Are xenias THAT bad?

[theclemsonkid]

So I have been quickly browsing through some threads here, and I am starting to get the feeling that perhaps xenias aren't that great of a coral choice?
I mean I think they look kinda cool and don't mind them as far as appearance goes.
But I'm assuming they must cause trouble some other way?
If so, whats the deal with people not wanting them? There obviously has to be a reason

 

[alivia's 12 gl]

My xenia's... i love...... when they start goin... they multiply..... then u sell to pet store...and trade ofr other coral....my hammer did a number to 1 of them kill it right off.....too bad .....dont get close to a hammer....

 

[bird dog]

They are good buy you have to control them. They can spread if you don't watch.

 

[natclanwy]

I personally like xenia but it can get away from you and take over your tank. It is easy to control though you can pull pieces off and trade them to your LFS or other reefers.

 

[dbarsotti]

i like them, but in my experience they like to make trouble and grow pretty fast... watching them pulse is pretty interesting tho..

 

[squishy]

One of the worst corals I have ever had. The only thing good about them are I can frag them but it really is not worth it.
This is an earlier pic of when I thought xenia was a neat coral.

 

[npage]

IMHO, the best way to keep Xenia is on its own rock away from the rest of the rock work. That way you don't have to worry about it spreading.

I've had mine for 9 month without any problems with it spreading.

 

[candycane]

I have never tried this, but I don't think they are that aggressive at all. If you are determined to keep them, you MIGHT want to try surrounding it with more aggressive corals. This MAY keep in check a little better because they spread via fusion. I thing the pom-pom ones are beautiful, which is why I keep them. Plus, some clownfish will eventually host them and you don't really have to worry about the bad side effects of what anemones can do.
Edit: It sounds bad and probably is, so i don't recommend it, but if it grows to large and you don't feel like selling it or trading it to a store - you may always be able to squirt some areas with kalkwasser to prune it back. I have never tried it, but don't know if there is a reason it wouldn't work.

 

[dragonboy]

I don't think they are bad at all people give them bad reputation is they don't control the growth or get lazy to do something about it. They can be tough to grow in some tanks but most of them are pretty easy once they are establish and the melt down doesn't happen that often in my tank. I love looking at them when their in my tank.

 

[indyws6]

Greetings

My first coral was some "Silver Branch Pumping Xenia" and I started with 3 small frags that fit on a rock the size of a silver dollar. Over the last 6 months it has spread, but not so fast that I can't control it. I fragged several pieces over the weekend because my LFS mentioned that he could use some and I currently maintain a colony that occupies an area about the size of a softball.
Not to hijack the discussion, but in my opinion (and in my tank), Anthelia is a far worse nuisance coral. I bought a baseball-sized colony on a single rock about 4 months ago and it has quadrupled in size and found a way to attach and grow on virtually every single rock. I have literally scrubbed it from rocks using a stiff bristle brush only to have it somehow survive. It is reasonably attractive and the motion in the water current is interesting, but I intend to frag and remove all of it from my tank. I don't want to be forced to disrupt my tank every two weeks to keep a coral in check

Just my two cents...
Take Care

 

[perfectdark]

IMO I dont think they are "Bad" you just need to be prepared for what they can do. Some systems they tend to do poorly in, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Theory's are that they require unusual amounts of nitrates so if you have no readable trates in your tank then your inhabitants are utilizing all there are. So none left for xenias, this could be why some systems that are extremly healthy have issues keeping them. Then there are systems with high nitrates and their xenias are thriving adding more evidence to support this theory. On the flip side there are instances where very healty tanks can support a colony of xenia, propgating and thriving.

One of the little mysteries I guess. What is certain is that they are toxic to your tank if they should die and are not disposed of. More so than other corals Xenia if a large enough colony dies can kill fish in a day. And under the right conditions they can spread, and very quickly, even viral like spreading IMO.