Xenia Heads Popping off???

[MechEng99]

I have a 40g reef tank w/a 10g sump. I have been successfully growing SPS, LPS, and softies with no problems for 6 months now (bird's nest, chesterfield acropora, bubble corals, leathers, gsp, mushrooms, zoas, frogspawn, sun corals, gorgonians, alveoporas, and on.)

Well, I had several stalks of the usual *weed* Xenia on a rock from the LFS. One attached onto one of my base rocks, and then I moved the original rock to the other side of the tank. Another stalk attached to another base rock on the opposite side of the tank. (I also have a Pom Pom Xenia that is perfectly healthy.)

All was well and fine for about two weeks. Suddently, both stalks on both sides of the tank shrunk down, and the polyps started popping off. I don't think this is their way of propagating themselves (although it would be cool.) They look like they are dying...but there isn't any sign of rot or anything bothering them.

Water parameters are fine (Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia = 0, Calcium=450). I'm running a phosphate media reactor stuff...don't have a test for that though. All of my other corals are 100% perfect looking.

The only thing I can think of is that I had to use some of that cyanobacteria medication b/c my tank is getting too much sunlight due to house renovations (it couldn't be helped...I can't work my house renovations around my tank unfortunately.) I followed all directions...and did a 15% water change two days later.

Bulbs are about 1 month old.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[MechEng99]

hmm...great...no one has any ideas. I just did another 20% water change hoping it was something in the water. When I did, there was the horrible stench of Xenia dying...it was baaad.

Should I go ahead and remove the Xenia so it doesn't pollute the water more...or should I just let it do its thing and just continue with water changes?

 

[ReefJunkie21]

I would remove the xenia and place it in QT (if you have one) then get my water test to make sure it within spec.
hope this help keep us posted.

 

[drummereef]

What's the rest of your water params? Temp, salinity, alkalinity...

 

[ReefJunkie21]

any updates.

 

[coralmkr]

what is your ph and alk.

 

[MechEng99]

Sorry for the late update.

I did two 20% water changes...and the decay seems to have slowed down. No more heads have popped off, but almost all of the polyps have retracted entirely inside the stalk. There is no more horrible Xenia stench.

I'm sorry, but I do not have an alk test. My PH is 8.4 and my salinity was 1.025 if I remember off the top of my head correctly. Temp is at 77 degrees F.

I was going to quarantine it, but when I went to set my tank back up (it doesn't stay up and running), the filter on it didn't work...neither did my backup...so I was SOL for time being. It's still in my main display tank.

All SPS, LPS, and other softies are fine.

Thanks for your concern everyone!

 

[Bmgrocks]

U must of had a Temp Spike. My Xenia had done that, and the heads had been poppin off, even though, now ur temp is at 77, you could ofreached 80 earlier in the day. All my LPS, Zoas, and Softies, came out of the temp spike no problems, but I lost my xenia.

Try lowering ur Thermometor a few degrees, Ur tank will be fine with a little cooler water.

 

[kingfisher62]

I have had my xenia 3 or 4 months and that happened to me everything looked great but the xenia. I finally realized my salinity was off once adjusted they sprung back to normal in a week.
It just happened again after a water change . I cant figure it out but after the last water chang it looked a touch better Hopefully they are on the road to recovery again.

I don't know why they get so p*ssed ,they seem very sensitive to changes.

 

[kingfisher62]

Bmgrocks, good call I bet you that was what happened to mine.

 

[MechEng99]

Hm, I knew they were sensitive to temp, but I guess since I had never seen the temp spike I never worried about it. It has been getting above 90 here, but I've never seen my tank above 78 (granted...there's no telling exactly how accurate the thermometer is.)

Time to break out the fans!

How long did it take for your Xenia to recover?

For a coral that is supposed to take over like a weed, it sure is finicky!

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[kingfisher62]

It took mine about 10 day . but mine did not pop off all its "heads"
just a couple!

 

[Bmgrocks]

Mine had lost all its heads, and was sliming, i didn't think it would come back, so i trashed it.

 

[MechEng99]

Just an update, I'm 99% positive it was a temp spike. I think the A/C was turned off for a day.

Anyway, most of the Xenia still looks pretty bad, but most of the retracted polyps are coming back out, and where the polyps actually popped off, new heads are forming (I'm just praying the heads that popped off don't set up residence somewhere else in my tank.) From basically two stalks of Xenia, I have several hundred new stalks forming at the base (which is making me VERY nervous.) Either I'm going to get rich at the LFS...or I will have a show Xenia tank. LOL.

Anyway, this will be an extremely slow process. It's been a while now, and the rate of improvement is almost unnoticeable. However, I'm very grateful the smell of dying Xenia is finally gone.

Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences!

 

[kingfisher62]

well mine basically melted away!
If it was a heat spike maybe I will wait till the summer is over and get one in the fall!

 

[MechEng99]

I'm so sorry to hear that. The good news is that it grows like a weed, so at least it isn't a prized coral. :-/ Still is sad to see it go.