Signed up for Xenia, got something else too.

[atony4688]

Hello, I purchased a Pulsing Xenia Coral from my Lfs last Saturday, since it has been doing well. Yesterday when doing my inspection and maintenance I found these:

They were definitely not there when I bought the coral, well I guess they must have been in some form, I dipped, scrubbed and placed and now I have these. They look like Zoas maybe? I am still very new in the hobby, but wanted to make sure, also after reading some threads on Zoas, I apparently should have used a glove when I moved the rock to take the photo. It seem weird that they are growing in the shade of the Xenia, but do they need to be fed? Are they ok that close to the Xenia, are they even Zoas? Questions, Questions, Questions.

 

[kbuser92]

Definitely zoas. Problem is, the xenia will probably give them a lot of shade, but some may make it. You don't really need gloves or glasses if you're careful, but if you're actually taking them out and dragging, I would wear gloves, glasses and be sure to wash good before and after, don't rub your face and don't squeeze. They don't usully cause problems, but err on the safe side.

 

[atony4688]

Do you have to feed them anything, or just lighting? I'm assuming they have enough light since they started growing, but hopefully some will start on the rock below them and then I can move the xenia to a new spot. Guess I cannot complain about 2 for 1 corals.

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Dont feed them at all, photosythesis. Keep them away from you rock work and in the sandbed as they will take over everything. Low flow areas and low light is where the zenia does great.
The zoas will do great. They grew there b/c they like lower lighting too.

 

[atony4688]

Keep them away from you rock work and in the sandbed as they will take over everything.

They are attached to the rock that the Xenia came on. should I try and remove them to put them in the sand bed on their own piece of rock?

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

No no no no no. Leave it on the rock that it came with. Just be aware it spreads like wild fire and will take over your tank. Place the whole piece its on in the sandbed.

 

[atony4688]

Will the Xenia be ok there too?

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Yep. Low flow low light

 

[atony4688]

will it eventually choke out the xenia, or just fill the rock around it and then stop?

 

[reefnoob]

More like the xenia will choke it out

 

[RockStacker]

Looks like they will be nice blue zoanthids too.
You can set a small rock right against the zoa colony and let it spread to that rock. This way you can eventually have a separate zoa colony without worrying about the ones left on the original rock that the xenia might choke out.