Xenia quit pulsing???

[MechEng99]

I bought a Xenia from the LFS...it looks great and has grown some. However, once I brought it home, it never started pulsing again. I've tried several different areas in my tank for different lighting/currents...no luck. It waves all around...just no pulsing. Grrr.

My water parameters seem fine:
Calcium 450 ppm
PH 8.4
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm
Ammonia 0 ppm
SG 1.024
Temp 75

Could this be a deficiency in a vitamin/mineral? Thanks!

 

[kjord97]

I have always keeped xenia in my tank for years. I seldom check my water conditions, i just look at my xenia. As long as they are pulsing and look great then my water is fine. I still do a weekly 10% on all 3 of my tanks, but just do water test.

Usally they are in shock for the first few days when they change water. You have to acclamate them very slowly. I usally drip them for about 3 hours before adding to a new tank.

Ph is usally what effects them pulsing. That is the fist thing i always check when they quit pulsing. Usally the ph is to low or to high.

As long as they are open and look healthy, just give it a couple of days. If you see them start to shrink up and melt away, then your in trouble.

 

[MechEng99]

Well, it's been about 3 weeks that I've had them. They've never begun pulsing again. Could the ph be too high? Hmmm

 

[o2zen]

PS do the Xenia shrink up when they spread? Mine went from pulsing to shrinking up but looks like they are spreading and both groups have want looks like a tube opening in the side and growing downwards. They are both in different locations in the tank and have been happy there for over a month.

How do they react to temp? Whats the prime temp for them?

 

[kjord97]

personally I am horrible for temp in my tank. At night the tank ranges from 77 to 80 and during the day it can get up to 83. It all depends on how hot my house gets, I have a wood stove for heat and it gets toasty sometimes. I will say I have never seen any problems since i started saltwater 4 years ago. I just loose alot of water, and add 2-3 gals a day to the tank.

 

[Bous]

Ijust went through somethin simular to your problem. Iwent on vacation got back and my xenia was not pulsing and was shrunk a little. A little investigation and i turn up that my bta was missing. My water values were not that far off. My PH went fro 8.2 to 8.4 and amonia went up just a touch. After some cleaning and a 20% water change it took about 2 weeks for my xenia to go back to normal. My temp had also went up. Now it is in the 79 at night and 81 during the day.

 

[kingfisher62]

From what I hear ,they sometimes just stop pumping but can still thrive! Mine stopped pulsing after a couple of weeks then started up again. I did notice if i shut off my powerheads temporarily they would start pulsing again!
Maybe they are just depressed,lol!

 

[29special]

xenia is a good way to check your tank chem without actully testing. but sometimes the xenia you bought will not fulling recover from a move. But the new growth, the growth you get in your tank will pulse cause they were "born" in that envirment.
keep it real

 

[29special]

also maybe try feeding your tank some type of zooplankton

 

[GreyHawk1968]

If you have temp fluctuations in your tank you are going to have problems with them. Keep your tank at whatever the highest temp it reaches dung the day. Mine is at 82 all the time.
My Xenia pulse at a PH of 8.0 - 8.4. I dose with Iodine. They seem to like that.
I have traded and fragged out around 200 heads from my tank and the one thing I learned real quick about them is to not let them come out of the water.
Your tank at 75 is a bit on the low side.
So far there is no known food for them. Of course we also don't know why they pulse or what for.
I have had mine slow down and then pick back up. I think flow has a lot to do with it.Slow your flow around them a tad and see how they responde.
Also neighboring corals might be having an effect on them. The ones I have near my torch they don't pulse,grow ,move,, nothing.
All the others I have do.
One of the great mysteries of reefing.

 

[Jorgens]

Grea thread. I learned alot as well thanks!

 

[acrouse]

From the picture you posted, it looks like the xenia may have too much direct flow on them. I had the same trouble you are having when I first bought mine. Then I moved them into a lower flow area and they started pulsing like crazy. If my mexican turbo snail gets on my powerhead and inverts the water flow so my xenia get stronger flow-they stop pulsing and then resume when the snail moves and the flow lessens again. Its worth a try!
Good Luck
jolene

 

[Icefire]

I added mine yesterday, they were nice and open, today, one look dieing