Cutting back Xenia's

[AquaMonkey]

I cut back a small amount of the Xenia's growing in my tank. After I cut a nice swath through the side of a pile, the cut off stalks fell to the bottom of the tank. I had them all contained on an island to prevent them from spreading all over the tank.

Can the stalks I cut off grow where they are, or blow to some corner I can't reach and start growing there??

Not sure if I need to start ripping through my tank to find the loose stalks and get them out of the tank. Or if I can continue to cut away the sections I don't want with reckless abandon!! :hammer:

Thanks for any help

 

[Patriot54]

I'm pretty sure they will grow where ever they landed

 

[scuba guy ron]

they can and will grow where ever they land.

 

[EllieSuz]

And they'll leave a whole colony behind them while they "climb" toward the light. Find them, remove them, destroy them and pray you got them all.

 

[AquaMonkey]

I guess I know what I'll be doing all afternoon lol

In the future I guess it would be best to cut and pullthem one at a time with teasers?

 

[EllieSuz]

I've been pretty successful at keeping them in one spot. I keep them on a rock at the top of the rock work. If they attach to the glass they can be scraped off with a razor blade. Razor blade tool in one hand, small net in the other, powerheads off. Meanwhile, if they get too numerous on the rock, it's easy to take that one out of the tank and pull off excess. Why bother? I think they're great looking and love the look of all that movement. You just have to be cautious with them.

 

[AquaMonkey]

I just spent about 3 hours "literally" with my arm in the tank cuuting them all off and picking them out with tweezers and then scooping the top layer of sand around it out.

I just wanted to cut them back some but they were growing VERY rapidly and I know they will be back somewhere so I just wiped them all out.

I have a better looking pale color Xenia colony on a front island rock that is still under control and I like.
The rock that the ugly brown ones were on is very large and has Zoas and a hammer coral on it that was being obscured by the over growth. It wasn't feasible to take that rock out to prune it properly.
I really liked the way it looked like plains grass blowing, but it was time to mow the lawn as it were

 

[cam1270]

Get every bit out, where ever they land, they will grow. I started with a couple of stalks, now their everywhere. I figured when I cut them, I must be missing some parts. Good luck

 

[lostintheocean]

i have been dumping some in my fuge and they have taken root, i just tossed them in so i would guess if the piece is big enought it will start growing

 

[scuba guy ron]

I just spent about 3 hours "literally" with my arm in the tank cuuting them all off and picking them out with tweezers and then scooping the top layer of sand around it out.

get used to it....I did

 

[jmsteve3]

The one "coral" everyone beginning wants, then finds it's just like a weed. Grab them all, good luck.

 

[bluelair]

And xenia smell so good, too.

 

[enduserferg]

Yeah they attach everywhere they can good luck =)

 

[scuba guy ron]

Tonight is pruning night......again

 

[StefanF]

I have been trying to keep them in control. One thing I found that works is when I move my frogspawn colony and hammerheads to the area where they are growing and in a couple of weeks they are gone.

 

[TiTAN]

Xenia will grow from a tiny piece to a whole colony fairly quickly, if you do not want them in your tank I would suggest find the cuttings and remove them.

 

[h2oimports]

mine grows like crazy. i just keep it in a corner to contain it easier. i jus inject them with kalkwasser to reduce the population

 

[soulsigma]

Mother Nature seems to be difficult to contain even in a glass box.

 

[StrongMN]

i agree with the frogspawn and hammer. if you don't want xenia to spread, put soemthing that stings next to them.

-StrongMN