Can water be too clean for Xenia?

[Northstar24]

So I had a nice sized colony of Xenia that all of a sudden shrunk up and basically started disintegrating. It started after I got my skimmer up and running again as well as adding a reactor where I run GFO / Carbon to help fight the Cyano I've been having issues with

Is it possible that between the GFO, Skimmer, and two 5% water changes a week that the water is getting scrubbed too clean for the Xenia?

Water Parameters are as follows
Temp 78-79
Salinity 1.024
PH 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:0
Phosphate: 0
Cal: 490
Alk: 7
I'm guessing the nitrates and the phosphate are > 0, as I am seeing cyano in the DT and macro growth in the fuge

(There are other corals that are doing just fine in the tank, such as a pagoda cup, long tentacle plate coral, montipora and a few types of zoas)

 

[bojangles93]

I have read that xenia can be finicky in some tanks and that it typically does better in higher nutrient water. I hope that my xenia does not do the same as yours.

 

[jzaso]

I had the same issue when I started using a reactor with a ferric oxide/carbon media-also briaurium(star polyps) started receding with xenia-would suspect reactor media-your alk pretty low! and ca high, hows your mg levels?xenia very sensitive to ph swings-with your alk level your ph is bouncing around

 

[Northstar24]

Not sure what my mag levels are at - I've been working on a lighting upgrade. Now that the LED's are sorted out, the alk / cal issue is the next thing on the list

 

[jzaso]

Led's are the future! I have been proving them out on my sumps/refugiums using 18w on a 30g and 27w on a 50g amazing! chaeto/mangroves/coraline/ mushroom corals-all thriving year 2. I would try to get your alk up and stabilize your ph should take care of the xenia problem-3/1 mg ca need to have that, all other parameters are based on that ratio

 

[little_fish]

Actually xenia does tends to die off in nutrient poor waters, i can barely cripple mine along. But that is also why your SPS corals are doing so well, they thrive in those conditions.

 

[fastrd400]

Raise your Alk to about 9 over the course of a week. Also, slow up on your water changes. Shoot for a bi-monthly change (every other week). Get a test kit to check your Mag. as well. Shoot for about 460 Calcium, 1350 Mag, and Alk 9. That should help to stabalize everything, and the every other week water change will leave nutrients in the water for the softies, yet still noy harm your SPS.

 

[Northstar24]

I'm more aggressive in my water changes right now becuase I'm battling cyano. It's easier sucking the crap out using a syphon hose and changing out some of the water at the same time.

My Alk kit is all over the board. This is API kit number 3 thats had issues. I'm going to try and get ahold of Sailfert kits for Alk and Mag, and look into using baking soda for raising alk

 

[fastrd400]

Your Cyano issue could just be a lack of flow issue in that area. Try adjusting your powerheads, or even adding another to put some sort of flow on the problem area.