What to Replace Xenia With in Tank

TateLitts · Apr 21, 2021

So I really appreciate pulsing Xenia, but as everyone knows - it GROWS. Sort of a pain in the behind to trim all the time. Everyone loves the pulsing, but I might be looking to swap it out in my IM NUVO 10. It’s at the top of my rock, in med-high light.

If you were me, what would you think about replacing it with? I was thinking easy SPS but I’m in college and don’t know how they’d handle frequent transport, appreciate how easy softies/LPS are in terms of maintenance, and don’t want to increase the whole tank’s light for new coral.

* ignore the frags in the sand

desagon · Apr 21, 2021

Why not try out birds nest? Any of it is kind of nice and grows quick. In my experience, it handles all kinds of stuff pretty well. Like dirty water, less par, lesser flow, etc.

krash7172 · Apr 21, 2021

If you like xenia, keep it. It's really not hard at all to control. Try this before giving up.

JCM · Apr 21, 2021

I'd keep the xenia if I was transporting frequently. It's easy to keep and interesting. Especially to people unfamiliar with reef tanks

TateLitts · Apr 21, 2021

krash7172 said:
If you like xenia, keep it. It's really not hard at all to control. Try this before giving up.

JCM said:
I'd keep the xenia if I was transporting frequently. It's easy to keep and interesting. Especially to people unfamiliar with reef tanks

It’s certainly a fan favorite. I was just seeing if anything might stand out to people’s as far as replacements go - merely curious. I definitely like how it can act as a nutrient sponge (although I don’t know how effective that is in a 10g).

krash7172 · Apr 22, 2021

Maybe Palythoas.

mdb_talon · Apr 22, 2021

If it were me and I wanted to replace it I would do something that grows up and maybe out to give some more height and depth to your tank. Sinulara/toadstools/etc for softies or an easy SPS like birdsnest up there.

krash7172 · Apr 22, 2021

I have Paly Grandis.

krash7172 · Apr 22, 2021

mdb_talon said:
If it were me and I wanted to replace it I would do something that grows up and maybe out to give some more height and depth to your tank. Sinulara/toadstools/etc for softies or an easy SPS like birdsnest up there.

10g tank. no height

mdb_talon · Apr 22, 2021

Haha i just basing it off pictures. Personal preference but i like something that grows right up to water top.

krash7172 · Apr 22, 2021

mdb_talon said:
Haha i just basing it off pictures. Personal preference but i like something that grows right up to water top.

I have Kenyas up top

mdb_talon · Apr 22, 2021

Lol i know...I thought your post was asking for suggestions on what to put there if you took them out ... Somehow i must have got confused ignore my suggestion lol

MaxTremors · Apr 22, 2021

With your moving considerations in mind, if it were my tank, I’d clear a little patch in the middle and put either a green or pink Japanese nepthea, it would give some height, a little movement, would travel well, and would allow you to keep some of the Xenia. That or maybe some Duncans maybe take a piece of rubble to mount the Duncan on, a then mount that to the main rock so as to give it some height above the Xenia. Regardless of what you decide, if you keep the Xenia, you’ll have to manage its spread (which can be easier than people make it out to be, people act like it spreads so fast that it overtakes other corals overnight).

TateLitts · Apr 22, 2021

MaxTremors said:
With your moving considerations in mind, if it were my tank, I’d clear a little patch in the middle and put either a green or pink Japanese nepthea, it would give some height, a little movement, would travel well, and would allow you to keep some of the Xenia. That or maybe some Duncans maybe take a piece of rubble to mount the Duncan on, a then mount that to the main rock so as to give it some height above the Xenia. Regardless of what you decide, if you keep the Xenia, you’ll have to manage its spread (which can be easier than people make it out to be, people act like it spreads so fast that it overtakes other corals overnight).

I’m really rockin with the nepthea suggestion! A good compromise for sure.

MaxTremors · Apr 22, 2021

TateLitts said:
I’m really rockin with the nepthea suggestion! A good compromise for sure.

If you can’t find a Nepthea, a green Sinularia is almost indistinguishable (I think the Nepthea is prettier, but they’re really similar). The Japanese pink Nepthea is a much slower grower, so that’s something to keep in mind if you go with that (and they’re much more expensive and frags are usually pretty tiny).