Shrinking xenia

[elefink]

My tank (a Biocube 32) has been running now for 5 months. I started to put coral frags into it 2 or 3 months ago. The first was a pulsing xenia that quickly took over the little island that I'd put it on. Then about 2 weeks ago it started to shrink. Out of the blue. The difference is that also near the bottom, but on the other side of the tank, I put in a couple of hairy mushrooms. I also put in a favia that is way at the top. It seems to like light.

The xenia was doing great. And suddenly it's shriveling up to the point I'm afraid the whole colony is in jeopardy.

I have 0 ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. A week ago I found a trace of Phosphate and wondered if that was causing the trouble, and so I put in the phosphate sponge and cleared that up fast. The xenia didn't get better. My other parameters look good, except Mg is low (930). I haven't tested the iodines because I don't have a test.

Any ideas? I haven't changed anything but the corals. I've been doing 20% water changes every two weeks and am about to do another. I like xenia and want to save it.

 

[D-Nak]

Xenia like dirty water. If it's too clean -- which yours could be -- it tends to shrivel up (which you may find is not such a bad thing when you get tired of it, which many of us do).

 

[HumbleFish]

Xenia like dirty water. If it's too clean -- which yours could be -- it tends to shrivel up (which you may find is not such a bad thing when you get tired of it, which many of us do).

+1 I had xenia spreading like wildfire in a dirty little tank with high nitrates. To test the above theory I would take a small frag of it, put it in my low nutrient SPS tank, and it shriveled up & died every time.

 

[mcgyvr]

I have 0 ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. A week ago I found a trace of Phosphate and wondered if that was causing the trouble, and so I put in the phosphate sponge and cleared that up fast.

Nutrients are needed by all life..
Thinking zero is the target is wrong..

You are starving your corals..

Just like grass in your lawn it needs fertilizer/nutrients to be green and lush.. Without that it dies..

Common recommendations are 2-5ppm of nitrates and .03-.08 or so ppm of phosphates..