Lighting
50-130 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSBeginnerCare score 4/10
Acan Coral
Micromussa lordhowensis
Acan Coral LPS guide focused on fleshy round polyps, lookalike separation from Blastomussa and Favia, and early checks for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation before changing light or flow.
Compare fleshy round polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Care score
- 4/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 50-130 PAR
- Flow
- Low
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Minimum tank age
- 3 months
- Minimum tank size
- 10 gallons
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Coughdrop12
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Haplochromis
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.5
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 8-9.5 dKH
- Calcium
- 400-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 3-20 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.12 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
low indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Acan Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Acan Coral requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- mysis, LPS pellets, small meaty foods
- Frequency
- 1-2 times weekly after lights dim or when feeders show
ID
Identification
Key features
- fleshy round polyps
- visible ridges between heads
- striped or rainbow color bands
Common colors
- Red
- Orange
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Acan polyps are usually puffier and more separate than Favia, with smaller round heads than many Blastomussa colonies. For Acan Coral, start with fleshy round polyps, visible ridges between heads, and striped or rainbow color bands before checking color. Compare it with Blastomussa and Favia by looking at corallite walls, polyp shape, tissue inflation, and where recession begins, especially after polyps or tissue are fully extended. Because trade photos can exaggerate color, skeleton shape, polyp layout, and expansion pattern are stronger clues than color alone.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 3 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Acan Coral fleshy tissue recession or weak inflationOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- polyps inflate less, exposed skeleton appears, or feeding response weakens
- Acan Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- alkalinity swings, direct flow, stinging contact, or abrasion
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Acan Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Acan Coral alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact
- reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton
- increase spacing and observe the coral under white light and after lights out
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- protect fleshy LPS tissue from direct flow and sharp rock
- placing Acan Coral before confirming fleshy round polyps and its spacing needs
- using Acan Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Blastomussa
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Acan Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Acan Coral
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Is Acan Coral beginner friendly?
Acan Coral can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still needs acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Acan Coral be placed?
Start Acan Coral low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 50-130 PAR and low flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Acan Coral?
Acan Coral may benefit from careful target feeding with mysis, LPS pellets, and small meaty foods. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: 1-2 times weekly after lights dim or when feeders show. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Acan Coral touch other corals?
Give Acan Coral about 3 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Moderate. Use caution near Chalice Coral, Favia, and Favites. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Acan Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Acan Coral, polyps inflate less, exposed skeleton appears, or feeding response weakens and Acan Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Acan Coral fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation. Likely causes to check include alkalinity swings, direct flow, stinging contact, or abrasion and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Acan Coral. Start with these database checks: check Acan Coral alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact and reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton.
What stability issue matters most for Acan Coral?
For Acan Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue. The database lists 3 months as the minimum tank age and 10 gallons as the minimum tank size. For LPS-style care, protect fleshy tissue from repeated moves, direct flow, and abrupt chemistry corrections.
Coral Identifier
Identify Acan Coral.
Compare likely matches.
Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare fleshy round polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Photo-based coral IDReference photosLikely matches
