Pulsing Xenia Dying? Help please

Aquat

New member
So just one night ago, I bought 2 Xenia frag. Took it home, acclimated it, and dropped it in. Within the first hour, it was half way fully opened. Then later, I decided to move it. Within the next day, it's completely shrunk from a pulsating pink bush to a shrunken light green - blue cabbage. Then when I tried to move it again, I think I saw pieces falling off? It's still pulsating but in a shrunken state and very infrequently. Help please, it's not a big system. So as time goes on, the more I'm afraid it's going to mess up my system if it does complete die off.

36g Bow; 5 months

Temp: 79'F
Salinity: 1.024 - 1.026
pH: N/A (Never bothered, figured as long as it's constant)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate/Nitrite: 0
Calcium: 390 - 430
Alk: N/A (4 weeks since tested)
Phosphate: N/A (4 weeks since tested)
Mag: N/A

Having trouble posting photos on here. Going to upload on Flickr. Please try the links below.

LINKS:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92980366@N03/8553958598/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92980366@N03/8553953702/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92980366@N03/8552853497/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92980366@N03/8553956890/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92980366@N03/8553962098/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92980366@N03/8552858721/in/photostream
 
whenever I have moved mine around, it shrinks up and sulks for a day or two. From what I can tell from the pic it is just closed up, but it's hard to tell. I would just leave it alone for a few days and see if it starts to perk up. Mine doesn't like strong currents, and it also closes up at night.

Hopefully it will be all right and settle in.
 
Thanks for the reassurement.

Also, the last pic is the frag I was talking about when I said 'I think I saw pieces falling off'.
 
no problem, hopefully it is just annoyed at being moved. I wasn't sure what you meant by pieces coming off, but looking at the last pic it just looks like a closed up xenia to me. Just leave him be for a while and hopefully he will start overtaking your tank soon!

(joking - xenia seems to take over the whole tank sometimes, and do nothing other times...funny coral in that way)
 
+1 they just look irritated from being moved so they closed up. It should open up if in the right conditions in a day or two. I had two huge colonies i lost in a tank upgrade but very cool coral that grows very fast so keep an eye on it. As the other poster said mine hated flow so keep it in the lowest flowing area of your tank otherwise it has a hard time staying open and pulsating
 
Xenia loves pollution, when I had it in a 158 if I ran my skimmer it would not pulse, turn off the skimmer and it was happy.
 
Updated: They're completely gone. Lost most of its polyps by the afternoon. The entire body mass disappeared. Just 2 empty plugs now.

Guess I'll buy an ALK kit and check the parameters. I heard Xenia were sensitive to ALK. I still do appreciate you guy's help.
 
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