LPS polyp issue

[kay-bee19]

I recently purchased a possible acan 'frag'. It's about the size of an acorn or slightly smaller. The problem is there are polyps all around it, it's not attached to a rock or anything, the entire piece is the coral, so no matter where or how I place it, some polyps will be on the bottom and unable to receive light.

Do these corals 'distribute' the 'energy' provided by the zooxanthellae to compensate the light-deprived parts or is each polyp on 'its own' in that aspect?

I placed it in a live rock cranny where it fits very well, however I am concerned about the coral polyps on the bottom and sides (which aren't receiving much if any light and can't extend their feeding tentacles at night):

 

[Lance M.]

Whatever doesnt receive light will slowly die. I would place it so that as much of it gets light as possible. And for long term growth encrusting corals do best attached to the rock so you should think about using some epoxy but with the size piece your talking about you could probably just use some gel super glue to attach it.

Maybe you can find somewhat of a small peak on a rock and attach it to that so that the edges can grow hmm I dont know ow to explain without showing. Like place it on a ^ point with super glue or epoxy so that only a little bit of it is attached to the point and it can grow out or even the edge of a flat rock /<.