Xenia question

[dbraun15]

I bought a few frags last week--some zoas, green star polyps, ricoridia yuma, mushrooms, and some xenia--All water parameters are normal--amm-0, trate-0, ph 8.3--I also have a brain coral and some candy canes--everything is fine except the xenia--It looks all shriveled up and never really completely opened--is it done? or should I just continue to wait--I figured a week was long enough considering the other stuff opened within a couple hours--should I just let it be or should I trash it--it is in the middle third of my nano cube, getting plenty of light--thanks for your help--

 

[Illuminati]

Try to put it on the sandbed in back below the return nozzle. I have mine there. If it's getting blasted by flow then it will stay closed.

Also some people just cannot for whatever reason keep xenia alive while others have it growing like a weed. No rhyme or reason, just nature. They are poor shippers, did you have it shipped to you or did you pick it up locally?

 

[dbraun15]

I picked it up locally--it's actually in an area of low flow--I will try putting it on the sandbed and see what happens--I unfortuneatly may be one of those people who can't keep it--

 

[Jocko]

Don't trash it. I've had corals take weeks to open. Check your alk though. They say Xenia like alk. I've had Xenia in high and low flow in low light under PCs and 6 inches below tons of high output T5 and they did great in all conditions. I personally cannot fathom the concept of Xenia not growing like mad, yet many people have reported that problem. Weird.

 

[chocolateblnt]

... from my experience Xenia's don't like calcium ... if you have high calcium levels, ca > 380, they will wither away or stunt in growth ...

 

[GSMguy]

i disagree i have higher range calcium three kinds of xenia thriving i think people dont realize how much light they need when they are damaged if they are shriveled get them more light until they heal

 

[chocolateblnt]

Really? As soon as I raised my calcium my xenia's which were spreading started to shrivel ... but like I said just my experience.

 

[RobsReefs]

imo its the flow. they need it to breathe. also they kind of need some dissolved nurturance to thrive.

 

[oldsaltman]

IMO the post advising more flow and more lighting is what works for me. Mine grows like weeds the more direct flow they get. I also have cal of 450 and mine are reaching up to the lights.

 

[JayB1224]

I bought a xenia frag a few months ago, after putting it in y tank it shrank and stopped pulsing, i thought it was dying. all parameters were good. A couple weeks ago i got curious and put it alomst directly under my 150MH about 2" from the surface. it started to open up slightly. I then found out i had a very bad iodine deficency. after dosing (VERY SLOW)iodine for a few weeks my xenia are fully open pulsing and spreading well. Just my observation.

 

[JayB1224]

EDIT:
Also in moderate flow...sorry

 

[GSMguy]

they like magnesium and iodine

 

[oldsaltman]

I have added iodine to my tank in the past , but have seen no proof that xenias need any added iodine. If you decide to add any you should test for it first. Same with Magnesium don't add any untill you test for it. I have had xenia in my tank sense it was set up. I have had it in the top, bottom, sides and in the sand. I have traded lots to the LFS for other stuff. Some people have trouble growing it, but others don't. I have found that lots of flow and good lighting work best for me.

 

[Spracklcat]

Also check your pH--from Anthony Calfo's Book of Coral Propagation, he reports that without fail, when the pH of his tank dipped below 8.3, the pulsing stopped. Dosed Kalk--opened up and started pulsing again.