Xenia been going strong and then....

[SaltyMcAfee]

Hey so I’ve had this Xenia growing like a weed in my tank for a few months now and it’s been basically taking over this entire rock and then out of nowhere the other day it started to wilt and now it just seems super unhappy which is weird because all the other corals in my tank are doing fine and I haven’t changed anything and all my parameters are spot on? Anyone got any ideas or know what might be happening? It doesn’t seem to be dying but it seems to just be very unhappy

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

wh

Hey so I’ve had this Xenia growing like a weed in my tank for a few months now and it’s been basically taking over this entire rock and then out of nowhere the other day it started to wilt and now it just seems super unhappy which is weird because all the other corals in my tank are doing fine and I haven’t changed anything and all my parameters are spot on? Anyone got any ideas or know what might be happening? It doesn’t seem to be dying but it seems to just be very unhappy

at are phosphates? xenia actually consume phosphates... they might have stripped it all out and are now dying off

 

[McFly]

They like high nutrient tanks, what are your parameters?

 

[SaltyMcAfee]

wh
at are phosphates? xenia actually consume phosphates... they might have stripped it all out and are now dying off

Phosphates are around .1 at the moment

 

[Hemmdog]

Phosphates are around .1 at the moment

Nitrate ?

 

[SaltyMcAfee]

They like high nutrient tanks, what are your parameters?

Parameters
Nitrates- <1
Ammonia- 0
Phosphate- ~.1
Ph- 8.2
Nitrites- 0
Salinity- 1.025
Calcium- 440
Alk- 9

 

[SaltyMcAfee]

Nitrate ?

I posted all my parameters thanks for the quick responses by the way!

 

[Oshengems]

Try some potassium iodine my Xenia always looks better after I dose

 

[Hemmdog]

I posted all my parameters thanks for the quick responses by the way!

Oh ok. Yea looks a little clean. I bet if you got your nitrates to 10 it would start looking great again.

 

[Retro Reefer]

It’s probably doing you a favor, I love Xenia but it’s extremely invasive.

 

[SaltyMcAfee]

It’s probably doing you a favor, I love Xenia but it’s extremely invasive.

I know it is but I’ve been keeping it at bay and it’s a great filler for this side of my tank

 

[SDK]

Try some potassium iodine my Xenia always looks better after I dose

I was going to suggest exactly this. The next usual suspect after NO3 and PO4 in a Xenia dieoff is going to most likely be iodine...

 

[SaltyMcAfee]

I was going to suggest exactly this. The next usual suspect after NO3 and PO4 in a Xenia dieoff is going to most likely be iodine...

I’ll check it out! Any products that y’all recommend for this?

 

[Oshengems]

I was going to suggest exactly this. The next usual suspect after NO3 and PO4 in a Xenia dieoff is going to most likely be iodine...

I Always dose it randomly and tend to use my Xenia as a sign I need to dose when it’s looking poor for a few days, I use the ESV brand potassium Iodine few drops weekly and you good don’t over do it, other corals might benefit from it as well

 

[Oshengems]

It’s probably doing you a favor, I love Xenia but it’s extremely invasive.

They definitely can and unlike GSP these suckers frag and go on the water column floating away to a new spot luckily my tank is Im My room I inspected it daily and loose stalks are given or flush people don’t want free Xenia’s smh

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

I use acropower as my iodine source. however its probably the nitrates causing it do not do so well

 

[SaltyMcAfee]

I use acropower as my iodine source. however its probably the nitrates causing it do not do so well

What do you mean? As in my nitrates are high or low?

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

What do you mean? As in my nitrates are high or low?

as in nitrates are too low...

 

[User1]

Xenia is a good indicator of your tanks health believe it or not. Sort of like those poor canaries in the coal mine. As you noted everything doing well then one day poof, they are not expanding, looking wilted like a flower that likes low sun/shade exposed to the hot desert temps and sun of Arizona. If overall water quality is good but the two key parameters that Xenia likes is bingo, or 0, then usually that is the issue. Xenia will let you know, test, and there you go.

One thing you may be able to do is feed heavily a day or two and see if that bumps up your nutrients but if they stay low then you will need to explore the possibility of dosing them.