Whats wrong with my Xenias?

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

So my pom pom xenias have recently stopped pulsing and seem to almost be shriveling up... everyone says these grow like a weed... and there has been no growth... the only thing in my tank that seems to have grown any is my frogspawn... any ideas?

Pkunk35 · Jul 10, 2012

Cooper32803 said:
So my pom pom xenias have recently stopped pulsing and seem to almost be shriveling up... everyone says these grow like a weed... and there has been no growth... the only thing in my tank that seems to have grown any is my frogspawn... any ideas?

Need more info! How long have you had them? How old is your tank? Any test results on the tank to share?

In my experience xenia can "ball" up and stay that way for a while. They don't usually shrivel up tho.

I would start by water change and then adding some Iodine (Iodide? I always confuse the two...basically lugols) supplement to the tank. You can even squirt the supplement directly onto the xenia inside the tank.

As always, a pic would be great...

Jaygalindo · Jul 10, 2012

Your water is probably low on nutrients. They are filter feeders. I know in the past with friends that kept dirty tanks were successful with Xenia. I have never grown it well myself

bjledbetter · Jul 10, 2012

Xenia likes alot of light. And as said are filter feeders and use alot of Iodine. It grows like crazy in my tank. But I have had it shrivel up and just die for no appearant reason, it just did it.

uall8up · Jul 10, 2012

Can I see a pic? These are one coral that I know a little about. I have lost a couple and later found out that they like a little flow, and moderate to high lighting. If your levels are high they will ball up then melt.

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

The tank is a 29g Biocube and is 2 months old and I have had them since it first cycled (they were my first coral I bought)... I have them placed on a rock that is all by itself on the sandbed in hopes that they would overtake the rock and that is it. My lighting is one 50/50 PC bulb and 2 blue panarama pro modules. I have 3 different types of filter feeder food I add probably twice a week (Phyto-feast, marine snow by 2 little fishes and zooplankton from brightwell). I am going to do a test in a few minutes and will come back with the results as well as try to take a pic. Oh and I also have been dosing Reef code A and B about once a week.

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

Initial test results... going back for reef test and to get a pic...

pH - 8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5

dmorrison · Jul 10, 2012

Frogspawn will make you think everything else isn't growing quick enough. Xenia is a fast grower but stuff like frog spawn and trumpets grow very fast as long as you have calcium in your water and feed them. All you need is patience once your Xenia starts growing it will take off quick.

Electrobes · Jul 10, 2012

Dude, lemme tell you about my history with Xenia. For almost 8 years every time I tried them.. they died off. Then one time I tried them again, and BAM they multiply like bunnies. I've had some for two years now and they've always pulse until about 6 months ago or so. After 3 months, they went back to pulsing. Lesson learned? They are finicky little things and have their own agenda!

Pkunk35 · Jul 10, 2012

Cooper32803 said:
The tank is a 29g Biocube and is 2 months old and I have had them since it first cycled (they were my first coral I bought)... I have them placed on a rock that is all by itself on the sandbed in hopes that they would overtake the rock and that is it. My lighting is one 50/50 PC bulb and 2 blue panarama pro modules. I have 3 different types of filter feeder food I add probably twice a week (Phyto-feast, marine snow by 2 little fishes and zooplankton from brightwell). I am going to do a test in a few minutes and will come back with the results as well as try to take a pic. Oh and I also have been dosing Reef code A and B about once a week.

I don't think Xenia filter feed on visible plankton, I want to say it is thought they use up dissolved organics in the tank...I'm not so sure you need to feed all that planktonic food unless something else is eating it.

When I had my Xenia it was also in a young 29 gallon. I had them placed top-center, dosed plenty of iodide, skimmed the tank 24/7, and they grew new heads constantly (you should be seeing new growth in 2 months IMO). They were supposedly pompoms.

uall8up · Jul 10, 2012

Well, the sit and waits win. lol They sure are hit and miss corals.

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

So I did my reef tests and my calcium was a little low, but my Alk was really high... could that be a factor?

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

here is a pic i just took of the poor little guys

Oops sorry about the sideways pic... forgot to turn my phone sideways...

STL · Jul 10, 2012

In my experience, they are sensitive to low temperatures (76 and below), alk swings, and clownfish nuzzling.

They do like Seachem Reef Plus - that stuff is xenia fuel - as well as good water flow and light. Interestingly, they only pulse when the water flow is not strong.

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

My water stays between 78-81 so that cant be it... but my Alk is a little high... how do I fix that? big water change? like 5 gallons for the 29 gallon tank?

gmoney243 · Jul 10, 2012

Xenia don't like leds ime

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Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

Could whatever is affecting the xenias be why my shrooms arent really growing? I thought those are supposed to grow like crazy too but I have had shrooms in my tank since the beginning as well and only have the original ones I have bought...

STL · Jul 10, 2012

Cooper32803 said:
Could whatever is affecting the xenias be why my shrooms arent really growing? I thought those are supposed to grow like crazy too but I have had shrooms in my tank since the beginning as well and only have the original ones I have bought...

From what I've seen, mushroom and xenia growth is closely tied - your water may be too clean, the Seachem Reef Plus or something along those lines should give them what they're missing.

As for LEDs, my xenia and mushrooms seem to enjoy the Radions just fine...