Runaway Xenia

[justjes45]

Hello!
So... I dawdled a bit because I LIKE the movement of the Xenia....
But now it is growing too close to some of my other Corals and ON one of them.
I have heard/ read that vinegar will "melt" it-
But will it hurt the other corals?

 

[CoralCollectors805]

yes don't do it. best way is to just cut it all out ALL OF IT. Ive had 1 pulsing polyp turn into 1000 in a week that stuff grows fast

 

[justjes45]

Hello!
So... I dawdled a bit because I LIKE the movement of the Xenia....
But now it is growing too close to some of my other Corals and ON one of them.
I have heard/ read that vinegar will "melt" it-
But will it hurt the other corals?

@WWC

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Yea best way is to remove it!

 

[justjes45]

So this morning with a brainstorm. Let me know if you think this will work.
Some of the Xenia is growing in, around and through some of my other corals. At first I thought I would have to start all over, buy
Fresh, "live rock… Then I woke up wondering if I could Dremel it out. If I have a bucket of salt water to rinse the rock as I went, do you think that would be a good way to get it off of the rock? With a Dremel?

 

[RobBaglieri]

I have had Xenia in my tank for a year. I keep it in check by ripping it out with tweezers whenever it goes rogue. If you keep up with it, you can concentrate it to one spot and still enjoy it. If you put it on an island in the sand, it will stay there. Once in a while it sheds offspring and they pop up...tweezers...

 

[justjes45]

Really? Tweezers? My Xenia seems to be "rooted" right into the Rock- I can not pull it off with my fingers- it tears and rips but always leaves a chuck/nub...

 

[RobBaglieri]

Really? Tweezers? My Xenia seems to be "rooted" right into the Rock- I can not pull it off with my fingers- it tears and rips but always leaves a chuck/nub...

Yes. Tweezers. I bought a set of "stainless steel" forceps, tweezers and hemostats online. They work great for eradicating Xenia and Kenya trees as well as anything else I see that needs to be removed or squished. Grab the Xenia as close to the rock as possible and twist.

 

[Neil Fox]

What Rob says. Get some of these, and grab it as close to the rock as you can. It is easy to control and takes a while to grow back. You can get it under control pretty easy.

 

[justjes45]

Ok! I will try this!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Also take a look at the base, when they are ready to jump they kinda constrict at the base. When they do its easy to pop em off. if its a little one on a litle rock a chisel or screwdriver. you can also find sturdy plastic paint scrapers.

 

[justjes45]

Well... I did it.
Pulled, cut and scraped all I could see.
On one rock it was pretty imbedded in some Zoas, but I think I got it.
My tank now hates me.
I had to pull each rock to clean them, stirred up everything, and re-set them.
I did a water change, and now it is a dark relaxing time out....
Hope it is ok tomorrow.