what's the problem with xenia?

mlwoods007

mlwoods007

Member
I just got a little frag of it, and now I keep noticing people stating negative comments about it. Why do some people not like it? The only thing I can think of is because it grows very fast. If you stayed on top of it though, wouldn't you be able to contain it? It spreads like GSP, rather than like coralline right (popping up here or there)?
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
it grows faster in some peoples tanks, yes. there are varying degrees success with this coral. i dont think it is particularly 'easy' because there are factors that are unknown about this coral. certain people can keep this coral in a tank for months and they all of a sudden may crash out. they might do well in 9 tanks that are set up exactly the same with the same params, and die in a 10th. they seem to do better in tanks with less than perfect parameters...
 
bullitr

bullitr

Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
it grows faster in some peoples tanks, yes. there are varying degrees success with this coral. i dont think it is particularly 'easy' because there are factors that are unknown about this coral. certain people can keep this coral in a tank for months and they all of a sudden may crash out. they might do well in 9 tanks that are set up exactly the same with the same params, and die in a 10th. they seem to do better in tanks with less than perfect parameters...
i think they thrive really well on more nutrient tanks . thats why a keep it as a macro algae in my tank to remove all the nutrient in my mixed tank with sps so far everybody is happy
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by bullitr
i think they thrive really well on more nutrient tanks . thats why a keep it as a macro algae in my tank to remove all the nutrient in my mixed tank with sps so far everybody is happy
The GA aquarium does the same thing. I've seen their fuge area. They keep mangroves and xenia in there.
 
bullitr

bullitr

Active Member
xenia is the best coral if you know how to use it ..and the best thing happen to me since i started reef just my 2 cents
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
it grows faster in some peoples tanks, yes. there are varying degrees success with this coral. i dont think it is particularly 'easy' because there are factors that are unknown about this coral. certain people can keep this coral in a tank for months and they all of a sudden may crash out. they might do well in 9 tanks that are set up exactly the same with the same params, and die in a 10th. they seem to do better in tanks with less than perfect parameters...
I used to really want it but this is why I stay away.
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
It typically grows like a weed. The various stories for xenia I've read focus on water parameters, but honestly omit more important details. Xenia, like all corals, consume nitrate to some degree; soft corals benefit the most due to a lack of competition for inorganic carbon (I'd post the article link but it is on a competitor site in terms of advertising). This is why it is great for a fuge, it will consume nitrates and is easy to remove.
The other issue with xenia is that as it grows, it forms separate colonies. These colonies will engage in chemical warfare with each other, thus causing the crashes we hear about. Activated carbon will remove these toxins from the water, thus helping to eliminate this problem. I've kept xenia successfully for many years in various tanks using these approaches. Hopefully this helps you out!
 
azfishgal

azfishgal

Active Member
Originally Posted by mlwoods007
Does all xenia grow at such a quick rate? I noticed yours is brown, but mine is white and silver?
They are both Xenia, but two different types. My Xenia is high on my rock so it does not spread as fast, they like growing up. Also, since I added my Xenia I have noticed my nitrates have come down to almost 0, so for me that's a benefit worth having.
Here is a picture of it about a month or so ago.

Here is a picture of it now. It's larger, but it really hasn't spread because it's at the highest point on that rock.
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
xenia will just die off, kinda has it's own agenda. My 125once had a very cool xenia forest, then one day it just started melting and that was the end of the xenia. Everything else in the tank has always been fine, 3 clams, laoded with zoa's tons of leathers, huge frogspawn, shrooms, rics etc...nothing else had a problem.
 
N

nereef

Guest
frogspawn has sweeper tenticles that will sting other corals. leathers might be able to take it though.
 
azfishgal

azfishgal

Active Member
Originally Posted by maxalmon
xenia will just die off, kinda has it's own agenda. My 125once had a very cool xenia forest, then one day it just started melting and that was the end of the xenia. Everything else in the tank has always been fine, 3 clams, laoded with zoa's tons of leathers, huge frogspawn, shrooms, rics etc...nothing else had a problem.
When your Xenia melted away, did you do anything to try and get it out, or just leave it. Was just wondering if it puts off any toxins when it's dying.
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
To give you an idea of how fast this grows in my tank. The first pic is my first frag received 07/2006. This is a current shot. Bear in mind that I have been through 2 melts which took half of my population each time and I sell to 2 LFS each week....
This is the main reason I keep so much.




 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
Originally Posted by azfishgal
When your Xenia melted away, did you do anything to try and get it out, or just leave it. Was just wondering if it puts off any toxins when it's dying.

When I started to notice the dieoff, I decided to do an informal experiment.
I removed 2/3 of the xenia from the 125, and then put 1/3 in my Biocube and 1/3 in my frag tank.
.
The xenia in the 125 continued to wither and die, it's now 100% gone, the water quality in the 125 is pristine, it's loaded with a frogspawn that has 26 heads, clams etc...35g water changes every 6 weeks using TM PRO.
.
xenia in the frag tank continued to survive and pulse for about a week and then died off. The white pom pom xenia has still continued to grow
.
xenia in biocube withered away and is now gone.
.
I have no explanation, 3 seperate systems, all with very good water quality and the reqular xenia simply died.....the pom pom has continued to thrive.
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
I did remove some but not that much.
The 2 x's mine died was a combo of 2 things. Lacking phyto and chemical war fare.
Now I add dt's 3x's per week and drop a carbon sock 1X per month. Never any issues since.
Iodine.... I dose when things do not seem to open as much. I test with Salifert but get 0 readings.
 
D

dborne3

Guest
I have never seen such huge colonies of Xenia before!! I just bought me a small frag about the size of Fishy's and hope it flouirshes but maybe not as much as yours. I absolutely love my new addition and has done great in the first week.
 
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