just curious about pulsing xenias

[mng777777]

I got a piece of pulsing xenias from a friend and within a week or so it disappeared without any trace of it. I know that they are very hardy and so I assumed that it's death was due to the way it was frag'd. I got another piece that the LFS gladly donated that was properly attached to some LR and figured I'd have another go at it. This smaller piece didn't even last 48 hours. It was just gone without a trace. Any thoughts on what might be eating them? I had reservations about adding them in the first place and all of my other corals are healthy, so after two tries I think I'm done. I would like to know about it though, if I have a predator in the tank. The immediate culprit that comes to mind is my giant emerald, Joe. Any thoughts?

 

[Bifferwine]

Contrary to what people say, they are not very hardy at all. They thrive and do really well in some people's tanks, but other people can't keep them at all, yet can somehow keep other corals that are 10 times as expensive and difficult.

In my old 55 gallon tank, I tried xenia half a dozen times. They would melt away within days. Xenia grows like a weed in my 240, and I can't explain the difference. If you haven't been successful (twice) and all your other corals are good, then I'd say that you are just part of the 50% of people that can't keep it for some reason.

 

[mng777777]

thanks, you at least make me feel better. I am baffled though. I am on top of all of my parameters and thought they would be a sinch. I guess I'm just not meant to have them now. I'll have to wait til i too have a mammoth tank. :mrgreen:

 

[Flipper]

Contrary to what people say, they are not very hardy at all. They thrive and do really well in some people's tanks, but other people can't keep them at all, yet can somehow keep other corals that are 10 times as expensive and difficult.

In my old 55 gallon tank, I tried xenia half a dozen times. They would melt away within days. Xenia grows like a weed in my 240, and I can't explain the difference. If you haven't been successful (twice) and all your other corals are good, then I'd say that you are just part of the 50% of people that can't keep it for some reason.

Hi there, hope you don't mind if I chime in,

I have kept Xenia for years. I had some "melt away" once. My lights had lost their strength due to age. My Xenia had melted down to a little pool of goo. After replacing my bulbs, a little under a month later, baby Xenia came up from the same puddle of goo.

They like light, not too strong like MH, but good light, and cooler tamps like 78. They are indeed very hardy. My guess is that MH lights put out too much heat and too intense light. Hence why expensive coral will grow but not Xenia.

I have MH lights now, I had power compact up until a few weeks ago, and I have some of the Xenia at the bottom on the side. They seem very happy. The few towards the top are trying to shrink. They look healthy, just short instead of stretched out as usual.

I had them in a 55g, a 75g and now my 90g. It is the same Xenia from the beginning. As I upgraded, the Xenia went with it. So IMO lights and temp is everything for these corals. I have had good water and really bad over the years, they don't seem to care.

I also had a mystery critter that ate my frogspawn, it had five heads one day and nothing the next, just the skeleton left. I got moonlights and watched the tank at night. It was a worm that looked like a centipede, real ugly and big. I dug it out of the rock I saw it hide in and problem was solved.

Coral won't disappear over night unless they are being eaten. They ever so slowly melt and die, but never overnight.

Like I said, hope you don't mind my butting in. :D

 

[mng777777]

I also had a mystery critter that ate my frogspawn, it had five heads one day and nothing the next, just the skeleton left. I got moonlights and watched the tank at night. It was a worm that looked like a centipede, real ugly and big. I dug it out of the rock I saw it hide in and problem was solved.

Coral won't disappear over night unless they are being eaten. They ever so slowly melt and die, but never overnight.

Like I said, hope you don't mind my butting in. :D

Sounds like a bristle worm or a fireworm depending on the color, either way I don't think they are the guilty party in my case. I have lots of worms, but they will only tend to bother with things after they are dead as I keep them well fed to ensure the dont decide to make a meal of "vegas", my clam.

I have T5's so if your theory of too much light is right, then that could very well be the problem. Also, I keep my temp at 79 so perhaps im too warm but I doubt that is the problem in my case either. I am leaning towards too much light, or a punk a$$ emerald. Either way, I really had mixed feelings about the xenias and I think I am going to just take this as a sign from above that I should be content without them.

 

[daugherty]

i have 8 t5's and my tank runs at 80degrees and i have a forest if xenia

 

[Piggy]

I also have T5's and temp at 80. Have a bunch of xenias. How's your PH I noticed when I had a big ph swing they would slump.

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't think it's light either -- I couldn't keep xenia alive under 4 bulbs of T5, but they thrive in my current tank under 1600 watts of MH.