Xenia Problem

[supalupa]

All my corals and fish are doing excellent except my pulsing xenia. A couple of days ago it started turning dark and started shrinking and has only gotten worse since. Up until now it has thrived and seemed to grow larger each day. I do 10% water changes every week and my parameters are fine.
I have read several posts about this. Some say add Iodide. Someone also said a sure fire way to revive a dying xenia is to cut it off at the base and the base will grow back and the stalk will also recover when fragged.
Has anyone had experience with any of these remedies for a dying xenia?

 

[hsanchez]

I dunno but I cut a xenia frag, left a very small amount of the base there, sorta like a tree stump, and within a couple days I could see little xenia growing and pulsing on it.

 

[sufunk]

What exactly are your paremeters? Dont add iodine unless your already testing for it( never add what you dont test for). Cutting it almost always works with healthy Xenia, but i dont think id try it with a xenia i think is dying. How much flow do you have on it? Some of mine were starting to shrivel and i moved them up in the tank with more flow and they are doing great now

 

[supalupa]

SG- 1.025
PH -8.2
Alk -10
Calcium-460
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-10
Temp 80-82
They are currently in a medium flow area of the tank. Nice swaying motion back an forth.

 

[jacklax]

I had the same problem...dropped my temp from 82 to 79 and it recovered nicely. Could've been a coincidence, but whenever my xenia looks a little rough I always check the temp. No problems now that I lowered the temp.

 

[supalupa]

Thanks for the advice but with my metal halide lighting I don't think I will be able to get my temp down much.

 

[rujelus22]

Tempurature is supposed to be a bit lower for xenia. In my xenia frag tank I had the temp go up once and the xenia really didn't like it, it's at 79 now and they do great.

 

[supalupa]

Thanks! Will definately try to lower the temp. I like it when 2 or more people chime in with the same advice. Makes me feel better to know it has worked for several people.

 

[jacklax]

Good call...safety in numbers.

 

[fishieness]

id definatly watch your tank and make sure nothing is going wrong. a lot of reefers dont have serious expensive equiptment to moniter anything because they claim their xenia will tell them a lot quicker when somethign is wrong. good luck

 

[richie1742]

Originally Posted by HSanchez
I dunno but I cut a xenia frag, left a very small amount of the base there, sorta like a tree stump, and within a couple days I could see little xenia growing and pulsing on it.
yea! good advice buddie!

 

[mrdc]

My xenia seems to be doing well and I have halides too. I keep my temp at a constant 81. I have had some xenia die for unknown reasons but the new growth replace the dead ones quickly. I'm not sure if you may want to consider a different tank location. The iodine issue is a controversial subject when it comes to dosing. I think your water changes will do just fine.

 

[supalupa]

Did a 10% water change yesterday and plan on doing another 10% today. Want to get my nitrates from 10 to 0. I have heard that xenia like the water a little dirty but I have decided that the ocean probably doesn't have nitrates at 10 so I want my tank at 0. I lowered the temp 2 degrees from 80-82 to 78-80. Fluctuates a couple degrees from night to day. I was told at the lfs that xenia would help a little to reduce nitrates. Is this true? I didn't think 1 xenia would do anything for my 125 gallon but was happy to hear that.

 

[sufunk]

Supa, not sure about the temperature issue. My tank is 81-83 and my xenia have been growing and splitting like crazy.
Dont think they remove nitrates but i think they remove phosphates and release ammonia, at least i read that somewhere.

 

[fishieness]

i.m not sure if this was said, but xenia is also used by many in their refugium. They need a lot of nutrients. an a very low nutrient system, they may die.

 

[supalupa]

What types of nutrients? Magnesium, Strontium, Iodide etc?

 

[fishieness]

as in nitrates and nitrites