Melting Xenia

[SweTed]

Here is a video ive had the xenia for over 2 years and i think its looks alright let me know what you think below the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw5tHYJKtA8&list=UUvyVh2wczWB8Ui7B5d47zAQ&index=1&feature=plcp

 

[tuawcxs]

I think its an Alk issue with Xenias. I had a tank with Alk levels of 9 -10 and the Xenias would burn over a couple weeks. I had a tank crash with the October power outages in the Northeast and had to start from scratch. My new redo of the tank has a stable Alk of 7 and the new Xenia frag I put in during January 2012 has let me split it 7 times so far and all are growing extremely well. Just my experience. If only I can get my SPS colonies to do as good

 

[Gillundr]

I have seen Xenia grow in all dkh ranges. I suppose some colonies do better at certain levels but as long as its stable and within range it should be fine. I have seen it stop pulsing at very low levels though. under 6. which in my opinion its too low for a mixed reef.
Xenia do need iodine in the water so you may want to get an iodine test kit and dose that or look into it and do some research on that.
I have had luck removing it off rocks using a torch! thats right. We took the rock it was on out of the tank and used a propane torch on that area of the rock and it never returned. the torch can be bought at any large store like home depot or walmart for less than 20 bucks.
Hope that helps a bit.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk

 

[maukings]

i too had xenia grow like crazy and all of a sudden started melting. Not sure what changed.

 

[xCry0x]

if you want to get rid of it just send me your rock

I bought a xenia frag 2 weeks ago, it is all shrivled up and melted now. Tried it in the back of the tank about half way up, didnt like it. Tried it on the sand in the middle of the tank, shrivled more, moved it up slightly, shrivled more.. now I have it in the front on the sand..

24x3w led on 25g tank about 4" off water, mp10.. run low nutrients with heavy skimming & gfo but feed a decent amount with a home made fish food blend.

 

[MBIETZ]

I have a low nutrients tank with xenia they still grow and survive but they grow slow my parents tank is a dirtier tank and the xenias grow like crazy we have never had problems keeping them in either tank but getting them out is another story. Also the salinity in my parents tank is 1.022 so they survive fine in low salinity mine is around 1.025.

 

[xCry0x]

Where would you place them? I have been moving mine every 4 days or so trying to get it to liven up. Both the clove polyp and the xenia I bought are doing bad. I have heard they like moderate light and moderate-high flow, the cloves were in the sps tank at the LFS so they were getting a good amount of flow.

I have my mp10 at ~50% on NTM and leds are non-dimmable.. with just the blues on my cloves open more so I keep moving towards lower light but they still never seem to open like they did at store. Xenia never took to the tank well.

 

[MBIETZ]

In my parents tank they are everywhere the sand, rock and back glass they run a 4 bulb T5 fixture. In my tank they will grow anywhere i let them and for flow mine are in rapid to low flow my parents have low gentle flow all around their tank. I think you should try them low in your tank i feel that it is always better to start a coral at the lowest point in the tank because it wont ever hurt them and if its not enough light they will let you know by reaching for the light but if you start them to high it can cause extreme stress or death. In your tank with your LEDs it may even be necessary to shade them a little i have xenia that stretch from under rocks to the light so shading them wont hurt either. The same goes for the clove polyps my parents and i have those too and they are low in both our tanks as well.

 

[xCry0x]

Sounds good thanks for the feedback, I got some sweet cloves that are green in the center with pink stripes and I dont want those to die! The xenia is a dime a dozen and apparently next to impossible to kill so not as worried about that.

 

[MBIETZ]

Ya xenia are easy to get for free i know a lot of people including myself that throw them away when pruning. I feel like a dummy because when i first started years ago i paid $50 for a tiny xenia frag lol.

 

[xCry0x]

Yea my lfs sells them for $15.00 a frag.. I bought one but the cheap-skate in me felt guilty because I know people trash them and I could have probably gotten one for free or a much larger frag for $15 lol.