xenia frag not pulsing in new tank

[Melina74]

I got a xenia frag from a local reefer yesterday, it was pulsing in his tank. Put it in my tank, after a 2 hour drip acclimation, and it has stopped pulsing and doesn't look too good. Some polyps are retracted, there is no pulsing. Is this normal in the first few days?

 

[PiXieCath]

Can you give us more info about your set up and params? How old is your tank?

 

[Melina74]

Tank is one month old.
Salinity 1.025
pH 8.3
Alk 9dkh
Ca 420ppm
temp 80
NH3/4= 0
NO2= 0
NO3 <5

There was no livestock in the tank until yesterday. I added 6 frags yesterday, they all came from the same tank where they were living happily together for 3 years.... hammer, frogspawn, GSP, candycane, mont. digitata, and the pulsing xenia. All seem to be doing well except the xenia (which is funny because I thought it would be the easiest to care for).

 

[flinka]

Xenia is hit-or-miss. Some people can grow it like weeds, others can't keep it alive for a minute.

My experience has been anytime I move my xenia, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days before it re-acclimates itself and gets back to normal. Sometimes it droops or even looks like it is dead but mine always comes back.

In fact, I started up a 75G reef tank recently and took one rock from another tank I have to seed the cycle and this rock had a "microscopic" baby stalk of xenia on it. Six weeks later (with no lighting) and through the ammonia/nitrite spikes the xenia actually grew.

 

[crispyreef]

You have a very new tank. Xenia do like nutrient rich water.

 

[natan]

I agree. Xenia is one of thaws things that need a bioload to thrive. NO3 (and the rest of the Nitrogen species) are actually needed as a sorce of nitrogen (being totally photosinthetic, it is unable to eat). Same for the P. Another thing is that when transported, they secrete a protective mucus that has to be washed away for it to thrive. So, placing it in a strong current for a short while may help it recover (even if it doesn't like it at the moment and responds by shrinking).

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

I thought xenia pulsed as a way of aiding respiration in low-flow (and therefore low exchange) environments.

 

[crispyreef]

Xenia will happily pulse with good medium flow. Way do you think xenia always pulse in LFS, it's the nutrients.

 

[firebirdbandit]

In my opinion, Lighting is a big issue with regards to pulsing. I have some in my main tank which pulse and some in the sump that survive under the lower lighting but do not pulse.

 

[Melina74]

It's actually looking much better today, and it is pulsing, although not as strongly as before it went into my tank... it looks better and I'm happy to see the pulsing.

 

[loves saltwater]

I don't beleive that pulsing has anything to do with water quality or lighting.My tank is very stable and better than a year old and my zenia's pulse sometimes and sometimes they don't.Just my 2cents worth

 

[Melina74]

I'm happy to report that the xenia is pulsing normally, and looks very happy now!!! Thank you all for your input!