Xenia monster!

[snowflakeclown]

]Ok,
So my tank is about 2 - 3 months old. I bought two small Xenia and they have grown out of control in pristine water. I have two Xenia that are still the size of a softball, both of them. They have started fragging themselves like crazy until I had to buy a rack and frag kit today.
So the question, what do you normally do with all these? Trade them to the LFS?
http://gallery.me.com/jpowell490/100015/Frags

 

[chain]

Yea you can trade them to LFS if they will honor some sort of credit or cash back. Sometimes however LFS will not give anything for xenia simply because of what you are experiencing. In some systems xenia grows like crazy and in others it simply doesn't. Their have been many theories to date as to why, ranging from iodine levels, to many others. It's still not known why xenia lives and flourishes in some systems yet doesn't in others. It is true that xenia feeds off nitrates; however it's been established that this isn't the sole reason why it dies in some of the more pristine systems. Also you might look at selling and/or trading frags of the xenia locally for other coral that individuals may have.

 

[flower]

I see no reason to frag Xenia...it spreads on it's own. That being said...
I would love to take some off your hands. We are not allowed to buy or sell on this site but I can pay for shipping and tell you how if you are interested PM me.

 

[snowflakeclown]

Thanks for the responses!
I have pristine water conditions. I have read that they do well in high nitrate water, but I have 0 nitrates. I put a lot of time and money into my system and I check it and maintain it daily. I feed cyclops, reef snow, etc. All of my corals have grown and reproduced like crazy which is a great thing.
Yea flower, they are fragging themselves. ALL of them. I have Kenya Tree, Green Mushroom, Pink Star Polyps, Green Star Polyps all pretty much reproducing themselves to where it was either frag them or have them take over my tank. I say "frag", but it was really pulling the pieces out and glueing them on. Of course the star polyps I had to snip, but not the rest.
I have a ton of coraline algae as well, so things are going well. I use RO/DI water with Red Sea Coral Pro salt. My phosphates, calcium, etc. Is all spot on so I am a big fan of the Red Sea salt.

 

[2quills]

Interesting. They look good. Have you given any consideration into the notion that the reason you are not detecting nitrates is because the xenia are consuming them?

 

[jeremye83]

my nitrates went to zero once my xenia took off. i was always at about 10 to 15 no matter what i did..