Ok here is the facts. I have a xenia that just died and disolved i thoght it was because sombody was nipping him. s o i bought a silver xenia and know this one is showing reduction. I have other soft corals ie. frogspawn, hammer. star polyp and mushroom. so far what ever i add to the tank flourishes except xenia. maybe sombody has the answer to why these keep dying.
xenia dying......
- Thread starter Phatman
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Darthv247
Well-known member
There are thousands of people who would love to know the same thing. ive had this happen to me in the past as well even though every other coral was doign great.
From what ive read it just happens sometimes. you can have a huge colony of them do great for a long time then just disapear. Also they can flourish in some tanks while doing terrible in other tanks.
They definately react to PH levels as you will notice they pulse with higher ph levels then stop immediatly when the PH gets too low. In Anthony Calfos book (book of coral propegation v1 editon2) he refers to this subject. It is believe they may eat DOC's even though the common belief is they are totaly photosythetic.
This is one mystery I would love to figure out. in the ocean they grow like weeds in some areas. some people are actually growing these corals in tanks seperate from their displays as a means of filtration.
From what ive read it just happens sometimes. you can have a huge colony of them do great for a long time then just disapear. Also they can flourish in some tanks while doing terrible in other tanks.
They definately react to PH levels as you will notice they pulse with higher ph levels then stop immediatly when the PH gets too low. In Anthony Calfos book (book of coral propegation v1 editon2) he refers to this subject. It is believe they may eat DOC's even though the common belief is they are totaly photosythetic.
This is one mystery I would love to figure out. in the ocean they grow like weeds in some areas. some people are actually growing these corals in tanks seperate from their displays as a means of filtration.
I was just looking up pom pom xenia on google and read that they'll either love the tank and take over or hate the tank and die. I read that they like medium/high light with moderate flow and consume phosphates, but release ammonia. Not sure how accurate that info is though.
Darthv247
Well-known member
yeah brandy its really hard to determine whats true about them. People have shown some success with using them as filter feeders but its really hard to determine exactly what they consume because they have no digestive system whatsoever. Many people suggest iodine supplements. strong supplements like lugols solution are very beneficial to most species of xenia but i would be very careful and do it slowly. maybe start with half the recommended amount and watch for brown algea blooms. or you could do daily water changes 
. Another odd thing people are trying to figure out if its tied to the lunar cycle in some way but it could just be coincidence. They def like light as you can watch them grow towards it or even walk up the rockwork slowly to get closer to it.
One thing you can do phatman is to clip the heads off the colony before it dies and see what happens. you can transplant them but they are so touchy its risky. def dont touch them with your hands.
Definately look at some of Calfos work he probably has the most experience with them of anyone in the world and dedicates many pages to them in his books.
. Another odd thing people are trying to figure out if its tied to the lunar cycle in some way but it could just be coincidence. They def like light as you can watch them grow towards it or even walk up the rockwork slowly to get closer to it.One thing you can do phatman is to clip the heads off the colony before it dies and see what happens. you can transplant them but they are so touchy its risky. def dont touch them with your hands.
Definately look at some of Calfos work he probably has the most experience with them of anyone in the world and dedicates many pages to them in his books.
gotfish
Well-known member
Check your ph. If it's not above 8.3, you're going to have problems. This is generally the problem with xenia. Some people say they use them as a canary for their ph.
Xenia have been taking over my tank, some of them I have had to kalc paste to stop them, and my pH goes as low as 7.3 in the winter and it does not seem to make a difference. I have also gone thru 2 tank up grades and that still did not slow them down. My tank is a mixed reef with a little of everything. They seem to grow on what ever they touch, with no supplements what so ever.
Darthv247
Well-known member
they only stop pulsing with pH drops. but yes they are sensitive to large ph changes anything over .20 change is not good for them they will let you know with mucus TBH ive had excelent growth out of my current xenia when my PH has been closer to 7.8 - 8.2 during the day and 7.7 at night. I started with one small stalk and have 4 stalks now in 2 months time.
Darthv247
Well-known member
im guessing you have a pretty heavy bio load aside from them ? im starting to believe they eat the Disolved organics for sure.
P.S. i love xenia
such a cool looking coral and so active.im guessing you have a pretty heavy bio load aside from them ? im starting to believe they eat the Disolved organics for sure.
P.S. i love xenia
I would have to say no, my Octopus 200 is more than enough for my 125 and I only empty it once a week. 1 med sail fin tang, 1 med yellow tang, 1 bi color angel and a couple of clowns. I feed twice a day approximately 2-3 cubs each and the tangs also get sea weed 2-3 times a week. Everyone seems fat and happy. All fish have been with me 4-5 years.
Darthv247
Well-known member
yeah that doesnt sound like a very heavy bio load at all. yeah who knows really. there are probbaly so many factors that its almost impossible to pinpoint. all i know is they grow like weeds in the ocean in high nutrient areas. uncontrolably at times just like in your tank. and there are tons of occasions where they die off in a very short time with no real indicator. and like you said some tanks they love then others they die everytime so who knows.
I tried them about 4 years ago for the first time and within 3 months they were gone, I waited a year and tried again with 1 small stock and now I have them in mass quantities thru out my tank. Before my up-grade from a 75 to a 125 (had to get the Tang police off my back
) they would even grow on the glass on the back of the tank. Another one of those great reef mysteries.
Darthv247
Well-known member
hehe they were hassling you about the tank size for tangs? so i shouldnt add a sailfin to my 29 g bio cube ? (jk) I love tankgs but yeah i will be waiting till i upgrade.
