xenia
- Thread starter jmack
- Start date
lessans
New member
ditto what bertoni said. Are you aware, jmack, that xenia are notorious for spreading like wildfire? If this is not what you want, then I might suggest bringing it back to where ever you bought it and asking for a store credit for something that is not so imperialistic. If you don't mind the imperialism, all the power to you. I want to say this w/o you getting offended, but from my experience it pays to research a piece of livestock before purchasing it. I say this so you will save yourself money and the distress from something not going as you planned that could've been prevented. Also some stores will sell animals to you w/o caring to know if you have suitable tank conditions just to get business. For example, a store sells you an SPS frag w/o telling you it needs MH lighting. Then w/ in a few weeks the frag bleaches and whithers away. BTW, that example scenario didn't happen to me. Also if you've considered an anemone, I would suggest putting one in before putting any more corals in your tank if the xenia is the only one you have now. I say this cuz anemones will move around to find lighting they like the best and the same for water flow. They are known to kill corals while still finding its "spot" in your tank. I wish I had done this before I put any coral in my tank. Now I have to settle w/o one cuz I don't want to risk killing all my corals. I would also suggest you have at least 5 watts of light per gallon for an anemone; they need light. BTW, how many wattts of light do you have?
happyhourhero
New member
the good thing about xenia is that you can set some rubble next to it and they will frag themselves onto it. Mine are kept mid level with med flow and seem to be doing fine.
CookieJar
Premium Member
My Xenia spread better than anything else and I like it- I can let them grow on rocks to frag. When space gets limited, then I'll just cut them back, not a big deal to me.
Mine are around 15" deep with medium flow. For what it's worth, a fellow reefer said they love nitrates, which I have plenty of, maybe that explains why the grow so well in my tank.
Mine are around 15" deep with medium flow. For what it's worth, a fellow reefer said they love nitrates, which I have plenty of, maybe that explains why the grow so well in my tank.
Pandora
Premium Member
When did jmack ever mention anemones?
jmack, I think your xenia will do fine in that tank. I have one that is predominantly LPS & softies, and it's a welcome addition. Though it can be very fast-growing, it's not hard to cull out, and not hard to find takers (sells fast at most LFS, and many will buy back or take it as a trade in).
jmack, I think your xenia will do fine in that tank. I have one that is predominantly LPS & softies, and it's a welcome addition. Though it can be very fast-growing, it's not hard to cull out, and not hard to find takers (sells fast at most LFS, and many will buy back or take it as a trade in).
hisc1ay
New member
A small frag of xenia was the first thing I ever had in my tank. I have a 10 gallon, and my most recent fragging was when it had taken over about half of my tank. I don't have a whole lot of stuff on rocks yet, so it didn't bother me. I talked to a LFS and ended up getting a pretty good amount of credit for it, but I also probably had 20 decently sized frags for him.
Xenia is very cool because it moves on its own, and it's very relaxing to watch for me. But in my tank it grows like a weed. So much that I actually kind of feel bad when I give it away because I know that in a few months the person who just got it will have to figure out how to calm it down.
I've heard others say they can't get it to grow at all in their tank, but it must like mine.
-j
Xenia is very cool because it moves on its own, and it's very relaxing to watch for me. But in my tank it grows like a weed. So much that I actually kind of feel bad when I give it away because I know that in a few months the person who just got it will have to figure out how to calm it down.
I've heard others say they can't get it to grow at all in their tank, but it must like mine.-j
"Sure, it spreads, but maybe not to fast.." Yeah, that is what I thought. I had a two inch Xenia frag, bought back in october. By Christmas, it had takien over the entire top section of my reef. It is now in the process ( actually, they, its now 10 seperate colonies!!!) of trying to overgrow some orange zoas & light starve everything near it. Xenia is an aggressive colonizer. If that is OK with you keep it. One other thing, I've heard that its actually short-lived.
Anyway, its one of two things I wish I had not added NOW. The other being giant green Rhodactis 'shrooms, which are aggressively toxic to my other corals..
Matthew
Anyway, its one of two things I wish I had not added NOW. The other being giant green Rhodactis 'shrooms, which are aggressively toxic to my other corals..
Matthew
hisc1ay
New member
Like Pandora said...it's a great way to help sustain your hobby. The LFS owner said that to me it's a weed, but to someone else, they'll love it. He said he can get rid of whatever I bring him. I was going to putty over the stumps I cut from so it doesn't grow back, but now I'm just going to let it propogage and trade it in. If I can get $25 a month, that's a decent frag I can add to my tank for free.
-j
The LFS owner said that to me it's a weed, but to someone else, they'll love it. He said he can get rid of whatever I bring him. I was going to putty over the stumps I cut from so it doesn't grow back, but now I'm just going to let it propogage and trade it in. If I can get $25 a month, that's a decent frag I can add to my tank for free.-j
I think "spreads fast" is a relative term. I mean if you wanted to keep xenia and didnt want it to overtake the tank then you can do it by just culling it every once in a while. Some of you people act like you put it in your tank one day and the next morning, it had taken over the tank.
SumoBlenny
New member
pruning xenia
pruning xenia
I have some silver tipped pulsing xenia that is taking over an entire rock with zoas, mushrooms and a toadstool leather. How do you prune this type of xenia without killing it?
pruning xenia
I have some silver tipped pulsing xenia that is taking over an entire rock with zoas, mushrooms and a toadstool leather. How do you prune this type of xenia without killing it?
SumoBlenny
New member
xenia
I also had a loose lavender xenia that disappeared into the rock work and when I finally found it, the arms had fallen off, but were still pulsing. Will these re-grow into new colonies and is there a good way of helping them attatch?
I also had a loose lavender xenia that disappeared into the rock work and when I finally found it, the arms had fallen off, but were still pulsing. Will these re-grow into new colonies and is there a good way of helping them attatch?
SumoBlenny
New member
Thanks for the advice, I have been trying to prune my tank these past couple days. I lopped some arms off of the xenia and it seems to be doing fine. BTW my xenia seem to do best in moderate to high flow areas, but aren't too picky.
