"Trimming" Xenia

[Neal Flomenberg]

I have a Xenia frag that is growing like a weed and I want to control its growth. It spread from a small rock it was orignially attached to onto one of the main rocks in my tank and is outgrowing its neighbors too quickly. So, it needs to be pruned and perhaps relocated. I need to know how to do this.

I presume the stalks won't peel off the rocks or are there tricks to do this? Can the stalks be cut without killing the portion of the colony contained on that stalk?

For reattachment, I've seen the toothpick and the rubberband methods. Can the cut stalks be glued to a rock? I ask this as I wondered about gluing a frag onto the overflow in my tank and seeing if it would spread on it (which would be nice camouflage). Is that feasible?

Any help/suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Neal

 

[drummereef]

Here's an article for you.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2...ature/index.php

 

[SuperNerd]

Link's not working.

 

[mildew]

My experience with Xenia is that it is hardly more than slightly organized slime. When growing out of control I've cut stalks with a razor blade and they amost disintergrate before you can get them out of the tank. I don't see how they can be glued or tied down. The remaining stumps will some times resprout. Xenia seems to spread best by just leaning over and touching something solid, i.e. rock or glass. It rapidly attaches and then cuts itself free from the colony. I'd suggest getting it to touch a piece of rubble rock and once attached and separated from the mother colony, remove it. That's just my experience and opinion.

 

[rigleautomotive]

if you grab the xenia at the base and pinch it firmly between your index finger and thumb ,pullin away from the rock they will usually come off in one piece.i do 20 frags a month like this.some will rip,but most come off.cutting the stock will usually result in the stock regrowing and the top dieing sometimes.i place the frag in a shallow container with rubble and in a week they attach and can be moved into place.

 

[Neal Flomenberg]

Many thanks to all.

 

[drummereef]

:thumbsup:

 

[Impala1964]

Just rip it off like rigleautomotive said if a little part stays it will sometimes grow back