xenia question

hooked · 10-28-2002, 12:30 PM

Hello all,

I picked up a small piece of xenia at my LFS about 4 weeks ago. When I looked at it in the store it was pulsing like crazy. I have it in about the same current and it hasn't pulsed one time that I can tell. Does light have any effect on it pulsing? I have been adding on a weekly basis iodine, calcium, and some type of reef vitamin. It shrinks up and extends out when lights are on, and it looks really healthy but just doesn't pulse

Any help will be great.

Thanks,

wanareef · 10-28-2002, 12:50 PM

I have two pulsing zenias and they are in the zone where my return is pointing at, very high on the rock work and the light was 4 72" URI actinics now just 2. i feed them brine shrimp and they seem ti do very good. What are your para's? light? Have some tiny one's just sprouting where one was ripped up (moved) from.

sorry no much help

CaymanLoversII · 10-28-2002, 03:46 PM

Check your water, especially pH (8 - 8.2). If water params are good your Xenia should be pulsing.

mikeMersot · 10-28-2002, 07:23 PM

have you tried moving it around to a different areas, while mine has never really stopped pulsing(except for at night when the mh goes off) it has pulsed at different rates in different areas. I have heard of xenia that has been shocked into stopping pulsing. Low alk also attributes for decreased or stopped pulsing.

wanareef, your xenia really eats brine?? It is my understanding that they do not accept any known macroscopic foods and are purely photosynthetic and filter feeders. While mine will accidentaly "snag" a piece of food now and then, it always releases it.

tdwyatt · 10-28-2002, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikeMersot
[B... xenia really eats brine?? It is my understanding that they do not accept any known macroscopic foods and are purely photosynthetic and filter feeders...[/b]

definitely true, they do not eat macroscopic foods. Pulse rate iws dependant on appropriate alkalinity and temp of the tank. Pulse rate will go up with temp increases up to around 85F. Xenia will also stop as a colony for no apparent reason for periods of time. I have large colonies (not on purpose) that pulse day and night if they don't close up when the photo period ends, I dunno why they don't close sometimes (could be the lights here in the study) They make a great organism to do nitrate exports if harvested on a regular basis. They incorporate nitrates into their metabolism as a nitrogen source.

I can't seem to kill them...