Pulsing Xenia Propagation Experiment
- Thread starter mudplayerx
- Start date
mudplayerx
Active Member
I don't know much about compacts, but 96 watts sounds good enough to me for xenias in a 12g tank 
mudplayerx
Active Member
I can try Beth, but whenever I take pics of corals with bunches of little moving parts, they always come out horribly blurry lol. I would really appreciate it if someone else could photograph their xenias while they propagate them. If there is no reply by tomorrow, I'll cut one up and try to take some pics
mudplayerx
Active Member
I forgot to add:
When I first started propagating the xenia, the remaining stalks were taking forever to grow new pulsing heads. Over time I discovered that this was due to lighting inadequacies. Keep in mind that before the xenia is cut, it has a much larger reach. After you cut them, the little .5 to 1 inch nub is sometimes left in the shadow.
The original ones I propagated were in the shade of the live rock and took about two weeks to grow the pulsating heads....which matured very slowly.
Ever since then I have been careful to make sure there was ample lighting. They now have pulsating heads within a week....which mature quite quickly.
When I first started propagating the xenia, the remaining stalks were taking forever to grow new pulsing heads. Over time I discovered that this was due to lighting inadequacies. Keep in mind that before the xenia is cut, it has a much larger reach. After you cut them, the little .5 to 1 inch nub is sometimes left in the shadow.
The original ones I propagated were in the shade of the live rock and took about two weeks to grow the pulsating heads....which matured very slowly.
Ever since then I have been careful to make sure there was ample lighting. They now have pulsating heads within a week....which mature quite quickly.
zman1
Active Member
Attached are pics. The xenias are closed, the light was off for a couple hours, so it allowed me to get a picture of the base of one I cut recently (two weeks ago) It wasn't clean and ended up starting two new ones, that I have arrows pointing toward this. I use toothpicks pushed into rubble. In about one to two weeks they typically attach to rubble. I point the open end toward the powerhead so it forces the xenia back to the rock. Then twist the toothpick to remove later. One of the picture shows the toothpicks. I cut the stalk when it branched and then split it into two in these pictures. The last pick shows them attached with toothpicks removed.
mudplayerx
Active Member
You can't really propagate yellow polyps. They have to spreado n their own. Although, you can put rubble and rock around them so that they spread onto them.
crashedin0
Member
so i kno that you can do xenias and shrooms
what else
leathers?
candy canes?
clove polyp?
frogspawn?
what else
leathers?
candy canes?
clove polyp?
frogspawn?
hot883
Active Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
You can't really propagate yellow polyps. They have to spreado n their own. Although, you can put rubble and rock around them so that they spread onto them.
Thanks, that's what I was thinking of doing anyways too just to try it. Any movements I will let ya know.
You can't really propagate yellow polyps. They have to spreado n their own. Although, you can put rubble and rock around them so that they spread onto them.
Thanks, that's what I was thinking of doing anyways too just to try it. Any movements I will let ya know.
crashedin0
Member
bump so what else did u say i could frag ?!?!?! :notsure:
diane4
Member
Mudplayer, I am almost clear as to what I need to do if I decide to try to frag my xenia.
Is the netting layed ontop of the new frag or is it placed around the frag. It's hard to tell looking at the picture just where the netting is placed. maybe a drawing would work.
I don't know enough and haven't seen it done in person to begin to have the confidence to try it.
Does is hurt the amimal? I would think there is some pain in the cut. Is there I wonder. How do your guys seem after they are cut? Do think shrink down beyond what normaly you would expect as a stress reaction to being cut and disturbed?
I appreciate this thread and it's a good one. Thanks Mudplayer.
Is the netting layed ontop of the new frag or is it placed around the frag. It's hard to tell looking at the picture just where the netting is placed. maybe a drawing would work.
I don't know enough and haven't seen it done in person to begin to have the confidence to try it.
Does is hurt the amimal? I would think there is some pain in the cut. Is there I wonder. How do your guys seem after they are cut? Do think shrink down beyond what normaly you would expect as a stress reaction to being cut and disturbed?
I appreciate this thread and it's a good one. Thanks Mudplayer.
bronco300
Active Member
well i decide to frag on today while i was messing with the tank...so here are some pics of the process i use....which involves the netting. i just fill up a nice little plastic container with saltwater, cut my xenia stalk, transfer it over.....i let the xenia rest on my fingers instead of trying to hold them because they are super slippery...so i just let them rest over the crack in my fingers, and cut it...and cut however many pieces ya want, i only did three this time....then take those pieces and put them on whatever rock you are wanting to attach them to, you can see my rock in the first pic....then put the netting over it, and rubberband it, and in it goes and watch em grow. easy as pie.
mudplayerx
Active Member
Great pics Bronco! Thanks for posting them.
Diane4, I'm sure Bronco's wonderful pics explained it, but yes, you put the netting over the top of the xenia. Also, since corals do not have central nervous systems or even a spine, out current understanding of anatomy will tell us that they are incapable of feeling pain. Sure they recoil and shrivel when you cut them, but that is a natural survival reaction
Don't feel silly though, I felt bad the 1st time I cut a xenia. Once you do it a few times you get used to it.
ps- Zman thanks for the nice pics! Are those coral plugs that you grow your xenia on?
Diane4, I'm sure Bronco's wonderful pics explained it, but yes, you put the netting over the top of the xenia. Also, since corals do not have central nervous systems or even a spine, out current understanding of anatomy will tell us that they are incapable of feeling pain. Sure they recoil and shrivel when you cut them, but that is a natural survival reaction
Don't feel silly though, I felt bad the 1st time I cut a xenia. Once you do it a few times you get used to it.
ps- Zman thanks for the nice pics! Are those coral plugs that you grow your xenia on?
diane4
Member
WOW, that is great pictures and it really makes it clear how to frag and seed the new cut.
As long as they don't feel pain, then I would try it.
Also, I am wondering - what seperates animals from plants. Now, xenia is an animal, however it has no digestive system, but yet - it is an animal. I wonder what makes the difference.
Bronco300 - those are very clear, very very usefull pictures and I love it when folks post stuff like that. AND mudplayer, you rule too - you have outstanding info and ideas.
95 hats off to both of you. :jumping: :cheer:
Thanks much
Diane
As long as they don't feel pain, then I would try it.
Also, I am wondering - what seperates animals from plants. Now, xenia is an animal, however it has no digestive system, but yet - it is an animal. I wonder what makes the difference.
Bronco300 - those are very clear, very very usefull pictures and I love it when folks post stuff like that. AND mudplayer, you rule too - you have outstanding info and ideas.
95 hats off to both of you. :jumping: :cheer:
Thanks much
Diane
