Xenia Care, Pavona Question, Eight Months

**CompulsiveAqua** · 10-07-2009, 11:48 PM

First pic:
First question is about m Pulsating Xenia??? They have closed up and shrunk...it's been close to two weeks now. The only thing I can think of is when I re-did my refugium my nitrates spiked to 10-20, they have been at zero for months. Anyone else out there with the touchy little guys? I have read page after page about how sometimes they don't take, but they were in my tank for 4 months and splitting like crazy (2 stalks to 6 stalks). The only other thing is I stopped adding iodine everyday because the test kit I have(RedSea), doesn't make sense and I realy don't wanna overdose with that, does ayone use a RedSea test kit for Iodine? I only use to add 16 drops a day in 200gallon system. Now it's every other day.
october 09 064.jpg
Pic Two:
I have to say that the smallest little frag in my tank is now my favorite, Pavona. I really can't wait til it spreads and I can't believe its a stoney...very cool...which leads me to the next question..
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Third Pic: Can anyone ID this please? I think I have a mystery coral. The place I get my corals from didn't wanna come of this piece. He said it is a rare red Pavona from Key West, but when I looked it up the red Pavona looks nothing like this. It does the same thing, an encrusting stoney coral, as Pavona, but instead of shoots (like the Gr. Pavona) it makes waves(kinda like montipora, I believe is the best reference I can think of). Anyone?
october 09 063.jpg
We have a birthday! Eight months young my tank turned...the coraline is really starting to take off. The only thing I really lack is more live rock!!! Does anyone have an "in" for cheap, good, live rock( is that an oxymoran?)
october 09 079.jpg

**Amphibious** · 10-08-2009, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by compulsiveaqua

does anyone have an "in" for cheap, good, live rock( is that an oxymoran?)

Yes.

I’m the wrong person to answer your Xenia question. My experience with Xenia for the last four years (since moving to FL) has been negative. Can’t keep the stuff.

Dick

**CarmieJo** · 10-08-2009, 04:12 PM

I can't keep xenia alive either. It is supposed to like some nitrates and a dirtier tank.

**CompulsiveAqua** · 10-08-2009, 06:44 PM

That is when they started doing bad...that's wierd.

**rayme07** · 10-08-2009, 11:09 PM

I don't have an xenia but I have heard they need iodine often. Maybe it got used to you dosing everyday and now that you have stopped it dont like it.

**CarmieJo** · 10-09-2009, 11:21 PM

I would definitely not dose the Iodine though if you are not sure of the test kit you are using.

**CompulsiveAqua** · 10-11-2009, 08:15 AM

CJ do you dose iodine and what test kit do you use?

**CompulsiveAqua** · 10-11-2009, 08:16 AM

As far as I can tell when my stanard tube is at .6 my test water is at .6-.7.

**CarmieJo** · 10-11-2009, 05:07 PM

I don't dose iodine.

**Dragonwolf** · 10-12-2009, 06:04 AM

I have alot of Pulsating Xenia in my tank, enough that I supply the LFS with it. When I got my first frag the LFS (different shop) said it would grow anywhere in the tank, it didn't. I found out it likes light and alot of light. As soon as I moved the Xenia to the top of the tank it took off. I keep it 6-8 inches under my T5 HO. As far as nitrates go, all I can tell you is that I've had nitrate spikes over 40ppm and it didn't affect the xenia. My tank is pretty stable at 10ppm nitrates. I dose with iodine once a week, just follow the instructions on the bottle. I don't test for iodine because you have to be a PHD Chemist to figure it out -lol. Oh yeah...the Pulsating Xenia seen to do better when they are grouped together, the more the merrier so to speak. Also I feed them by blasting off my rocks with a turkey baster once a week.

**bonzai** · 10-16-2009, 09:19 PM

So a local reefer just gave me 3 stalks of xenia, after the first day all 3 came off the rock they were rubber banded to. All of them have disappeared in my tank, I'm guessing they are in between some rocks. Do I have any hope of them growing or is it a lost cause? Sounds like from Dragonwolf they will not get enought light and die off.

**CarmieJo** · 10-16-2009, 09:46 PM

Probably the rubberband cut through them. Xenia is a pretty low light coral so you may be OK. Depending on where they lodge they may attach and grow.

**bonzai** · 10-16-2009, 10:51 PM

That was my hope. I'm not willing to tear apart my tank to find a few stalks of xenia. If it grows great, if not, it was free.

**Russel P** · 10-28-2009, 12:25 PM

Xenia is the bane of my existence! I have found no rhyme or reason as to why it grows so well in some of my systems and withers in others. A higher pH seems to help it pulse, but as for growth and survival, I'm wondering if there might even be a parameter that we don't know (or aren't able) to test for.

**ShaneK** · 03-15-2013, 02:12 PM

I have pumping xenia and trying to get rid of it from my tank. If anyone knows how to kill this stuff please let me know. I run my tank dirty, dose iodine and have a 95g with 8 T5's. I just got a 24" angled scissor and also been hitting it with 450nm laser... ugh! I love the look of the pulsing action but in my tank it grows way to fast. I found it loves light. But I can't kill my other corals by starving the whole tank of light.
Any suggestions??? Please!!!!

**SaltyDawg** · 03-17-2013, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by ShaneK

I have pumping xenia and trying to get rid of it from my tank. If anyone knows how to kill this stuff please let me know. I run my tank dirty, dose iodine and have a 95g with 8 T5's. I just got a 24" angled scissor and also been hitting it with 450nm laser... ugh! I love the look of the pulsing action but in my tank it grows way to fast. I found it loves light. But I can't kill my other corals by starving the whole tank of light.
Any suggestions??? Please!!!!

I had 5 or 6 patches I wanted to get rid of. For kicks I cut one off at the base and within a week it had polyps again. After that I took the rock out and chipped them off with a chisel. I agree....neat corals but can be a PITA.