Xenia: Weed Porportions vs. Failure to Thrive

[FishNutty]

Some people love xenia, some people hate it. That's a personal preference. But while some people have xenia like most homeowners have dandelions, others can't keep even a single stalk alive.
I fall into the love and can't keep alive category, and I'm on a mission to find out why.
So, whether you love it or hate it, or it's done well or horribly for you, I'd like to hear about your tank. Dirty water, pristine water; low tech, high tech, lighting, temp, anything/everything.
I was recently reading a thread on coral selection for seahorse tanks, and the note was made that while most corals failed to thrive in the cooler temps(SH are kept between 68-74 degrees), for this individual at least, xenia had done really well. So I'm curious if there's any temperature correlation with success/failure.

Thanks!

 

[EricShane]

I wish mine would grow,for two years its shrunk and stayed about tge size of a quartee still pulses, just wont grow or spread

 

[potterjon]

I have been curious about this one for awhile also. It can just melt away on some people who have perfect parameters too.

 

[kissman]

I hate it, loved it at first was the first coral I introduced to my tank got a Dremmel and will start grinding it off my live rock this weekend. Takes over everything, from experience find a different coral, lol! Xenia likes dirtier water the cleaner the water the worse it does, so they say. I can't kill and I am growing SPS in the tank

 

[grcforce327]

I'm ready to get out the "Wand" and start zapping mine!:blown: Did I mention... I HATE THOSE DAMN WEEDS!

 

[edwardw771]

Most lfs's will buy it from you. At least in nj. It is hard for them to get it because it doesn't ship well

 

[FishNutty]

I hate it, loved it at first was the first coral I introduced to my tank got a Dremmel and will start grinding it off my live rock this weekend. Takes over everything, from experience find a different coral, lol! Xenia likes dirtier water the cleaner the water the worse it does, so they say. I can't kill and I am growing SPS in the tank

I'm ready to get out the "Wand" and start zapping mine!:blown: Did I mention... I HATE THOSE DAMN WEEDS!

But what are your tanks like? Since whatever ya'll are doing, it's obviously made it happy enough to take over.

 

[kissman]

Nitrates are 0 phosphates are .03 good glow, good lights etc... I have no idea what i am doing differently i have seen a lot of people that just cant grow it. I can grow xenia but not green star polyps.

 

[FishNutty]

Nitrates are 0 phosphates are .03 good glow, good lights etc... I have no idea what i am doing differently i have seen a lot of people that just cant grow it. I can grow xenia but not green star polyps.

Thanks! Mind if I ask what temp you keep your tank at?

 

[Lostinthedark]

I have Xenia that grows like crazy. I keep it isolated on their own rocks. I have a "low tech" system, fish and corals with leds. I run carbon and GFO, nitrates and phosphates are on the very low end.
The tank is a 225 with a 75 sump/fuge. Mix of soft and stony corals and a wife that loves to feed the fish. I always bring my "overgrowth" to the lfs who cant get enough of them.

P.S. GSP grows crazy fast also.

 

[celamb89]

Mine took about 2 months to kick off but its growing like weed now... I love the coral but its hard to keep it isolated...

I dosed iodine before adding the xenia then placed it on a low light area and it started moving itself up looking for stronger light... My tank runs a fuge with chaeto, skimmer and GFO... light started as 6x54w t5 and is now a DIY LED... I now have to suction out the xenia to keep it under control...

other inhabitants >
SPS
LPS
softies

 

[fishmanstan]

It's a weed. Finally isolated it and am selling it all. It spread onto a rock ans I have to keep cutting it off with a razor blade. They like low flow and light doesn't really matter.

 

[blue ridge reef]

I would never, ever introduce that stuff into a reef tank. Along with green star and Kenya trees, it is one of those things my LFS won't often take for free.

 

[Alex482455]

I use to have a small frag of Xenia. I never maintain my tank good enough I mean once a month water change. Also I checked my water yesterday and saw that I was kinda cold. In the past month all my corals have been growing very good and now I have more Xenia that I ever wanted. So yeah temp around 68 is not a bad idea.

 

[davidadelp]

I would love to have some Xenia that would grow like a weed. I love the pulsating that it does. Ive yet to buy some but its one of my next things to purchase. I would be just fine if it took off and spread. Same with GSP. If anyone has some they just want to get rid of PM me.

 

[nepenthes99]

The best way to raise a coral is to replicate its natural habitat, ie SPS grow on reef ledges with high flow/light and very clean water. Xenia and most other softies grow in the lagoon or reef flat where they are subjected to dirty water, lower light, and low flow. My tank is a small 40 breeder system with a BH1000 skimmer and I would never dream of putting SPS in there. Yet my Xenia, Anthelia, Anemones, and other misc. softies grow like weeds. LPS also love lagoon conditions, even my fancy acans and blastos. All I do is empty my skimmer cup weekly and do monthly water changes. So IMO the key to keeping Xenia is not giving it the pristine, clear, and nutrientless conditions that are the goal of most reef tanks but instead give it lagoon-like conditions. Some SPS will also do good in these conditions. When I set up my tank my goal was to create a lagoon habitat, some others may have the goal of creating a reef ledge habitat or a mangrove/macro setup. A plan of what habitat you are replicating and choosing suitable corals is important.

 

[kissman]

Thanks! Mind if I ask what temp you keep your tank at?

78 degrees

 

[scapes]

i bought a frag at our swap weekend before turkey day. already in a month, it's spread a good 5". i have a 40breeder with one wrasse fish. i have had this tank set up since first week in oct....zero water changes, one aquafilter (small one) and a dinky powerhead. temp is kept upper 70s. i have a ecoxotic led fixture (one strip of white, one strip of blue). i have caulerpa that has now started running rampant as well. i have absolutely no clue what any of my water numbers are. i don't own a single test kit. i also bought 4 itty bitty blue shrooms at our swap. didn't grow well for the seller he said. they've doubled in size since i got them a month ago.

i have a 180g and i tried to introduce zenia in that tank....got eaten up by my butterfly. i have atleast one fish that DOES eat that stuff.

 

[FishNutty]

Wow, lots of response! Thanks guys

The best way to raise a coral is to replicate its natural habitat, ie SPS grow on reef ledges with high flow/light and very clean water. Xenia and most other softies grow in the lagoon or reef flat where they are subjected to dirty water, lower light, and low flow. My tank is a small 40 breeder system with a BH1000 skimmer and I would never dream of putting SPS in there. Yet my Xenia, Anthelia, Anemones, and other misc. softies grow like weeds. LPS also love lagoon conditions, even my fancy acans and blastos. All I do is empty my skimmer cup weekly and do monthly water changes. So IMO the key to keeping Xenia is not giving it the pristine, clear, and nutrientless conditions that are the goal of most reef tanks but instead give it lagoon-like conditions. Some SPS will also do good in these conditions. When I set up my tank my goal was to create a lagoon habitat, some others may have the goal of creating a reef ledge habitat or a mangrove/macro setup. A plan of what habitat you are replicating and choosing suitable corals is important.

Yes! I'm a low-tech person too. Which is probably why I've found LPS and nems(once I got the courage to try them again after a debacle with an impulse-buy condy) do the best for me. Do you have a tank thread? It sounds like a cool set up and I'd love to see some pictures!

78 degrees

Thank you!

 

[grcforce327]

But what are your tanks like? Since whatever ya'll are doing, it's obviously made it happy enough to take over.

A tiny patch came on this piece of live rock I purchased approx 2 months ago, for the green mille and some type of flourescent green acro on it.They are in a"very high flow" area, top of tank under halides,and are approaching 4x the original patch size. My parameters are great with my ph only varying approx 0.03 .Temp is 77 - 77.8 depending on time of day. I feed phytoplankton,coral frenzy and oyster feast.RC for salt. BK skimmer,PM reverse flow cal reactor,PM biopellet reactor with XL pellets(I leave tumbling for the gymnasts),fuge with chaeto.