• Name:

    Cancer Stick

    (View AKA's)
  • Family: Acroporidae
  • Species: Acropora
  • Scientific Name: Acropora sp
More Details

Also Know As:

| FHC Cancer Stick

| Frag House Corals Cancer Stick

General info about Cancer Stick

In general, species from Acropora may grow either as a plate, slender or broad branching type of reef building corals. Each branch has several colonies that is composed of several corallites. When undisturb, their polyps will extend. But it will retract and hide inside the pores as a response to water movement or threat by nearby predators. They are common in shallow reefs with good visibility and strong water movement. They are noted as a refuge for small fish.

This are the water parameters for cultivating Cancer Stick:

  • Calcium: 400 - 450 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 3.2 - 4.5 MEQ/L
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1350 - 1500
  • Strontium: 10
  • Temperature: 72° - 78° F (22° - 26° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.024 - 1.025

Cancer Stick Diet & Nutrition

Feeding the Cancer Stick in captivity with nano-zooplankton once a week is recommended. Do not feed them with copepods, artemia and other nauplii as they too large for them to ingest. The addition of dissolved organics is also recommended.

Fragging / Propagating Cancer Stick

A mature tank is highly recommended in propagating Cancer Stick. They require stable tank condition and that a sudden change could lead to stress and death. They are highly sensitive to temperature, sedimentation, chemical and environmental change.

Flow / Lighting Requirements for Cancer Stick

Cancer Stick require moderate to intense lighting and strong water flow. They are known to stress out in low light environment and slow water flow.

Cancer Stick Origin

Being both a tropical and subtropical species, Cancer Stick are found in the entire Indo-Pacific region particularly in Fiji, Sulu Sea, Madagascar, Phoenx Island, Marshall Islands and Australia.

 

Caution Should be Taken with Cancer Stick

You have to watch out for crabs. Except for the commensal crabs, most decapods and other crustaceans do not do well with Cancer Stick. Avoid moving them from place to place as this can cause stress and death.

Cancer Stick do not have stinging tentacles. But they have digestive strands like Acontia and Terpins that could be released if they are set to nearby corals. They are specifically aggressive to zoanthids and soft leather corals.

How to Acclimate Cancer Stick

Cancer Stick should be carefully acclimated. They should be placed in their permanent position immediately after acclimation. It takes 6 months for them to regain normal growth. They are purely marine, therefore, salinity must be maintained thoroughly at 1.023 to 1.025 specific gravity.

Relevent Articles

Original Detail

Name Species Family Scientific Name More Detail Added by
Cancer Stick Acropora Acroporidae Acropora sp

In general, species from Acropora may grow either as a plate, slender or broad branching type of reef building corals. Each branch has several colonies that is composed of several corallites. When undisturb, their polyps will extend. But it will retract and hide inside the pores as a response to water movement or threat by nearby predators. They are common in shallow reefs with good visibility and strong water movement. They are noted as a refuge for small fish.

This are the water parameters for cultivating Cancer Stick:

  • Calcium: 400 - 450 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 3.2 - 4.5 MEQ/L
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1350 - 1500
  • Strontium: 10
  • Temperature: 72° - 78° F (22° - 26° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.024 - 1.025
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