Xenia: Pom-Pom vs. Elongata
- Thread starter falconut
- Start date
donfishy76
In Memoriam
as for size, with high lighting, both will spread quickly in a tank with high nutrients
the elongata var. will stay shorter under MH, but they do get tall under lower intensity lights
the elongata var. will stay shorter under MH, but they do get tall under lower intensity lights
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Amphiprion
Premium Member
I tend to doubt that nutrients are the only thing that cause them to grow. I used to have elongata and it grew several new stalks per week (took over half the tank in a month or so). My tank has always had little to no algae growth, 0 NO3, 0 PO4 (at least by hobby-grade kits) and it still grew. The old, old previously ill maintained reef at my workplace however, has algae problems, high nutrients (NO3 up to 100, PO4 up to .1), etc and it grows at a crawling pace--no new stalks in months. I think there is simply more to their overall growth than just these nutrients. IMO, it has more to do with overall amounts of DOCs (the ones that carbon/protein skimming still can't remove), but that is just a theory of mine. Freqent, larger water changes may limit growth more by removing them.
falconut
New member
cristhiam - How did it spread all over like that? Did you attempt to prune it back? Does it release from the rock and float around or did you move the rocks w/it around manually?
I would like to isolate it to more of a single area and prune it monthly, is that possible with them or impossible?
I would like to isolate it to more of a single area and prune it monthly, is that possible with them or impossible?
reefpod
New member
I see what your wanting to do. You could always take a piece that is on a rock and place it in the sand, away from any rock or glass it could reach until it grows up with a nice big fat stalk and then put it on your rock work the same way, where it cant reach anything. But they tend to find ways to spread if close enough. They dont release from the rock to spread and they are fairly easy to just pull chunks of it off the rock. But any spec of it left will start to grow back. Its best to place it towards the top where it will take to the glass and spread towards the light, then its really easy to just remove it with a razor blade.
donfishy76
In Memoriam
Keep in mind that Xenia is also mobile. It does move some, slightly, and very slowly, but it will move across a rock towards another.
I have both in my tank,
and they grow at the same fast rate, I take 1~3 pompom stalk to my LFS a week and I just let my metallic elongata collect on its rock sense it is not threatening any thing like the pompom.
I have 0 NO3 -- 0 Po4 and my ph is a little on the low side, 8.0~8.3
I do not dose Iodine,
but when I dose alk buffer to bump up my alk the elongata ones seem to hate it. They melt some for a week but they always come back.
and they grow at the same fast rate, I take 1~3 pompom stalk to my LFS a week and I just let my metallic elongata collect on its rock sense it is not threatening any thing like the pompom.
I have 0 NO3 -- 0 Po4 and my ph is a little on the low side, 8.0~8.3
I do not dose Iodine,
but when I dose alk buffer to bump up my alk the elongata ones seem to hate it. They melt some for a week but they always come back.
Pandora
Premium Member
Weird, I have both in my tank, and the elongata grows MUCH faster than the pompom. I started out with almost equal number of stalks, but now the elongata I am constantly pruning, some of the more monstrous stalks overshadow half my corals, whereas the pompom seems to be just stuck or even receding back to 3 or 4 pieces. Never could figure it out.
amheck
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6574730#post6574730 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Exact same thing happened in my tank...over the years the pom-pom dwindled and is now all gone. Someone mentioned to me that pom-pom require more light, but I think my 250W DE MH on a 30g tank should take care of it
How long has your pom-pom been gone for? I have some elongata and pom-pom on the same rock. About a month or two ago, all of the pom-pom started to crash and withered away until it was pretty much gone. Meanwhile, the elongata was doing just fine. But over the next couple weeks I saw little heads growing out of the decaying issue and now I have a bunch back. I'm relieved.
My elongata spreads pretty good. I have it on a seperate rock and I try to keep it away from touching anything else. But over time it will move and if it can even touch another rock for a day or two, it jumps.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6575779#post6575779 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amheck
How long has your pom-pom been gone for? I have some elongata and pom-pom on the same rock. About a month or two ago, all of the pom-pom started to crash and withered away until it was pretty much gone. Meanwhile, the elongata was doing just fine. But over the next couple weeks I saw little heads growing out of the decaying issue and now I have a bunch back. I'm relieved.
My elongata spreads pretty good. I have it on a seperate rock and I try to keep it away from touching anything else. But over time it will move and if it can even touch another rock for a day or two, it jumps.
My pom-pom has been gone for at least six months. I really can't blame the elongata, since any number or corals in the tank could have raged a chemical war against the pompom. I might try some again now that my tank seems pretty settled, and I use carbon more often.
