Dying pulsing Xenia

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

I acquired a beautiful pulsing Xenia 5 days ago. For the first 2 days it looked great, but more & more polyps have stopped pulsing & it is dying off in bits & pieces. Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites are all zero. I did a partial water change, moved it to higher flow & higher light, target fed with microvore... Nothing. I did have the temperature drop to 77 (yikes!). Corrected that quick but still no response. One of my fish is looking poorly too...

cthedaytrader · Oct 20, 2015

pulsing xenia tends to need proper iodine levels, you might want to try dosing a drop or two of lugols a week or twice a week depending on your tank size, and see how it does.

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

cthedaytrader said:
pulsing xenia tends to need proper iodine levels, you might want to try dosing a drop or two of lugols a week or twice a week depending on your tank size, and see how it does.

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

Will do. Do you think it would fade this fast because of iodine?

Naiad · Oct 20, 2015

+1 to the iodine. If you can lower flow and drop it right near the xenia it loves it. No one probably enjoyed the temperature drop. I know I didn't here in Michigan. Just get things stable again and remember to monitor iodine with these guys.

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

Thanks - I've already added some. My basselet looks awful - temp is back to 82 but he's hiding & not eating (a first)

Naiad · Oct 20, 2015

What kind of basselet?

Humblefish · Oct 20, 2015

cthedaytrader said:
pulsing xenia tends to need proper iodine levels, you might want to try dosing a drop or two of lugols a week or twice a week depending on your tank size, and see how it does.

^^This AND IME it also needs nitrates/nutrients. It does best in a "dirty tank".

Rjramos · Oct 20, 2015

Humblefish said:
^^This AND IME it also needs nitrates/nutrients. It does best in a "dirty tank".

This is true! I adopted a tank from a cousin of mine full of pulsing Xenia, he didn't do much for water changes. I started to upgrade the tank from it's trickle filter, and poor circulation. And doing more water changes than he was. It's been about a year, the tank is doing great with great parameters every other coral is doing great, but the Xenia, non-pulsating and barely any left!

Sabellafella · Oct 20, 2015

Yanno whats crazy for me acually i have 2 tanks with exactly the same parameters nd my sps tank i cant keep xenia alive but in my other i have it as a refugium and its legit taking over

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

Naiad said:
What kind of basselet?

Royal gramma. Had it several months & it's been doing great, now suddenly hiding, not eating, odd body posture. I added a jawfish at the same time as the Xenia (5 days ago) & the basselet was doing some posturing at it. Never saw any contact, no visible lesions or wounds on either fish...

Naiad · Oct 20, 2015

He may have lost his spot on the pecking order to the jawfish. When you say odd posture what do you mean?

Naiad · Oct 20, 2015

Humblefish said:
^^This AND IME it also needs nitrates/nutrients. It does best in a "dirty tank".

They sometimes are used as a type of filter on tanks that are nutrient heavy.

gcrawford · Oct 20, 2015

I keep my tank with Xenia at 77 and they grow like weeds. I've had to trim them back to keep them from shading other corals. Might consider cooler temps.

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

Naiad said:
They sometimes are used as a type of filter on tanks that are nutrient heavy.

Naiad said:
He may have lost his spot on the pecking order to the jawfish. When you say odd posture what do you mean?

csreed · Oct 20, 2015

It's holding its body in a curved position, fins somewhat against its body. It often "hovers" vertically too but that seems to be normal for it. It is usually out & active but has been hiding more & not eating today - that's VERY weird as he is usually a piglet. He does seem to have moved from his usual hangout & the flame hawkish has moved in - don't know if that means anything...