how do you frag xenia?

XeniaGirl · 02-11-2007, 06:00 PM

What was once a blessing is now a curse. My beautiful xenia is overrunning my 12g NC and I need to take some out. I'm planning on just taking it to the LFS for store credit since this is my only tank, but I don't know how to get it off of the rock.
Taking the rock in, is not an option - it's going to stay in my tank.

My dad uses common BBQ tongs (clean, of course) to grab onto the xenia as close to the base as possible, and slowly peels the xenia off of the rock. I tried this to no avail - the guy at the LFS said to use a razor blade, but that obviously won't make a clean cut so it'll grow right back.
Suggestions?

dobejazz · 02-11-2007, 06:32 PM

I just peel it off with my fingernails. It smells nasty though

Jflip2002 · 02-11-2007, 06:56 PM

So it wont make a clean cut, then it grows right back.... Then you have more frags! lol. I actually did this lastnight, and took a box cutter. I used the pointy tip of it to peel up one edge. Then I just keep going from there...... I dont really think you can mess this up lol.

XeniaGirl · 02-11-2007, 09:33 PM

Well fortunately, I'm not worried about killing the pieces that I'm removing - if that happens, no big deal. I'm just trying to find out if there is a way to "cleanly" and totally remove a bunch of it from a rock - i.e. not leaving any of the base behind. With a knife/razor/other sharp pointy object there will be some of it left on the rock which doesn't really help me in the long run.
The other thing is - is there any danger to the rest of my tank if the xenia tears or is cut in the water? I have read that with other corals, they spew fluid that irritates fish and other corals. I can deal with the nastiness, but not if it's dangerous or a pain to cycle out of the water.
Thanks again!

ChilisREasy · 02-11-2007, 09:46 PM

i cut my xenias in & out of water & ive never had any effects..though i have heard if you have crabs they will attack & eat cut xenia's.

XeniaGirl · 02-12-2007, 06:56 PM

I think it depends on what kind of crabs you have (harty har)...
Red foot hermits supposedly are damaging to reefs, but I have little teeny black-and-white reef hermits and they're just wonderful. I also have an emerald crab who isn't a bother to any of my corals.

ScruffyRubicon · 02-12-2007, 07:00 PM

One thing I have found out is that no matter if you think you got it all or not, it will grow back. There is always a little left behind.

Reefyone · 02-24-2007, 03:44 AM

Teared off by finger nails, cut off by the surgical scissors from surplus store - all are alive. White xenia.

XeniaGirl · 02-24-2007, 10:11 AM

well it's weird... we had to cut one piece off since it wouldn't peel off on its own, and another big stalk of it did peel off... either way, I think we'll have to harvest xenia once a month or so. When it gets too big, it droops over like a weeping willow and annoys my yellow polyps...