anemones and can eat and have a stomach. Part of their digestions is the ability to suck in water and expands their polyps or in an anemones case its tentacle and body.

If you make changes to the water they can shrink down and expel the water and fill back up again.

Its normal if you notice them look like they are expelling their guts then you can worry.

 

[mr_X]

how much detrius is on the sand bed where you had it previously? if it's a "dead zone" it might have taken on some detrius into it's polyps. i have seen this wipe out a colony. it seems they can get bacterial infections from the concentrated crap that brownish/ sand colored detrius is made of.
too rich for them maybe.
i've seen it multiple times actually. they will need to be in enough flow so that detrius will not settle on the polyps.

if this happens, it starts out like you said- it's all shrunk up, and doesn't inflate any longer, then it will start receding. fragging off the healthy polyps, and moving them to a different area was the only way i was able to stop the progression.

i have also found that my acans do best in moderate lighting. they retain the best color, and extend to give that nice fat look.
hope this helps.

 

[Mbodell]

Low alk will also make them do that.

 

[Dave]

Turns out they were just expelling water and filling again.

They have grown since I first posted, and color looks great.

No longer worried.

Thanks all.

 

[Nickjr000]

Glad they're good. I'm starting to get into acans . Nice colors.