Pulsing Xenia Acclimation

[CMarieDennison]

I’ve searched and haven’t found much on this because I want to keep my Xenia alive and most people want theirs to calm down, but:
I bought six new corals yesterday afternoon. Two small frags of Zoa’s, two pretty small Ricordeas, a rock full of GSP (that I am hoping to use to cover my back wall) and a small pulsing Xenia. It was about an hour and a half drive, but the LFS (Austin Aqua Farm) said they regularly ship overnight so my drive shouldn’t have caused too much of a problem. I got home, temp acclimated 20 mins, and did a Seachem Reef Dip. Put all the frags in the sand bed to let them sit for a few days before I put them in their (tentative) places.

Everything is doing fine except the Xenia. The Zoa’s and GSP all opened up, the Riccordea’s are still bright and pretty. The Xenia looks like absolute hell. It also looks like it’s foot might have gotten cut or something (I’m not sure how, it’s not on a frag plug or rock, LFS just have it to me stand alone and I was super gentle with the dip and everything).

Parameters are:
Temp: 78
PH: 8
Salinity: 1.024
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0.2
Calcium: 350 (I’m working on bringing it up)
Magnesium: 1300

First picture was last night, second was this afternoon.
What do I do

 

[MrGisonni]

It's probably just using all of its energy to attach to the rock. Just give it a little time.

 

[Just John]

How is it? I'm guessing it recovered. It usually looks like it's dead for a day or so. After you decide it's definitely dead it then pops up and is totally happy.

 

[CMarieDennison]

How is it? I'm guessing it recovered. It usually looks like it's dead for a day or so. After you decide it's definitely dead it then pops up and is totally happy.

It melted

 

[ReeferHD]

sometimes xenia doesnt do well in certain tanks, same thing happened to me when i got into the hobby.

 

[Uncle99]

Nitrate way to low and no posting of phosphates.
They love to mop up nutrients, but you don’t have much.
Will starve over time and slowly shrink.
5-15 nitrate, 0.05-.15phosphate would serve them better.

 

[CMarieDennison]

sometimes xenia doesnt do well in certain tanks, same thing happened to me when i got into the hobby.

I have been reading that they like “dirtier” tanks, and mine stays pretty clean. But it didn’t come on a frag rock or anything, he just cut it off and put it in the bag and the second he did, it looked like a goner. I’ll give the tank a few months and then maybe try again

 

[Uncle99]

I have been reading that they like “dirtier” tanks, and mine stays pretty clean. But it didn’t come on a frag rock or anything, he just cut it off and put it in the bag and the second he did, it looked like a goner. I’ll give the tank a few months and then maybe try again

When cut, your talking weeks before it will attach, more time to regenerate.
But given nutrients, hard to kill permanently.

 

[Tamberav]

Xenia is actually finicky. Can grow like a weed or just up and die.

They are sensitive to high temps and can be poor shippers just due to temp swings.

Also if it was a fresh cut and not attached, I would not buy it. A fresh cut into a new tank likes to melt I have found.

Not related to what you did but also overdosing DIY coral snow too close to it will make it melt real fast too in my experience … so if anyone has Xenia invasion, worth a shot.

 

[Just John]

It melted

Wow. Here I am thinking xenia was like a zombie and just couldn't die. Sorry about your xenia.

 

[HeckleFish]

Wow. Here I am thinking xenia was like a zombie and just couldn't die. Sorry about your xenia.

I have never, ever been able to keep xenia. Even 10 years ago in my established 150 gal tank. It goes in, it dies. Tool 10 years off and started reefing again. Same exact thing. Pretty much everything else does fine. But for xenia, it's a death sentence.