Fish eating pulsing Xenas?

Supramike · Feb 22, 2016

is there a fish out there that will eat the pulsing Xenas? They are starting to get out of control. I trim them back but was wondering if there was a fish type control.

cmcoker · Feb 22, 2016

Some reports if the matted filefish eating it, but also lps and other softies. I inject the xenia with vinegar and it melts away

Pete polyp · Feb 22, 2016

If you take care of nitrate it will starve them out

eatbreakfast · Feb 22, 2016

I have had zoster and heniochus butterflies eat them. Other butterflies will eat them too, but are more likely to pick at other corals as well.

Salty1962 · Feb 22, 2016

Most fish won't eat them due to the chemical it releases when attacked. Take some xenia out of the tank and smell it and you'll know what I'm talking about

Opus · Feb 22, 2016

Back in the 90's when xenia seemed impossible to keep my lfs had finally got it to take off in their show tank. They added a purple tang and he ate it all within a couple of weeks.

Supramike · Feb 22, 2016

cmcoker said:
Some reports if the matted filefish eating it, but also lps and other softies. I inject the xenia with vinegar and it melts away

Will the vinager hurt anything else in the tank? The filefish would be a no go then I couldn't take that chance.

Supramike · Feb 22, 2016

Pete polyp said:
If you take care of nitrate it will starve them out

How low?

Supramike · Feb 22, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
I have had zoster and heniochus butterflies eat them. Other butterflies will eat them too, but are more likely to pick at other corals as well.

I'll look into them.

Supramike · Feb 22, 2016

Opus said:
Back in the 90's when xenia seemed impossible to keep my lfs had finally got it to take off in their show tank. They added a purple tang and he ate it all within a couple of weeks.

My lfs said this too. Might look into this but the price of it and I already have 3 tangs in the tank. I'll look into this too cause if it turns out that they will I'll just rehome a fish or two.

Thanks everyone for the info.

Baldguy · Feb 22, 2016

My Zoster butterfly completely wiped out my pulsing xenia. Reef safe in every other way.

Pete polyp · Feb 22, 2016

Supramike said:
How low?

As low as possible. The more nitrate the more they spread. They will spread so much they will consume all the nitrate and it will start to recede. As nitrate builds back up they will start to spread again.

cmcoker · Feb 22, 2016

Supramike said:
Will the vinager hurt anything else in the tank? The filefish would be a no go then I couldn't take that chance.

Read up on carbon dosing vinegar, there is a possibility of bacterial bloom, possibly cyanobacteria, but if you limit the amount you use in any one day it should be fine. I would definitely have a skimmer running to remove the bacteria that feed on the vinegar.
I use vinegar for carbon dosing anyway, so I don't dose that day. Sometimes I'll use 30ml+ in a session of xenia killing (140g system). I try to do it the day before a water change, nutrients are gonna be released when the xenia dies.
I have had medical issues the last year and my SO has been feeding the tank, and I haven't done as many water changes as I would like... So it's gotten out of control, I actually have a matted filefish waiting for me to pick it up tomorrow...

Supramike · Feb 24, 2016

Baldguy said:
My Zoster butterfly completely wiped out my pulsing xenia. Reef safe in every other way.

Witch zoster? The yellow one or the brown one? I called my lfs and they had one but it was sold but it was the brown one.

eatbreakfast · Feb 25, 2016

Supramike said:
Witch zoster? The yellow one or the brown one? I called my lfs and they had one but it was sold but it was the brown one.

This is the zoster.

The yellow one is more frequently referred to as the pyramid butterfly, though they may eat xenia, it is more common with zosters.

Baldguy · Feb 25, 2016

+1 to what TJ said. Never had the yellow pyramid but the zoster (black and white) completely wiped out the xenia. I got mine from Live Aquaria.

cnseekatz · Feb 26, 2016

I've heard that filefish will eat them as well. Read that when I was investigating adding an aiptasia eating file. Cool little fish too...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+30+2562&pcatid=2562

eatbreakfast · Feb 26, 2016

cnseekatz said:
I've heard that filefish will eat them as well. Read that when I was investigating adding an aiptasia eating file. Cool little fish too...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+30+2562&pcatid=2562

But every one that I have ever had in a tank also began eating coral.