Xenia Type?

[PapaMcEuin]

Can anyone help me identify what type of Xenia this is? light Purplish body, fingers are green and dark purple. I took the picture on my Blackberry Curve.

Adding another picture from a real camera. Also, can anyone identify the starfish?

[Reefbaby]

actually looks like it might be an Anthelia...

[Donger]

they look like xenias to me, although a little unhappy. When I first got mine I was told they liked low lighting so I placed them near the sandbed. They darkened up similar to your pic and didn't pulse. I found that when I placed them higher, they lightened and pulsed like crazy.

Edit: almost forgot. That's an asterina starfish. Some say pest, others say harmless.

[PapaMcEuin]

Originally Posted by Donger

they look like xenias to me, although a little unhappy. .

Thanks. The tank is a couple of weeks old and still cycling with the live rock. Plus this picture is shortly after getting back from the store. They just happened to be on the rocks I purchased, as well as all the aiptasia, stars, termite looking shrimp, bristleworms, sandworm things, snails, and if I noticed correctly yesterday a couple tiny feathersdusters. Have to wait and see if they really are after they grow a bit. Because of the ammonia levels, just over .25 .025 or whatever the normal API measuring card level is at the second level, my LFS, said I need to let it cycle a couple more weeks and let if level off. He said to reduce lighting to help the bacteria build up then once levels ok, turn the lights back on. I have a standard flo and a T5 (10,/15Kact) that I just bought. He said just a couple hours of lighting a day and the Xenia will be ok for a couple of weeks. Eager to get the lights back on and get some new additions. Hey, will the xenia feed off of nutrients from aiptasia if I Joe's Juice one a day for them?

[Donger]

No wonder they're unhappy Your tank is still cycling. I would suggest making daily water changes to help ease the stress of the ammonia and nitrite levels. Xenias are pretty hardy so hopefully, they'll pull through. How big is your tank? And do you have any other inhabitants in there besides the hitchhikers? It's my understanding that xenias like nutrient rich water but don't take my word for it. My current nitrate level is less than 5 and phosphate is undetectable.

This is when I first got them


Here they are 7 months later, a mere few inches underneath 250W 10k MH!


I love em, but they are starting to get out of hand and shading some of my other corals. Time to frag!!

[CarmieJo]

That is an asterina starfish. I have tons of them in both of my tanks and I only see them grazing on algae.