missing xenia!!!!

[bruce9176]

hello everyone! i have been a "lurker" for a while but have come across my first problem...i have a 12 gallon nano tank. i came back today after being gone since friday, and my xenia is missing. i have had it for several months and it was doing great, it was reaching a max of maybe 5-6 inches when fully opened. my two newest additions have been an urchin (about 2 weeks ago) and a royal gramma last week.
in addition, i have a lawnmower blenny, a featherduster, monti, a small ric, and a few mushroom polyps. that's about it i think. does anyone know what could have happened??
thanks!

wait i forgot a/b my cleanup crew which consists of an emeral crab, a few blue legged crabs, a large snail, and a peppermint shrimp. oops!

[aquawolf]

Welcome to active participation on TRT!!!

What kind of urchin do you have? Have you seen the urchin today? The reason I am asking is because it is very common for some urchins to get Xenia stuck to themselves and carry around the tank for you. So, if you look for the urchin you may find that your Xenia is taking a ride around on his back.

Let us know if that is what happened before we start looking into other things.

[bruce9176]

wow, i didn't know that was a possibility! i've checked out the urchin though and he doesn't look to be the culprit. however...i have found a very small piece of the xenia! maybe 1/10 of what i originally had...it's all closed up and pulsed when i first moved it, but now isn't doing that at all.
i have done several water tests and they all check out ok, BUT several weeks ago my featherduster kinda came apart...the feathers floated off, but the worm has grown new feathers. i'm not sure if this is related or not, but i figured it was worth mentioning.

[dobejazz]

Welcome to TRT

[aquawolf]

Okay, is the Xenia in the same place that it was when you left on Friday, but just a whole lot smaller?

The feather duster sounds like it shed its head which I have heard they do. I cannot remember if it is caused by something stressing them out though. I do not believe it is anything harmful for the tank.

How much algae do you have in the tank? The Emerald Crab can be an opportunistic feeder and if there is not enough algae he may have went after something else. I do not want to blame him unless we can prove it, but many people do not trust crabs in the reef at all.

Hopefully someone else will chime in here as well.

[dobejazz]

The emeralds were my first thought as well

[chrischris]

sounds like the zenia just went vrazzy and disenigrated (xenia is a coral that is something is a little off what it likes then it does that but if it has every thing it likes then it does fine)

[Loverotties]

They seem to like dirty water.

[bruce9176]

interesting a/b the crabs. i have a green hair algae issue, so there should be plenty for him to eat, but....ya never know i guess.
no, the xenia was hidden behind a rock when i found it yesterday, whereas previously it was attached to a rock in the front and center of the tank.

[jonnosteams]

Xenia can, and will, after a period of time go kinda 'dormant'. They will disappear for a period of time and then reappear later. look to see if there is any 'spot' where it was last seen. If there is any kind of gel like stuff, it's just gone away for a bit.

[Antdizzle]

i had a full rock then they shrunk and no where near the size they were, and no there arent any lefy on the rock at all. its like they just died off.

[Jen's&Gil'sgoneReef]

I have the opposite problem everyday I wake up and there is xenia some where else in my tank I hope u find urs if not u can have some of mine