something eating my xenia

[lildemmer]

I just got some xenia in the raffle at our last meeting, and since getting it home something in my tank has been eating at it. I have 4 seahorses, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 coral banded shrimp, a porcelin crab, a scooter blenny, red and blue leg hermits, a conch, turbo snails, 1 mushroom, some zoo's and some yello polyps. Anyone have any idea what is eating my xenia? I have seen the peppremint shrimp picking at it, but it looked more like cleaning than eating it. I did not see it do any damage, but that doesn't mean it didn't either. A few of the petals have actually been taken off. I am worried I may lose it. Thanks for the help!
-John

 

[fishieness]

well if there are no hitchickers or anything in there that you dont know about, my guess would be the pepermint shrimp. not all are reef save. And they are only considered so with caution. and are you sure they are pepermints and now camle backs? They are often mistaken and sold with eachother's names.

 

[lildemmer]

I thought I was sure, but could you explain to me how you know the difference? I want to make sure I know whats in my tnak.
-John

 

[fishieness]

camel backs have a little hump like, well... a camel. haha.
they also have the white lines in between the red as opposed to clear like the peps.

 

[JonTarutis]

Are you sure something is eating it and it isn't melting away? That would be my inclination and that the peppermint is just cleaning up the necrotic tissue...

 

[cato]

Welcome to the club lildemmer. Bout time you got on here. Did you ever get those lights from Eric? I'm inclined to go with Jon on your Xenia prob. My frag of it has been very slow to come around. Thought it might not make it but I must say it is looking better each day. Today is the frist day that it is actually starting to pump a bit. Everything else I got is doing great!

 

[lildemmer]

It's possible they were just cleaning up. The only thing that worries me is that the rest of it looks healthy. It isn't pulsing alot, but it is open and stretching out and looking better every time I look at it. we shall see. and no Eric never called me so I got one from someone else. thanks alot for all the help!
-John

 

[kroe]

Xenia has a habit of melting away for seemingly no reason. Low PH is a frequent cause, though at least for me PH tends to be lower in the winter.

If you really do have a xenia eater I bet you could sell it for a pretty penny .

 

[ctopal]

I have crops of the stuff, when it starts to melt I add a little bit of iodine and it perks back up immediately. But you have to be careful with iodine. I add the slow release stuff extremely well below the recommendations.

 

[cato]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7643635#post7643635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ctopal
I have crops of the stuff, when it starts to melt I add a little bit of iodine and it perks back up immediately. But you have to be careful with iodine. I add the slow release stuff extremely well below the recommendations.

Good to know.

 

[ctopal]

You can't test for the slow release stuff and I really don't like adding things you can't test for. There's a starter dose and then a weekly continuous dose. I did the first 2 starter doses and one regular when I had a severe problem and saw that it worked. Now I do a regular dose maybe once a month if I notice them receeding. It's supposedly good for softies in general although specifically mentions xenia on the bottle and I have a lot of softies.

 

[rwittig120ez]

I read in a magazine article that Xenia in the wild run rampent in an area then all of a sudden die off during a long term temp. change buy a degree or too. I know its basic but watch your temp.