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08-04-2006, 02:02 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 26
Posts: 1,200
|  Coral of the Month (August '06) - Rainbow Acanthastrea Echinata
August Coral of the Month - Rainbow Acanthastrea Echinata!  Scientific Name: Acanthastrea echinata Type: Long Polyp Stony (LPS) Origin: Indo-Pacific Common name(s): Rainbow acanthastrea, Rainbow acan, acan echinata, Pineapple coral Family: Mussidae Temperament: Semi-aggressive Aquarium Needs Lighting: Low Intensity Water Quality: Moderate Current: Low to Moderate Supplemental Feeding: Brine shrimp, cyclopeeze, cyclops sp., zooplankton, squid. Any meaty food will do as long as it's chopped to meet it's mouth size. =) Growth Rate: Slow. When fed regularly, it can expedite it's growth rate rather quickly. Frag Difficulty: Easy Tank Placement: Bottom or substrate Personal Observations
This coral is extremely hardy and can bounce back from demise rather easily. Of course, given that it has no serious infection or any type of fast tissue loss (necrosis). Providing good water quality and regular feedings along with good lighting will help this coral keep it's luster and overall health.
I have observed that, like any other Acan Echinata, it loves to eat! It is recommended to keep regular feedings to keep this coral thriving! Of course, it is not necessary as this coral has the symbiotic algae: zooxanthellae. Providing this coral with sufficient light will suffice in keeping it healthy.
This coral spreads by budding or lateral extension. It will overlap rock or old skeleton and build a new polyp. Boy have I noticed this already.  When I first got this coral, it was on a downward spiral. Two healthy polyps, two half way dead and one so on the brink of death, that it had a tiny bit of mouth with two sweepers. When I acclimated the piece, the echinata didn't even wait to acclimate to the light, it opened up the very next day! It accepted foods right away as well! I did notice that they were extremely weak and their sweepers werent as sticky and could barely hold food. I had to hold the food on their tentacles for a while before they got the strength to hold on to it themselves. I have had it for a little over 2-3 months and both polyps that were 1/2 dead have now developed a complete mouth with a central disc and are now working on their outer tissue. They are now overlapping an old skeleton from a previously dead polyp. Now, they eat foods like crazy! They have even swallowed squid the size of an eraser on a no. 2 pencil!!
If you come across this coral, dying or living: it's well worth it. Really easy to care and extremely beautiful! If you want a coral that you want to feed every now and then and can survive without the feedings, this is your coral! Also, this coral is pretty pricey. It is usually sold as small frags due to it's expensive price tag, but again, it's well worth it! A must for any Acan fan!
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30g reef tank, CPR CY192 filter w/ DIY plumb running Rio 17HF return, Coralife 3x 9w UV Sterilizer, 3 24W T5-Helios 10K Daylights/3 24W T5-Helios Blue lights, 2 Logysis blue meteor light strobes (moonlights/24 Blue LEDs).
Tiger tail cuke, asst. snails/hermits, asst. feathers, rainbow acan,zoos,shrooms,bubble,galaxea, asst. shrimp, 2 ocellaris,mandarin,zebrasoma xanthurum,pink-spot watchman,red-striped pistol.
Last edited by Matt Rogers : 08-04-2006 at 07:55 AM.
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08-04-2006, 02:32 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | 3reef Sponsor
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Brookfield, IL Age: 32
Posts: 334
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Great article rickzter _________ Your #1 Source for Fauna Marin, GHL/Profilux, ZEOvit & Hagen Products!
Specializing in Rare & Exotic Animals "Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." -Leon J. Suenes | |
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08-04-2006, 04:57 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: chesterfield, VA,Virginia
Posts: 295
Karma: 136
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ditto, great job, i just hope mine is half as good. _________ 125 reef, 6 vho,double spinner wet dri,turbo twist 18w uv,custom sea life 1/5 horse chiller,octopus 150 needlewheel skimmer,2 scwds,midwest aquatics sulfur nitrate reactor,jalli 500w titaninum heater,island aquatics calcium reactor,main pump:quiet one 5000,skimmer pump  r 2700 needlewheel,chiller/uv pump:ca 3000.21 moon lights in banks of 3.automatic sump-fill.4 hydor 360 degree flos.1 maxijet modded,1 vortech 3100gph flow pump | |
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08-04-2006, 07:58 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | KingFish
Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Pt. Richmond, Ca. Age: 38
Posts: 7,334
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Oh man you are giving me the acan bug again rickzter!
I set you up with the 3reef Contributor badge and 100 karma for your effort - fanatastic job! 
Last edited by Matt Rogers : 08-04-2006 at 12:02 PM.
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08-04-2006, 09:29 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Sailfin Tang
Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF/Monterey Bay Area, CA
Posts: 1,749
Karma: 104
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I have one correction, lighting/placement.
Many acan freaks have great success under higher PAR bulbs (not low intensity). They do fine under lower light, but they also can be just fine under high light. Depends on the mother colony.
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Gresham
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Feeding the reef... one polyp at a time... | |
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08-04-2006, 11:42 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 26
Posts: 1,200
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by Gresham I have one correction, lighting/placement.
Many acan freaks have great success under higher PAR bulbs (not low intensity). They do fine under lower light, but they also can be just fine under high light. Depends on the mother colony. | I agree Gresham, I have mine placed high to the side. I failed to mentioned that. But I've noticed one thing, mine is losing it's intense orange coloration due to the intense light. Although it can thrive under high intense light, you risk having it lose some of the beautiful color. I still dont know what color mine is wanting to turn, but it is losing it's intense orange. grrrrr  | |
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08-05-2006, 09:03 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Vancouver Washington Age: 33
Posts: 280
Karma: 46
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NICE! good job Rickzter. I would like to have a piece of that. Beautiful stuff. | |
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08-05-2006, 12:33 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 533
Karma: 47
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I need new lights. _________ Senior Noob Setting my 75 back up soon Main SW Tank:
55gal, 70LBS of Tonga/LFSDIY, 50lbs LS, 1x250watt MH(20k), AquaC Remora Skimmer Live stock: Velvet Damsel, (12)Blue legged crab, lawnmower blenny, (1)cleaner shrimp, Yellow Tang, Featherduster CoralsRandom Zoo's(like 10), more zoo's,red mushrooms and hairy mushrooms, Sinularia | |
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08-05-2006, 12:38 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Sailfin Tang
Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF/Monterey Bay Area, CA
Posts: 1,749
Karma: 104
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by rickzter I agree Gresham, I have mine placed high to the side. I failed to mentioned that. But I've noticed one thing, mine is losing it's intense orange coloration due to the intense light. Although it can thrive under high intense light, you risk having it lose some of the beautiful color. I still dont know what color mine is wanting to turn, but it is losing it's intense orange. grrrrr | Huh, mine has picked up more color since putting it under my150de, but, I feed heavily with Arcti-Pods, so the color could be sourced from that | |
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08-05-2006, 12:54 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 43
Posts: 3,896
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Nice job! I have seen it once at my local pet shop. For a frag about 2 inches by 2 inches it costs about $70.00! Not as pricey as some of the vivid Montiporas or Acro's but costly just the same... _________ 125gal.w/Mag9.5 return(dual megaflow)>Mag7 pump Aqua Cev180skimmer.Wave2k Hamilton Reefstar(2)250watthqi(mh)pend.a Yellow, Naso Tang Red Lip Blenny Percula Clown Demoiselles Niger Trigger F. Wrasses Ceriantharia Orn.Shrimp and Stars Hermits Queen Conch asst. snails> Stars Zoos shrooms Montipora Brains Gorgonians Favia Turbinaria(large+small polyp) Acropora Xenia Tridacna (CroceaMaximaSquamosa) Leathers <35+75gal.reef tank as well> 
"IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME"  jb  | |
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