clayton
Member
I have recently started propogating my two types of xenia and thought I would share what I have found so far:Xenia propogation
Haircut
24/06/00 Day 1
Cut 7 polyps of xenia elongata and 3 of Bali two coloured xenia.
Placed polyps in plastic container at bottom of tank.
Day 2
No sign of attachment. Polyps keep floating out of container.
Mainly shrunken.
26/06/00 Day 3
Only 3 elongata remain visible in container. They are still withdrawn and unattached. Possible slight thickening at base.
One Bali Remains visible in box. Slight movement and expansion but no atachment. Probable thickening of base.
One polyp of Bali has settled right side up on substrate. Although in a slightly darker area it shows good expansion and some pulsing.
27/06/00 Day 4
6 elongata now visible in the box. Four of these have definitely attached to either gravel or the container. The other two are not properly visible. The polyps have expanded to about 1 inch in length.
No Bali remain visible in the box. One has appeared on the substrate in a dark area, next to one of the other Bali polyps.
01/07/00 Day 8
Polyps have been removed from the box as they have all started attaching. Others have been found. seven of the elongata are fixed and two bali. Not bad hey!! The stems are thickening on them all. Some of the polyps had attached to the plastic box. After using a sharp blade to slice them off, they reattached within 24 hours.
It would seem that the first three days may be needed to develop the ability to hold.
12/07/00 Day 20
All nine elongata have been found. One has been in a dark spot, trapped between the rock and glass. It has been there for at least a week but is still alive although small and withered.
The other eight elongata are all attached and show up to eight new nodules or polyps.
Three of the Bali are attached and show up to five new nodules or polyps.
I will start feeding four of the elongata and one of the bali directly with Kent Micro-vert three times a week: Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Trimming
29/06/00 Day 1
Trimmed a small branch of elongate with scissors and left it on the bottom of the tank.
The wound on the mother colony was closed up after 24 hours.
01/07/00 Day 3
The polyps are still floating about, the base is looking more closed. I will try to secure it tommorow.
12/07/00 Day 11
The base of the cutting is closed but it has still not attached. I may try pinning it to the substrate with a wooden pin.
Superglue
25/06/00 Day 1
Cut one polyp on Xenia elongata and attached it to a piece of gravel with superglue. Positioned mid tank.
Polyp is open and pulsing.
26/06/00 Day 2
Polyp has come off and disappeared!
Polyp sandwhich
26/06/00 Day 1
Cut 1 polyp of elongata and one polyp of Bali, Placed each polyp between two pieces of gravel, sandwiching the stem of the polyp in between and holding the pieces together with superglue at either end.
27/06/00 Day 2
Polyp has come off and disappeared!
(I didnt sit and write this all out - I am not that tragic, the paste worked)
Hope it's of some use to someone and not totaly boring!!!!
Haircut
24/06/00 Day 1
Cut 7 polyps of xenia elongata and 3 of Bali two coloured xenia.
Placed polyps in plastic container at bottom of tank.
Day 2
No sign of attachment. Polyps keep floating out of container.
Mainly shrunken.
26/06/00 Day 3
Only 3 elongata remain visible in container. They are still withdrawn and unattached. Possible slight thickening at base.
One Bali Remains visible in box. Slight movement and expansion but no atachment. Probable thickening of base.
One polyp of Bali has settled right side up on substrate. Although in a slightly darker area it shows good expansion and some pulsing.
27/06/00 Day 4
6 elongata now visible in the box. Four of these have definitely attached to either gravel or the container. The other two are not properly visible. The polyps have expanded to about 1 inch in length.
No Bali remain visible in the box. One has appeared on the substrate in a dark area, next to one of the other Bali polyps.
01/07/00 Day 8
Polyps have been removed from the box as they have all started attaching. Others have been found. seven of the elongata are fixed and two bali. Not bad hey!! The stems are thickening on them all. Some of the polyps had attached to the plastic box. After using a sharp blade to slice them off, they reattached within 24 hours.
It would seem that the first three days may be needed to develop the ability to hold.
12/07/00 Day 20
All nine elongata have been found. One has been in a dark spot, trapped between the rock and glass. It has been there for at least a week but is still alive although small and withered.
The other eight elongata are all attached and show up to eight new nodules or polyps.
Three of the Bali are attached and show up to five new nodules or polyps.
I will start feeding four of the elongata and one of the bali directly with Kent Micro-vert three times a week: Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Trimming
29/06/00 Day 1
Trimmed a small branch of elongate with scissors and left it on the bottom of the tank.
The wound on the mother colony was closed up after 24 hours.
01/07/00 Day 3
The polyps are still floating about, the base is looking more closed. I will try to secure it tommorow.
12/07/00 Day 11
The base of the cutting is closed but it has still not attached. I may try pinning it to the substrate with a wooden pin.
Superglue
25/06/00 Day 1
Cut one polyp on Xenia elongata and attached it to a piece of gravel with superglue. Positioned mid tank.
Polyp is open and pulsing.
26/06/00 Day 2
Polyp has come off and disappeared!
Polyp sandwhich
26/06/00 Day 1
Cut 1 polyp of elongata and one polyp of Bali, Placed each polyp between two pieces of gravel, sandwiching the stem of the polyp in between and holding the pieces together with superglue at either end.
27/06/00 Day 2
Polyp has come off and disappeared!
(I didnt sit and write this all out - I am not that tragic, the paste worked)
Hope it's of some use to someone and not totaly boring!!!!
