So I’m wandering what my issue is here? Looking to the group for suggestions. I have a lot of pulsing Xenia in my Tank witch I don’t mind. I’m the reefer who enjoys the movement. The issue is I have had a lot of them die off and not reproducing like they use to. The only change I made to my system is added some chaeto to my sump. Any how it’s growing like mad. I recently started dabbling in sps witch are doing fantastic by the way. I have had a handful of lps no issues with those either. Only issue is the pulsing Xenia seem to be fading out. Water chemistry is spot on. No other issue what so ever. I even have waiving hand Xenia that is growing like mad still? His has me stumped. So I guess my real question is......... is it possible I could be stripping out to many nutrients with the chaeto??? I have shut down the reef octopus currently to see if things perk up within the next few days / week(s)... of course monitoring my chemistry along the way.
Water To Clean??
- Thread starter Rob Rowe
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Are you still changing water? Chaeto can use up some elements like Iron and a few others that some softies also use. Water changes will replenish these, but if you are not consistent or frequent enough, you might look to dose some Iron and maybe some other basic elements.
tdileo
Valuable Member
No experience with xenia but I hear it is very weird. Some tanks it will grow like crazy, others it just melts and dies. Sometimes it thrives for months then dies. Seems to me like it’s harder than any acro I’ve had lol
Could just be that. I mean I have grown these in the sump with next to nothing for light. I have heard that too that some people can keep them and some folks can’t. I have had them growing like mad in my system now for 2+ years and no issue. Maybe I should back off on my flow a little as well.
tdileo
Valuable Member
Your phosphate is a bit higher than I like to keep it at, I think anywhere from no lower than .03 but up to .15, maybe a little higher is optimal. Many disagree with me though and say that’s too high. Regardless that shouldn’t cause issues with xenia of all corals.
You are going to need iron for the chaeto or else it will stall out. It might help the xenia as well.
There is nothing wrong with any of those parameters for Xenia.
There is nothing wrong with any of those parameters for Xenia.
Agree with you 100%. My test kit for phosphate and nitrate is a bit aged. My big 3 is Red Sea test kit. (New) I usually run about a steady .15 on phosphate. I have been feeding on the heavy side the last few days to try an bring up nutrients to see if they respond any. My experience with Xenia is I couldn’t kill them if I tried??? I mean I gave a buddy some forgot them in a cold truck for an hour and they still pulled through like champs.Lol....
Chaeto is growing strong. I believe it may be stripping me. I’m going to trim some out an see it that helps as well. I will most likely do that first instead of killing the skimmer. Better try one thing at a time. Don’t want to overwhelm the system with changes.
Test for iodine and dose. Rarely but I do dose now an again. Only test iodine maybe once a month. Doesn’t seem to drift out much. I was watching my Tank last night, and again tonight pounding my head an I may have found the culprit and or culprits? My yellow tang and my blue tang. Was just sitting here an watched them both go after an shred some of the ends of my Xenia’s. Didn’t eat them??? Now my tangs are not hungry by any means I wouldn’t presume. I feed them dried seaweed and they are not shy when I fed the rest of the gang and they are fat and happy. I was wandering if my coral beauty might be in on it as well but haven’t seen this fish look twice at a coral. I know they are a 50/50 shot when you dump them in your tank. That would explain why only some of my Xenia look sad. However almost all of them close up off and on throughout the day. I believe they are irritated. Never heard of tangs nipping at any coal. I feed them supplement green marine algae by Ocean Nutrition twice a week via veggie clip.
stevieduk
Active Member
to keep xenia successfully , i found it needs high nitrates, medium flow and once a week iodine. never had any tangs eat my xenia. Only thing i have found affects it is when the specific gravity goes up a bit high
