HELP! My pulsing xenia is looking bad :(

[ant]

Yesterday morning I noticed my xenias not looking so good, still open and pulsing, but kind of shrivel looking. I checked water and everything looked good except my SG was a up from evap loss, 1.025. Ammon/nitrite-0/0, nitrate-0, ph-8.2. I went ahead and did a 20% water change. They closed while I cleaned the tank and did the water change and haven't opened since. They're even a different color, almost white instead of a light brown. I feel horrible and really don't have a clue as what to do. I've had them for 3 weeks now and they've been doing great until yesterday. I was excited because I saw a bunch of new little arms forming. Everyone else in the tank looks great. Fish, crabs, snails, featherduster and brown polyp all look good. Tanks is 20 gal, 4 months old with LR and LS. Any suggestions? :help:
Ant.

 

[fmelindy]

Xenia does have a history of "crashing" for no apparent reason in captivity. It has been presumed to be due to minor trace elements or temp. What is your temp? Generally I have heard that if th temp creeps to 82 to 84 it is more likely to cause a crash. however, crashing xenia is usually more dramatic than what you describe, usually just physically disintegrates before your eyes very rapidly. Perhaps they will rebound, just wait and see is really all you can do. Your water parameters sound fine except if that's the reading on your hydrometer for your salinity then remeber you have to correct upward depending on your tank temp. So your actual salinity may be somwhat higher (actually hydrometers measure specific gravity not salinity but they are correlated and dependent on temperature).
After the water change, what were your parameters like? It's possible that he's just adjusting to the new water parameters as a result of the change as well...

 

[ant]

fmelindy-thanks for your response. Actually, that's what they are looking like right now, like they're disintegrating. I got home just a minute ago and looked in there. They are more open then they have been but some leaves are gone, etc. I didn't check my parameters today but I will. I just assumed since they were good yesterday they'd be good today. My temp is 82, has been since I started the tank. I put the water outside to warm it up but I'm not sure what the temp of the new water was when I poured it, I just know that it felt a little warmer. Do you think that might have done it? Didn't know that about the xenias. Poor things. They really look sad.

Ant.

 

[speg]

Did your salinity change? Pulsing Xenia are from the red sea arent they? Salinity there is pretty high...
The temp in my tank is pretty friggin hot higher than 82 degrees and my Xenia have not crashed *knocks on wood*. In fact im amazed at how fast these little things grow.
Do you skim a lot? If what I read is correct scientists are not really sure what Xenia feeds on... or why pulsing xenia even pulse.. its believed they pulse to expell gas or something.. and its believed that Xenia do better in tanks that do not overly skim... maybe you took away all their food!

 

[alextrif]

Xenia likes an Iodine supplement. Also, give it some time - I've had mine shut down for a day or two and then all is well. Interestingly, days after I add iodine, they are much better "pulsers".

 

[fmelindy]

Also, they can pretty much crash altogether and still regenerate seemingly from nothing. But it does sound bad right now.

 

[ant]

Wow, lots of info. Thank you so much.
I do have a skimmer, in fact we just put it up on Sunday. I will turn it off. How often should I run it? I thought skimmers were suppose to make everything better. Also, what kind of iodine do I add? From the lfs? It's still looking pretty bad. I'm bummed. Everyone else looks good, even my green star polyps.
SG 1.024, sal 33. Temp 82.

 

[alextrif]

your LFS will have an iodine supplement - follow the directions. I add it about once a week - small amount - couple of drops. I run my skimmer 24/7. Xenia contain zooxanthellae - the major source of their food - therefore skimming may not come in to play. Some are of the belief that they rely on micro-plankton as a nutrition source - so are you adding that for your corals?

 

[ant]

alex-no I'm not adding microplankton. Didn't know I needed too. I thought they were filter feeders and that was enough. Bummer. So, should I leave the skimmer on then? Can I buy the micro plankton from the lfs too?

 

[alextrif]

yeah - remember one think about micro-plankton - it is like feeding food to your fish - whatever is not absorbed will degrade the water quality.
I really like my Xenia. I rate it right up there with my Leather Finger Coral and my Torch Coral as my favorites.
The iodine is also good if you have any crabs - it is needed for their molting.

 

[speg]

Im not saying to stop skimming =c) always leave your skimmer on. I am talking about over skimming. Can you slow down your skimmer? If not you may need to just add more additives more often to your tank, as skimming removes the good and the bad stuff

 

[ant]

Thanks for all of the advice. I will turn the skimmer back on. My poor xenias look horrible this morning. They were so full and beautiful just three days ago. I just don't get it. I'm bummed.