What do people have against Xenia?????

steri

steri

New member
I have Xenia in my tank. So far it's the only coral in there. I know it spreads and can spread quickly, but man, it's awesome to look it, constantly pulsating in the water. It is in constant motion. That and my clowns seem to really like it.

So what do people have against this coral. Is it just that it can be limiting as to what other corals you can keep in the tank because it spreads quickly? I'm just curious.
 
I havent ran into anybody who hates it. I absolutely love it, ive got so much in my tank and its awesome. The fact that it grows like weeds could be a reason. But ive also noticed that anybody who keeps LPS or SPS corals think their higher and better than most because its more expensive to keep. I personally think its that reason, they think if its too easy and cheap to keep alive than dont mess with it :-) Thats just stupid to me though. Its your tank you do what you want with it bro!
 
Grew all over my live rock and due to flow started moving over my other corals choking the light and space they needed.
 
I think it is one of the most interesting corals period. Just keep it off of your main rock structure on a seperate piece of rock and you'll be fine.
 
I too have nothing against xenias.. i believe they are very interesting.... just make sure it doesnt overgrow your reef...
 
I like it a lot. The pumping is awesome. Some people just hate it because it spreads so quickly, but if you keep up with trimmings you should be good.
 
We love Xenia. I am actually looking for some other colors/ varieties to add. I keep softies and LPS and have never had a problem with overgrowth. Xenia seems to simply grow toward the light. If you place it low in the tank it is going to spread more, I placed mine fairly high and it has grown the few inches to the top which is exactly where I wanted it. Been that way almost a year.
 
I love xenia, i just have had problems getting it to grow in my tank but i think some people grew it and didnt keep it trimmed so it grew all over, just have to realize these things get bigger!
 
Xenia is one of my favorites. I keep it pruned, so it doesn' t get out of control. But it is by far one of the most interesting. It also stinks worse than any skimmate. I had a bowl full I had trimmed, it was stressed and the stench was horrible
 
i love xenias, i got 75% of my 180 gl full and it doe not bother me
or the other corals i just trim what i need
 
I would love too be able to find some xenia. I have looked everywhere around me and nothing. I am on a waiting list for them now. I considered buying online but rather see the specimen first.

Steri: I think they are beautiful and can't wait to get them!!
 
I know what Xenia is I think... I have Xenia that when its extended its looks like hands grabing at things.

But I also have a small frag on a rock and one on a snail shell that when the water conditions arent right, or its not happy... it looks like a melted gray blob... but when it comes to life tiny stalks form out of the blog, very cool.. unfortuntely i'm still trying to figure out what it wants (high light, low light, high flow, low flow) So far I dont think it liks the high light, cause it says as a blob :)

Anyone know what i'm describing?
 
Aliie,

If you ever make it to Nashville, post in ther MTRC forum (Middle Tn Reef Club). No one goes without xenia that want it;). It is a weed. I have been able to get it out of most of my tanks, but still have a few stragglers hanging around. Real estate is too tight for me to have weeds growing. I can understand why people love it, though. Xenia add a lot of motion and the pulsing id interesting to figure out. Lower flow and light have done best for me in the past to get better pulse.

I'm into sticks and ugly LPS, and zoas, so no room for things as invasive as xenia. I had to set up a 120 in addition to my 125 to house my LPS and zoas, as there was no room in the 125... I did keep xenia in my frag tank that is connected to the 125 for grow out and nutrient export. if I ever had any again, it would have to be isolated on its own island in the sand to control spreading. FWIW, the blue pom pom xenia (I think these came from garf early on) is much less invasive (and more attractive IMO), as it grows heads and doesn't trail as much. There's a guy here in Nashville with a 150 full of it (blue pom poms-not Cespitularia).
 
Oh, I've all but eradicated it (chiseling off the rocks and using bone shears to break off smaller pieces). I probably have two heads left in all of my systems;). They don't ship well, usually (gotta tick them off before putting them in the bag so they slime outside the bag-otherwise, they seem to sufficate in their own slime). I could probably find some for you from the guy with the 150, but I'm not sure if he'd be willing to try shipping... I'm sure he'll be thinning it out again soon, though. I'm not anti xenia. They just don't have a place in my tanks... Just like GSP and other fast encroaching corals (although I do have a big rock of GSP isolated in the low flow/low light zone of the SPS tank right now-It's not hurting anything where it is).
 
Not all xenias grow rampant like weeds though. There are species that grow as a single stalk only, and they would prefer to grow larger than to spread out like the more common ones.
 
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