Xenia question

mini-reefer

Member
I'm curious if anyone has bought a Xenia Anthelia(pom pom, I think). The type that is a mat and has a purple base to its body and when it opens it's "feelers" are green. I got one from the lfs today and while it was there it was huge and beautiful. It's been in my tank now for 4 or 5 hours and not one polyp has opened yet. It's bathing openly in a CSL 96w PC and Flo. actinic with medium to high current. Water parameters are:
Temp 84 (by the end of the day)
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Trites 0
Trates 0
Calcium 350(working on that)
Phosphates 0
Alk 3.2+
All this in a 34 Gallon with a Bangaii, Gramma and mated pair of Saddleback Clowns. Corals are lots of assorted shrooms and Zoanthids. I switched to a DSB awhile back and all has been great since so I ventured to another softy and I'm hoping I didnt make a mistake on this one. Everything is doing great except this thing. Also, I'm curious if these guys pulse like the single stalk type Xenia's? Any help would be appreciated greatly.
Mini-Reefer
 

adrian

Active Member
Mini, Anthellia and Xenia are closely related but they are not the same, pom-pom being a type of Xenia sp. What you have sounds closer to green star polyps, its normal for these to be closed for a few days after a move, as long as you provide it with the proper lighting and a good current it should eventually open up. You might try giving it a little shade as well depending on what type of lighting the coral was under prior to you getting it ;) HTH
 
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