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12K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  SJLord 
#1 ·
It is good to see this board is up and running again. My 250g reef tank has been running for 2 months and everthing (Elegance, Hammer, Bubble, Brain, Torch, Star Polyps, Finger & Leather Corals and Mushrooms) is doing amazingly well except for my xenia (brown in color and not a pumping type). It was doing very well for the first month (expanding and getting larger). But it started to shrink about two weeks ago. It looks like it is dying (not rotten, but never opens up) and it seems that there are lots of wrinkle on the base and the stem (sorry, bad description). Does anyone know what is wrong with my xenia and what I could do to save it.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
my xenia hates, and I mean HATES alot of current. If you have it in direct current, maybe you could move it. have you tried different locations in the tank? is this tank an upgraded tank? or a new 2month old tank? my xenia gets picky sometimes, but mostly just loves to GROW!
what about lighting? just some thoughts, can you put your tank specs in the TANK SPECS forum, then when you ask questions you could refer to them being there, instead of writing them down 10 times ..


Steven

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I heard it was good to do it right the first time, will I ever listen!
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#3 ·
Hendra, I have the same problem with my xenia, I know it prefers higher pH(8.4+) and supposedly require Iodine supplements, though I don't know that it helps anything but unwanted algae. I will try moving the powerhead away from them and see what happens

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Back at last, boy it was lonely in exile ;) Doug
 
#4 ·
Hello,
Our personal experience is that they do well in strong current and slow current, and we have the brownish kind, not red sea kind. Also, we had bad luck with them until we put them only in the tank with good lighting: MH and VHO actinic. They are stout and gowing like weeds. We also heard they require iodine, and we add Lugol's solution every two days when we can remember.
The xenias we moved to the tank with pc lighting are pulsing and doing OK, but much thinner (stringier?) than they used to be. We moved them there partly as a test to see how well they'd do under the pc lights. Tank water is the same water both tanks, current is much slower than the larger tank with better lighting.
Personal exp. aside, we've been told by several unrelated reputable experienced people: iodine is necessary, not just time-released weekly; medium to heavy water current (?that's just what I've been hearing until here?), good lighting, at least VHO, and very established tanks, recommended about 5+ months old.
fwiw,
Shirley
 
#5 ·
most Xenia (pulsing and non-) will require a bit of current, moderate to heavy, depending on whether it is regular as in direct from a PH or if there is wave type current (best fo these corals) These is a need for iodine, only when there are not frequent water changes of at least 25% weekly. They also seem to do better in tanks that are well established and have good sources of "filter food" (ie tanks that dont have a lot of skimming going on) and although they are fairly easy to keep, I suspect that it depends on the husbandry skills of the keeper (water changes) and the maturity of the tank (and skimmer vs no skimmer). (I can't seem to kill them...)

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Tom <"{{{{>(
(TDWyatt)
Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -Plato
 
#6 ·
btw, ditto on the lighting, I think strong VHO and /or MH lighting really stimulates these creatures, I would think that they are either reef top species or shallow lagoonal sp that occupy areas of good current.
 
#7 ·
How's your SG? I've noticed when I've been lax with mine and have let it creep up to high, the Xenia don't look so hot. I try to keep the SG in my tank at 1.025.

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Reefkeeping is my life; I can't afford a hobby too!
 
#9 ·
Hendra, I just reviewed your tank specs, I dont know if the xenia is still next to the bubble, but if it is, I would say that is your cause of the xenia looking bad. Bubble coral is known for its agressiveness against any other coral.

my2cents

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I heard it was good to do it right the first time, will I ever listen!
My Home Page
 
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