Xenia and GSP food???

[Jack04]

s there anything that one could add to a tank to increase growth of GSP or xenia???

I have shut down my tanks for a while and i am thinking about setting up one with only Gsp and xenia, I like them and they are not too demanding.

The tank will not have a skimmer, canister, or hang on filter.

it will have a false back/side where i will be able to run carbon, or some filter floss and it will house my pump and heater and perhaps some macro...

i'm thinkin of havin a live sand/ crused coral mix as a substrate.


would it help to add phyto, marine snow, or iodine, or all of the above?

i will also plan on using Bi-onic 2 part for coraline...

or could i have a hand full of damsels or chromis and let the corals grow off the poop and food... (extra nutrients)


also what temp would these corals thrive at.... 72-75 or 76-81?

 

[dendro982]

I'm keeping them at 78-79F.

To increase growth you may try to have really live LR, with a lot of life on it, and give the tank additional feeding of the rotifer or cyclop size, plus light and flow.

While they no not require feedings, mine seems grow better in the tank with a small food.

You may add bright red or blue mushrooms and neon-green candycane for color, they also should grow in a good light.

My 2 cents.

 

[Jack04]

what if i plan to keep them in a 20 gal cube with a 150 watt 20K metal halide about 5 inches off the water?

would this bee too much light?
or just about right?

 

[boxerzz]

I think that is too much for them but they will accept it. T5s will be enough. And both do not need feeding. Enough light and good water will be enough for them to grow.

 

[SuperNerd]

As far as Xenias go, they like light. Higher is not necessarily bad. I have several colonies all about 8 inches away from overdriven iwasaki 250s. They pulse like crazy and I am always trimming them.

They like water with a stable amount of nutrients. If they suck up too much of whatevever has dissolved in the water then the colony could crash. Dissolved food- as far as I know and have seen they don't catch anything you can see.

If you want to add phyto, try DTs or make your own.

I keep my temp at 77-79. Mid to upper mid 80s like 83 and above I've seen them not like too much if kept constant.

Too much carbon filtration can also not be a good idea as it can suck away the nutrients.

 

[Tiduch]

I have a small blue cespitularia frag I bought, thought I lost it but it broke off from the rock I attached it too. It felt and attached to another piece of rock on bottom of my tank and I can see he is moving up the rock to get more light and flow. I did not feed it anything and it has triple in size since I got it a month ago.

 

[Jack04]

hey guys, great responses, I may not run carbon, or run less and just try to maintain a steady temp of like 79.

I am using that light.. cause it's what i have and i dont have to buy anything for it.

 

[LockeOak]

My understanding is that xenia have no digestive capacity, all of their nitrogen compounds have to be absorbed directly from the water. Feeding won't help (directly).