Clown keeps hitting Xenia ... this bad?

[tjkohler]

Well as I'm bringing my pH back up from 7.8 I realize that my clown has been real close to the xenia this whole time. Could the Xenia be stressed because of the clown? Should I move the Xenia?

 

[polka]

I had a yellow damsel that ate my pulsing xenia. I have since gotten rid of the damsel and my xenia, which I thought was a gonner, is beautiful! I can't believe it came back and is growing like crazy. Try to interst that clown in something else, maybe move the xenia. Is it in his "space"?
Good luck!!

 

[saltyrich]

The clown shouldn't bother the xenia at all.

 

[ed r]

The clown may not bother the Xenia. It could use it as a host, in which case the Xenia will be stressed to some extent. The more bodily contact with the clown, the more stress. I have a pair of maroons in my tank. They brush against the Xenia frequently but don't actually use it as a host. However, the female (3") will frequently bite off the heads of a few stalks of the Xenia. I have witnessed this on multiple occasions. I have no crabs or other candidates of any kind. The clown just gets cranky at times. So far the Xenia has continued to grow. I would estimate that 20-25 heads have been bitten off in about 1-1/2 months. Some of the first to go have regrown to about half size already. Some are very fresh stumps. I have no other tank to move either to. I either return one to the LFS or see if they will survive. Much of the time, the Xenia is wide open and luxuriant. Following a clown attack, the affected clump or clumps shrivel up. If the Xenia goes into a decline, I will have no choice.

 

[mrfish]

I've seen my clown eat the Xenia a couple of times but it mainly gets attacked by the Lemon Peel Angel. I've started putting some Lettuce on a clip in the in the hope it takes the interest away from the Xenia.
MF