xenia are all dying

[peterdinh]

Somehow my xenias are all shriveling up and dying. It started ever since I added a second powerhead or when I added a frogspawn. Everything else in the tanks is doing well and thriving. I had the water parameters checked yesterday by Saltwater City, and all the water parameters were in check. Some feedback is appreciated.

Too much flow? or toxin from the frogspawn?

I have mushrooms, polyps, zoanthids, leather, clam, anemone, bubble, hammer

 

[Holygral]

I have all of about the same things in my 75 as you do, and my Frogspan is about 5 inches from my PX., and it is growing like a weed. I tried them about a year ago and had no luck but I bought the latest sm bunch and they have double in 6 weeks or so. My guess would be the additional power head. What size of tank and what PHs did you have before you added the new one and what do you have all together now? Also how long have you had the xenias, and where are they place in respect to the PHs? Can you send a pict of the xenias and the over all tank configuration.

 

[peterdinh]

Holygral,
Thanks for the reply. I attached some pictures for your opinion. I had a aquaclear 20 powerhead. I then added a Maxijet 600. the local fish store guy said that I should be fine with these two configuration. Your reply would be great.

 

[fishoutofwater]

i had the sme problem adding xenia. i ended up buying the koralia by hydor and with in a day or two everyone of my xenia snapped out of it and are now spreading. i was using 4 via aqua 480's and 1 zoo med. now just using the koralia. much better and everyone is much happier and speading. good luck. I am thinking too much direct flow at first.

 

[angelfish]

i don't have any luck with Xenia either

 

[Holygral]

Probably a long shot but how is your lighting? If the bulbs are old maybe the Xenia are not happy. If you lighting is good try adjusting your power heads on or off the Xenias and see if it makes any different. Like I said I tried them about 1.5 years with no success but now they are going to quickly become a weed they are growing and spreading. I do have better lighting 2x250 MH this time and more flow. My placement of mine Xenias are in a pretty high flow area but not directly on them. They are on the bottom of the tank which is 24" tall. They have spread to every rock that they were even near, so you might try to increase your flow to them. Xenia are hit and miss, how long have you had your before the problems started?

 

[Rod Buehler]

Did they test alkalinity for you? or just AMM/nitrite/nitrate? If so what were the numbers? actually what were all of the numbers. What might be "in check" for some,may not be OK for others.

 

[prbhasson]

I was going to say check your alkalinty. If it is low that is probably the problem. Alkalinity needs to be spot on with xenia. I had the same problem with my first batch of xenia and low alk was the problem. Fixed that and they took off.... Good Luck

 

[stoneycoral]

it looks like it is just acclimating. About once a month my zena looks like is shrinking up and there is a problem. In a couple days it is back full force. I just dont know how to kill zena. Had a huge piece given to me took it and just put it in the tank no acclimation and all. It started spreading to other rocks and some melted down. the melted down stuff is coming back. Also had a frag auction with the club SWAM.. Got a piece of zena donated it melted down and came back able to use the frag at next auction. Just be patient. It may be all right

 

[Gordonious]

If it helps I grow tons of xenia in a 30g tank under T5 bulbs that needed to be replaced a while ago. What I thought you might be interested in is that the tank they are growing most would consider VERY slow flow. For months now, besides the trickle(literally) of flow coming in from the sump, all I have been using is a single small zoo-med power head. I keep 6-7 different species of xenia in the tank fine.

My first guess for xenia would be to check your water chemistry and then see if you can figure out what species of xenia you have and if it likes that water chemistry. Many types of xenia are fussy as someone said before.

Good luck,
Jon

 

[steven11]

Peter, are you running any carbon?

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Some species of Xenia are very sensitive to low or high alkalinity and large additions of calcium chloride. A good alkalinity range for the more sensitive species (i.e. Xenia umbellata) is 2.75-3.20 meq/L (7.7-9.0 dKH). Calcium is much less important but 350-400ppm is fine. Flow and lighting are way down the list as factors for most of the common species.

Most species will do quite well (read take over your tank ) with a nitrate reading 0-40 ppm.
HTH,
Kevin

 

[bighitrider45]

ahh man i wish my xenia were dying ive been skimmerless for about a year and every few weeks i have to re position my xenia but it always seems to grow back in the same spot

 

[tquick]

When my Xenia start to shrivel up and die it usually means my water elvels are bad. It usually means the nitrates are up and the water is bad . At that point i do a water change usually about 20 percent and everything is back to normal. I have read that xenia is the first thing to show sign that water levels are bad.

 

[BCT182]

Whats the temp in the tank?

 

[tamarindthai]

i 'd been try to grow xenia for the last 5 years from 3 different tanks,,never happened,,it all melt away,,it doesn't matter what i do,
i gave up,,,,haha i think i for got the basic fundamental some where some how,,oh well

 

[daReefPeep]

do you add iodine?