Xenia question

[SalteeDogg]

My pulsing xenias were fine last night and then when I woke up today they looked weird. Every xenia stock is turning a whitish color(looks pale) and all the xenia arms are laying downward instead of up and pulsing. All day they haven't opened. My calcium was 380, nitrates 10, nitrites 0, ammonia 0, salinity 1.024...Has anybody experienced something like this before? Also was wondering if they crap? One of the xenia's had like a brown liquid coming out of the center of it for about an hour then it stopped. Whats strange is that last night I put carbon back into the filters so im wondering if that has anything to do with it. I have four separate stocks and all 4 look like this. Every other coral in the tank looks fine. Help would greatly be appreciated.

 

[Bifferwine]

How long have you had them?

 

[SalteeDogg]

2 months. They have been doing good up until today.

 

[reeffreak]

What you describe is pretty much what I hear the most.That they were doing well then all of a sudden they went downhill.Its one of those unexplain mysteries.I heard everything from iodine levels too low to the water being to clean....meaning they actually like a little nutrient in the water.

 

[Bifferwine]

I could never keep xenia in my old 55 for more than a few weeks, but I have no problem with it in 240. It would always just kinda melt or shrivel away for no apparent reason, while everything else did fine.

 

[SalteeDogg]

1 has a brown spot and everytime I touch it brown stuff comes out. They are all still alive cause the hands pulse a very little. I had just did a water change 2 days ago so my iodine and other levels should of been fine. I forgot to mention but I had to a little of the kordon's nitrate remover in and I think that is whats hurting the skin of them. Hopefully they can pull through.

 

[SalteeDogg]

Also if the brown spot starts to spread, should I cut it out with a razor?

 

[reeffreak]

What does this brown stuff look like?It doesn't look like brown jelly does it.
When you touch it does it look like flesh is falling or flaking off?

If it does get larger than cut that piece out.Do it outside of the display and dip the coral in iodine(the kind use for coral treatment,not the kind use as a supplement).It sounding more and more like whatever happened cause a secondary infection-bacterial,fungal or brown jelly infection.

 

[SalteeDogg]

Its a circle the size of a pencil eraser thats brown and it feels slimy when I touch it. A real stringy brown liquid stuff comes out. All the xenias are actually looking better today and are pulsing alot more then what they did. Do I have to dip in iodine cause I dont have any on hand?

 

[SalteeDogg]

Also could this be contagious to any other coral?

 

[reeffreak]

If it gets larger than it is most likely an infection and will need to be dipped if you want to save it.Keep an eye on it and go from there.Its contagious only if your other corals aren't healthy.If they are healthy and un-damaged then they shouldn't get whatever going on with the Xenia.

 

[SalteeDogg]

ok cool. Yeah I think that kordons gave it a chemical burn. Treated the tank before I went to sleep the other night and when I woke up this is what I saw. Definitely not dosing that again to be on the safe side.

 

[SalteeDogg]

Would dipping in Melafix work? cause I got plenty of that.

 

[Reefgyrl]

I never had much luck with xenias. They start to multiply and then one day you get up and they look like crap. Sucks, because they are one of my favs.

 

[SalteeDogg]

there one of my fav's too...Luckily they are recovering instead of dying. Yesterday I thought they were a goner.

 

[hawkboys10]

I had the same thing happen to my xenia in my 75 gallon. I am going to try it again in my 210 when I get moved, etc.

 

[Reefgyrl]

glad to hear... I keep thinking I want to try again.

 

[reeffreak]

Melafix is use to treat fungal/bacteria infection in fish.It will only kill corals if you use it on corals.For the people who want to try Xenia,I recommend the aquacultured silver tips.They are the hardiest xenia IME.

 

[Reefgyrl]

Yea, I just might try them again. I might be going over to Tropicorium this weekend.

 

[SalteeDogg]

Well today the xenia's are pretty much back to normal. They are all pulsing just haven't got all the color back yet. What a relief it was like $80 dollars worth :bowdown: