Mystery Xenia

[theclemsonkid]

Last week I got a Xenia frag for free from the LFS, which was rubber banded to a small piece of rock. Since this was my first frag ever, I read up on it, and saw that the rubber band may have not been the best idea so I tried to take it out and place it in a hole in some LR... thing is, while taking it out of the rubber band, I dropped it, got caught in the power head flow and went under some rock. I couldn't find it, so I just let it go, thinking it would just die.
Fast forward about two weeks, and there is a random xenia sprout gowing halfway up a piece of random live rock. Its just a single stalk, and actually looks kinda cool.
However, I am slightly concerned as to how it got there, and if it was from the frag that slipped under a rock, does that mean my tank could be popping up xenia sprouts all over the place?
Just curious what your opinions might be...
thanks
Jonathan

 

[bigarn]

It most likely attached itself to the rock and is now growing. If it stays healthy it will spread from where it is pretty quick.

 

[bonebrake]

I have kept xenia now since 2005, and just last month I had my first random stalk appear far from the colony. Usually it spreads locally by reaching out and then detaching from a mother stalk.
When yours went through the powerhead a single arm or chunk probably got chopped off and this allowed it to settle somewhere and start to grow out.

 

[steve24]

i`ve had just a single polyp fall off, land on my LR and attach itself grow and start a new colony

 

[michaeltx]

xenia walks so to speak so if it was under a rock it will move itself to where it wants to be.
problem is that when it walks it leaves tiny pieces of tissue behind that will start to grow and become new colonies in your tank so watch out for that.
Mike