Xenia's In Refugium For Nitrate's ?

[nwpowell0481]

Here is the link to a youtube video for a xenia fuge. The person who posted this also posted on either R2R or another forum and gave an explanation of how it affects his filtration system. From what I remember reading the Xenia fuge is his primary filtration and he uses his skimmer and other mechanical/chemical filtration secondary. I have been seriously considering going this route ever since but haven't had the means. Would love to connect a fuge like this to my existing system soon.


Xenia Refugium - YouTube

 

[TheSaint216]

This is something I have been looking to do with a new tank. Am Curious as to how to keep it from spreading to the display.

 

[Stemick]

This does sound interesting. The rock that my carnation came on keep grow Xenia. I just keep clipping it and tossing it. I might throw it in my refug. next time I clip a piece off. I sure if anything it can't hurt.
:usa2:

 

[tyler1503]

I've heard of this before but don't have any information worth sharing about it. Looks amazing though

This is something I have been looking to do with a new tank. Am Curious as to how to keep it from spreading to the display.

+1 You definitely wouldn't want it getting sucked into a return pump and spread throughout the display.
You could always have it in it's own chamber and cut it back when it gets too close to the edge of the baffle though.

 

[TriggerThis]

There's a bunch of ways to keep it from getting to your return pump.
But second, do you think the Xenia is actually pulling phosphates and nitrates from the water as it grows?
Or is there just soo many of them that any excess food or detritus instantly gets grabbed and doesn't have a chance to break down in the tank?
Maybe they do both. Either way, very interesting.

 

[nwpowell0481]

There's a bunch of ways to keep it from getting to your return pump.
But second, do you think the Xenia is actually pulling phosphates and nitrates from the water as it grows?
Or is there just soo many of them that any excess food or detritus instantly gets grabbed and doesn't have a chance to break down in the tank?
Maybe they do both. Either way, very interesting.

I would be inclined to think it was both. With a large enough biomass, the uptake of excess nutrients would be enough to keep them from breaking down into phosphates and nitrates. At the same time the xenia will take in some phosphates and nitrates as the mass grows. There is some level of equilibrium that will be achieved dependent on the size of the mass and any upward swing in dissolved organics will have to be taken out by other filtration means i.e. skimmer, filter socks, media etc. I don't think this method would allow for irresponsible feeding or bad husbandry but it would make your filtration method more biological than mechanical which would lead to less dependance on equipment which would lessen the negative effects of equipment failure. The list goes on and on.

 

[TarHeelReefer22]

I wouldn't trust that it wouldn't end up in my display

 

[nl5882]

I wouldn't trust that it wouldn't end up in my display

I agree100%, once they slip in dt good luck.

 

[Reefer82]

Ive seen a massive xenia fuge on a 200, they ran chaeto as well but the xenia flourished and occupied nearly half of a 75g sump.

I took this and as an experiment w some corals that had a flat work problem I tossed them in a tank along w several rocks full of xenia. There is a powerhead and heater only in this tank. No other filtration whatsoever. Everything grows wildly. Ive never even bothered to test because it does so well now. Sure its unsightly at times due to being in an area w a lot of natural light but as fast as any algae grows as soon as there is a cloudy day its gone almost overnight. Tank lighting is via a 2x96w PC coralife fixture. I pretty much did everything I could to give it a small chance of success and it blew my mind.

Theres a few dozen red yumas 50ish mushrooms, enough xenia to make 70-80 generous frags, a 3" (actual skeleton size) goniopora, wall hammer, toadstool, nepthea, candy cane, etc. All of the corals have shown growth, some a little and some an explosive amount. Yumas have gone from 5 to over 30 in 8 months.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Sorry, forgot to get back to this thread yesterday. What I meant by choosing the right Xenia is in a particular species that is easier to control/contain and not an invasive matting variety. The ones I have been looking for again are pictured below in an old 50g Softy Reef that ran almost flawlessly for 10 years except for flooding the room a few times with the 'Old School' overflow boxes with J-tubes. I always referred to them as Pink Pompom Xenia and were not only easy to grow and contain also was widely accepted for trade at the LFS's. The adult colonies would get 2-3 baseball sized heads on them before they would do any Polyp Bail-Outs so was thinking in a Xenia-Fuge setup you'd only need to harvest these to keep them from spreading beyond your intended space.



​Cheers, Todd

 

[427HISS]

Hey Todd, I see you did not remember to email me with photo's of your pink pompom's ! :tongue:
But, at least you posted them here. Lol !

The tank looks awesome !

Can you explain when and how you harvest them before they multiply ?
Also, the specific species so I can order a bunch ?
(Maybe most stores call them pompom's) ?

Thanks bud.
Kevin