Xenia won't grow under kessils!

[IansAquatics]

Hey guys I've had my tank up and running for 3 years or so now. I used to have a colony of Xenia over 2 square feet big and it started out literally as 1 stalk and grew this big in less than a year. This was lit under an current nova extreme 12 bulb fixture with ati's across the board.

Well long story short my tank crashed lost everything in it, and now for the last 6 months or so I've been running 3 kessil a360we's never exceeding 60% power. And I've had the same stalk of Xenia for 6 months and it's barely doubled in size! I don't k ow what gives. My water is just how Xenia like, just a little dirty. Nitrates hover around 15ish.

I don't k ow what gives. Has anyone else had this problem with kessils? Because every single review I've read or watched, everyone says they're great and their corals never looked better.

 

[badpvtdan]

You can't grow Xenia? Lucky you!

 

[toothybugs]

Mine did better under lower temp lighting. I put a couple pompom clusters under my 6500K 'fuge lights and they did great. Main tank's 14-20000K, not so much. Back under 6500s and the spread started again.

Maybe a thought.

 

[IansAquatics]

I mean yeah the spectrum could have something to do with it. But I used mostly blue plus bulbs so my tank had a very 15k look to it. And I run my kessils at about the same balance. I don't know what gives

 

[scooter31707]

Truthfully, it could not be the lights, your water might be too clean. I have good luck with Xenia having some dirty water, 5-10ppm nirates.

 

[mmittlesteadt]

I have Xenia growing like a weed (which I want) and I only use a single Kessil A160WE over my tank. It's doubled in size in less than two weeks. Nitrates go between 0 and 5.

Different rock maybe? Xenia are great phosphate sponges, in addition to nitrates. I typically run full on actinic during the day and bump up the daylight in late afternoon into the evening, and back down to full actinic at night.

First few days in tank (but fully extended)...

After one week...

I don't have a current pic but it's at least a full 1/3 larger now than the second pic.

 

[IansAquatics]

I really don't k ow what it could be. I know my phosphates are almost non existent. Because I run gfo and have always rang do especially when it was previously thriving. And like I said my nitrates are probably around 15 ish. Here's a pic of it at its prime.


And now


I haven't tested my all in a while but everything else is doing good. Anyone have anymore theories?

 

[1MP3R1AL]

Kessil can grow anything. Get your n and ps up, you will see a difference.