Xenia erupted

[no_sushi_for_you]

I just added an emerald crab to take on the green bubble algae but it may have clipped my Xenia, which it has been hanging around recently

The two Xenia stalks I had are wilted over and it looks like some of it's tissue has come out of the stalk in a couple of places. Does look to good but I can still see a tiny bit of movement in some of the Xenia fronds after three days in this condition.

Is it lights out for the Xenia or does this sometimes happen?

[dobejazz]

any chance of a pic? My emerald crabs are all over my xenia with no ill effects.
what are your water parameters ?

[ChilisREasy]

too high of current will make xenias wilt..keep it low in-direct & post water parms & pics too, thats helps

[ckusnierek]

I'd second the flow. I added a ton of flow to my tank (for SPS) and it litteraly a few weeks to get all my softies in a place they where happy.

[Loverotties]

My emerald never hurt mine either.

[no_sushi_for_you]

Thanks for the reply and I will post some pics. (My camera battery is dead)

The Xenias, I thought, were in a really good spot. Not in a high current area but enough current to see them gently sway when extended and not move when contracted or shortened.

They have been in the tank for about 3 months doing fine, but not spreading.

The water chemistry might be a point. About the same time as the emerald crab riding horsey on the Xenias, I had a 5 gallon bucket of Kalsewasser empty into the 20 gallon sump of the 75 gallon tank in 1 day, instead of the normal 5 days. My dripper wasn't working so I might of shocked the tank a little. After my PH was 8.2 with a 1.21 salinity (phosphate 0, nitrate 0) and everything else (Crocea clam, Bubbletip anenome, and Yellow Fiji toadstool) having no seemingly ill effects.

Are Xenia considered sensitive to water changes?

[dobejazz]

xenia are very sensitive I use them as a clue when my tanks need attention if they start to do poorly

[no_sushi_for_you]

Here are the pictures. They are not the best but it is the best I can do with my camera and a hand-held magnifying glass.

The "blow-out" is the white-tan area. The stalk still pulses so I am holding out. The other stalk had fallen off and some of the tentacles are still pulsing.

I did not know the Xenia are that sensitive. Maybe it was the Kalkwasser dump that blew them up.

Thanks for the input.

[ChilisREasy]

xenia can be the very first warning system that something is going wrong in your system,even tho your water parms are correct

[XeniaGirl]

maybe it's just me, but salinity of 1.021 seems low to me?... mine stays between 1.023 and 1.024... (or whatever the decimal places are)

What about ammonia/nitrite? pH?

For me it's the opposite - my xenia look fine even when my zoas and mushrooms look angry. I guess mine's just really hardy...
the other thing I always heard is that xenia likes water that's "not quite perfect"... i.e. a bit dirty. Not sure if that helps you, but from my experience it's true!