I have some pulsating and blue xenia that are getting out of control.

[newreefaddict]

Guys, I have some pulsating and blue xenia that are getting out of control. They are budding and I find polyps everywhere..... I really like my main pieces and dont want to get rid of these. Is there anything that you all recommend that i do? Should i just pick up all the buds i see?

 

[Fishguy2727]

Sell them. Epoxy frag tiles next to the ones you don't want, they will attach, them sell them on craigslist or to a LFS.

You can also just tear them off and throw them away.

Put them in your refugium, they can be used for nutrient export just like macroalgae.

 

[newreefaddict]

They are budding off though and i find them in little nooks and crannies. I have traded some but I do not want them all over.

 

[mr_X]

remove the entire rock they are on and toss it in the sump, now before it's too late!

 

[newreefaddict]

will they really get that bad?

 

[mr_X]

eh..they can. i had them in my tank for a while-
here was my 195 back in '09

you can see it on the side panes, and totally taking over basketball sized rocks. i eventually had to sell off a lot of my live rock and replace it with new stuff.

 

[newreefaddict]

Hmmmm. Well then what would you recommend If I like that sort of look? I am a bit afraid to get a goni yet (my set up is 75g u top with a 30g sump) and has only been going for about 7 months.

 

[mr_X]

if you like xenia, then you are in a great position, because you are going to have a lot of it very soon!
LOL.
seriously though, if you like xenia, then that's what i would recommend. i personally am a fan of LPS. duncans, candycane, blastomussa, lobophyllia, dendrophyllia. they don't grow as fast because they build a calcium based skeleton, but they never cease to impress me.

what about zoanthids? they can cover a rock. if you buy some high end ones, they are worth big money when you are ready to trim back the overgrowth.

 

[newreefaddict]

I have a good bit of zoas....well 5 morphs, war coral lps, candycane, sinularia sp. yellow polyps, and a pagoda. Do gonis grow fast?

 

[mr_X]

they don't because they too build a calcium based skeleton. they are also not very hardy. what about an encrusting gorgonian like GSP? you can just peel that stuff off the rock in a mat.
check out encrusting hydnophora. that's a pretty cool looking stony coral.
how about montipora?

 

[newreefaddict]

Do you mean green star polyps? if so, i had way more of a problem with them than i do xenia....

 

[mr_X]

yes, i do mean green star polyp. this is much easier to manage because you can just slip something under the mat, and peel it up off of the rock. you can't do this with xenia.
plus, it only grows outward. it doesn't spread and form different colonies.