Acans loosing color/clearing

[JohnnyDanger]

I put some really nice and expensive Acans in my tank yesterday. All my parameters are fine so it's not that. I put them in the sand bed under a rock so lighting isn't and issue I don't think. They were handled with great care because of how expensive they were so I don't think that's it. I haven't seen any fish picking them so that's not it.. I honestly have no idea why after 15 hours of them in the tank this is happening.. Look at the top middle and top right polyps. You can see right through them and it seem to be barley starting on other polyps on the top.. I swear if these things die on me.....:grumble:

 

[noy]

Can't really tell from your picture. But not sure why you have it in the shade - they do require "medium" lighting so unless you have crazy MH's; usually putting them at the bottom is good enough.

They do normally get bloated and translucent - if that is your problem its normal. If they are shriveled up - it may just be they are getting used to your water chemistry (give a few days). Sometimes they will deflate when they are growing new heads - but i don't think thats your problem if you only had it for 15 hours.

At night do the feeder tentacles extend - thats a good sign.

 

[cvcdrk]

I'm also not seeing what the issue with them is in that picture. They look healthy to me.

But yeah, why the shade? Light's good for them. :-)

 

[JohnnyDanger]

The tank they came out of only got straight blue LED's for 4 hours a day and that's it.. I put them part way into the shade for the first couple days to acclimate them. They're not totally in the shade though.. Look at the top middle polyp. You can see right through the top of it. You cant see in the picture but the green in the center of the polyp has died too..

 

[noy]

normally when acans die - you lose coloration and the tissue will recede and you will see the coral calcium skeletons. This happens over weeks (as far as i know). So if thats what its doing after 15 hours - I would take it back and get your $$$ back.

Its weird they would only have 4 hours of actinic lighting a day. That would lead to tissue loss in itself.

 

[cvcdrk]

Yeah that doesn't seem like enough light to even keep them alive. Are you sure on that?

Regardless, if that's the case maybe they're just not used to your lights? Give them some time I would say.

 

[JohnnyDanger]

Yea I'm sure that's the light they were getting.. I had the same reaction when the owner told me that.. But he knows what he's doing.. His success with corals is amazing.. I moved them a little bit farther back and they already appear to be doing better.. Hopefully they stay colorful and healthy.. They're such a cool colony!!

 

[little_fish]

You can put acans in the dark or highly shaded areas and get them to put out some amazing colors, and then sell them for a huge mark up. That is what one rather shady coral in my areas uses. But once you put in them in a normal situation, they will revert back to being rather plain.