Xenia's In Refugium For Nitrate's ?

[427HISS]

A reefer on a different forum briefly mentioned using Xenia!s in a refugium.

I also love the pumping Xenias, with their pumping movement, but they can take over your scaping like dandilions !

I would have to display the refugium because they'd be too pretty to hide in the cabinet !!! Lol
I wonder how they would take all the nitrates, how effective they would be for filtration in comparison to the usual plants ?

 

[skinz78]

Hmm, I've never heard of this approach. I wonder if the lights being on 24 hours a day would harm them?

 

[427HISS]

It would be ok, because you want your fuge light on over the night time when your reef lights are off.

 

[TJ's Reef]

I've considered doing this for awhile now. After reading all the research on these setups sounds like a sound alternative to Caulerpa filled refugiums. Xenia is supposed to remove/utilize more Nitrates and Phosphates than most all of the Macro Algae commonly used. Just like Macros though, finding the right exact specie is key.

Cheers, Todd

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Interesting...I've heard this hinted at but never seen any of the research on it. Sounds like something to consider, especially for a display refugium.

 

[skinz78]

I've considered doing this for awhile now. After reading all the research on these setups sounds like a sound alternative to Caulerpa filled refugiums. Xenia is supposed to remove/utilize more Nitrates and Phosphates than most all of the Macro Algae commonly used. Just like Macros though, finding the right exact specie is key.

Cheers, Todd

Hey Todd do you know what specie is the correct one?

 

[DrBoxedWine]

I would also like to know which is the correct species to use.

 

[chadmcd]

Have to research this. If it is true I would do it. Any idea on the right species.

 

[Satyr]

Looking forward to more posts, love to see pics and results.

 

[Ghosty]

Hey Todd, do you know what species is the correct one?

<Subscribed> for curiosity, more info...

 

[CMpercher]

Long time lurker but I wanted to suggest looking into Anthelia for nutrient reduction. Several years ago I did an experiment in college using filtered seawater (from Catalina Saltwater company) along with various nutrient reduction methods and found that the Anthelia kept pace with all the different macro algae species used and both outpaced all the mangrove species used. Water changes were still by and large the best way to reduce undesirable nutrient levels.

It was several years ago so I'll have to dig around for the papers to give you the exact reductions and perimeters from start to finish but I remember both myself and my professor being surprised with the result.

 

[Rob&Gab]

i just saw a xenia refuge on facebook. Gab showed me it and it looked nuts.! who ever it was, that was nuts.

 

[CoralReefLife]

Subscribed

Tagging along. I love Xenia and I am highly curious on which kind is most effective.

 

[fishroomlady]

I recently read about this and saw a video on one in place. I am also interested in what type would be best. I just trimmed up some xenia this past week and just pitched the extra - sure would be nice to just pop it in the sump - I hate just disposing of living things

 

[nlipner]

One of my tanks is my 'junk tank', it's a very fish heavy 45 tall tank dominated by pulsing xenia and GSP. I call it my junk tank (although it grows zoanthids twice as fast and my 'good' mixed lps/sps reef tank with all the gizmos). I harvest the xenia/gps about monthly and sell it to the LFS (he swaps small base base rocks for my xenia/gps filled ones and I get a $5 credit for each rock). Anyway, it's amazing, the nitrates and phosphates are nearly zero and I have a timer dumping food in 3 times a day, I drop in a scoop of live brine every other day, sometimes a cube of whatever I chopped up that month, basically, I totally overfeed it and only change about 20% of the water annually. It just grows more xenia as a response. The weird thing is rarely do I have a reef aficionado come by, if they did, they'd and marvel at the crocea, the many different color monti's and acros. Most guests are not part of the hobby and they all go over to the junk tank first and go ooh, pretty.

So, do I think I could move the xenia to a fuge for the good tank, sure. But, I'd lose the habitat for the rotifers and copepods the rock/chaeto/scuzz provides and I'd be very worried that the huge mass of xenia would put out chemicals that might harm the sps. If you've ever pulled them from the tank by the handful, you'd know they're seriously slimy. Xenia is definitely a plague (it need very high flow to spread rapidly), but it is kinda pretty when there's a ton of it.

[video=youtube_share;ONIkwCrm9K8]http://youtu.be/ONIkwCrm9K8[/video]

 

[backpack]

I read about it on here about a year ago. It works but you may want a sponge before the pump.
Xenia outbreaks can be a pita.

 

[zoechance]

Yes this is an interesting thread as I am considering creating a slightly remote refugium with cool macroalgea and stuff. Xenia would be interesting HOWEVER can it make it into the main display if it is in the refugium? I may even have a gravity fed mechanism to main tank… scary but still intriguing enough to follow along

 

[Oohkris123]

I wonder if it'll do good with the lights on 24/7. Will it survive with the lights on 24/7? am interested in this

 

[trido]

The last time I had my system set up it took a long time to get the piink pom pom xenia out of my frag tank and finally I harnessed it in my LR refugium (yes, I had a cheato Fuge too) I grew pom pom xenia under a 64watt shop light fixture and it still grew like a weed. I kept it alive because IMO it is another form of filtration and helps to take up Nitrates and Phosphates from the water column. The occasional store credit from the bi annual harvest was nice too.

 

[Lyndya]

I'm a newby (6 months) in reefing and here I was thinking I was doing something awesome since by xenia was growing so rapidly. I didn't know it was invasive - thanks for bursting my bubble!