Xenia fuge

lejeune981 · Nov 11, 2018

I'm thinking about taking down my xenia fuge and going with a traditional algae filled fuge..
My question/concern

I've got a million xenia (or close to it)
I'm sure they consume a lot of nutriants out of the water..

If I was to take out the xenia and the rock they are attached to.. will it have detrimental effects to the stability of my reef?
Tanks been up for a year and a half or so.
90 gallon display (150 lbs rock)
46 gallon bowfront fuge (100 lbs of rock)
A half box of marine pure spheres

I'd guess the xenia is attached to about 30 or 40 lbs of rock and glass..

I already have calderpa prolifera and grape calderpa growing like mad in the fuge as well.. so I know there is enough nutrients for both as the reef is now

I just dont want to change it if it will hurt things.

Fin · Nov 11, 2018

Can you remove the rock / xenia a little at a time over the span of a few weeks or so? I think that is how I would do it anyway. Good luck!

davocean · Nov 11, 2018

I agree, slow changes are usually best, but if trading the xenia for more macro or macro growth area I would think you should be fine

Wrasse-cal · Nov 11, 2018

Out of curiosity, why are you switching from a Xenia fuge?

GoldeneyeRet · Nov 11, 2018

Wrasse-cal said:
Out of curiosity, why are you switching from a Xenia fuge?

That's what I'm curious about as well

lejeune981 · Nov 11, 2018

Wrasse-cal said:
Out of curiosity, why are you switching from a Xenia fuge?

Just thinking about it atm

I've got quite alot of macro growing in there. And really like the look of calderpa prolifera.. so tossing the idea around of a fuge full of a few diff macros... and maybe then i would see my matted pair of mandarin that live in the fuge..

It is a pain tho when I go to clean out some macro and accidentally frag 100 or more stalks of xenia that becomes attached to the macro..

My lfs has a tank set up specially for me for when I bring in frags lol

We trade and he sells them at the shows

vetteguy53081 · Nov 11, 2018

Xenia beneficial but you can also sell them as many aquarists desire them

User1 · Nov 11, 2018

I seem to recall reading a few other threads whereas reefers had Xenia in their refugium or sump. A lot. However, it wasn't as high as an exporter of nutrients say has algae. At least that is what I recall anyway. It looked nice and was rather interesting but not sure it is a exporting machine like growing other forms of algae.

Smarkow · Nov 11, 2018

saf1 said:
I seem to recall reading a few other threads whereas reefers had Xenia in their refugium or sump. A lot. However, it wasn't as high as an exporter of nutrients say has algae. At least that is what I recall anyway. It looked nice and was rather interesting but not sure it is a exporting machine like growing other forms of algae.

Yeah I think you have the right of it here... just like macroalgae, a Xenia huge would work best with consistent harvesting, but macroalgae is way easier to harvest. But I have toyed with the idea of adding Xenia to my fuge just for the fun of watching them grow and pulse

Smarkow · Nov 11, 2018

lejeune981 said:
I'm thinking about taking down my xenia fuge and going with a traditional algae filled fuge..
My question/concern

I've got a million xenia (or close to it)
I'm sure they consume a lot of nutriants out of the water..

If I was to take out the xenia and the rock they are attached to.. will it have detrimental effects to the stability of my reef?
Tanks been up for a year and a half or so.
90 gallon display (150 lbs rock)
46 gallon bowfront fuge (100 lbs of rock)
A half box of marine pure spheres

I'd guess the xenia is attached to about 30 or 40 lbs of rock and glass..

I already have calderpa prolifera and grape calderpa growing like mad in the fuge as well.. so I know there is enough nutrients for both as the reef is now

I just dont want to change it if it will hurt things.

PIC PLEASE

User1 · Nov 11, 2018

Smarkow said:
Yeah I think you have the right of it here... just like macroalgae, a Xenia huge would work best with consistent harvesting, but macroalgae is way easier to harvest. But I have toyed with the idea of adding Xenia to my fuge just for the fun of watching them grow and pulse

Post #33. This is the one I was remembering.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/xenia-in-sump.223770/page-2#post-2588137

lejeune981 · Nov 11, 2018

Smarkow said:
PIC PLEASE

I will once I get back home.. out getting my veterans day grub and drink on lol

lejeune981 · Nov 11, 2018

Smarkow said:
Yeah I think you have the right of it here... just like macroalgae, a Xenia huge would work best with consistent harvesting, but macroalgae is way easier to harvest. But I have toyed with the idea of adding Xenia to my fuge just for the fun of watching them grow and pulse

It was deff fun watching them grow.. multiply/change colors and the mass of them pulsing is deff a sight to see.. video and pics just dont do them justice!!

Some have HUGE stalks.. definitely recommend trying to anyone.. pretty neat corals.. and they arnt bothered by anemone stings or much of anything