pulsing xenia

[m3drver]

Originally Posted by MsBeanCtr

ACK! That's no lie! I've tried two times to get a pulsing xenia to grow in my tank and zippo!

Fine! I didn't want any xenia anyway!

ha! I found myself almost saying the same thing.

After placing the frag in my tank it looked fine and all. Then, for whatever reason it stopped pulsing. My first thought was that I didn't acclimate it properly and that it would eventually die. it was open but not pulsing. I was sure it was starting to decline when it closed up completly. It remained closed for a few hours.
It did eventually slowly start to open and I was glad to see it starting to pulse again tonight. *WHEW*.

Anyway, all in all the xenia looks healthy and pulsing.

[Fish Dude]

I was determined to keep Xenia. Every time I tried a couple stalks, they would shrivel up and melt. Waited a month, changed 25% of the water, removed the carbon from my filter chamber, and added some iodine (with a test kit).

Bought a stalk and it split like crazy, the first three weeks I had it

Just a thought---Carbon?----

[Ziggy953]

It grows like a weed in mine.....

[Jimbo7]

Iodine is supposed to really help it flourish, but be really careful when dosing, one of the easiest and more dangerous things to overdose.
If it isn't pulsing dont think its dieing, mine will go for weeks without pulsing, then it will for weeks. No matter what though it is always growing, not much is known exactly why they pulse anyway. Best of luck!

[loyalrogue]

If it does like your tank and lives, don't expect it to stay confined to one area.
It can and does spread by fractionation, and possibly sexual reproduction(?).
Microscopic pieces will break off, drift in the current, and grow wherever they land.

I have a 125g that is filled with pink pulsing xenia that started as two rocks on the sandbed with two medium sized colonies.
Everytime I move some rock or coral I find tiny stalks growing all over, under, around it.
Now every surface, rock, coral, and powerhead in the tank has xenia growing on it.

The only saving grace is that I'll occasionally take a large xenia-covered rock to one of the LFS and trade it in for store credit.

Consider yourself warned.

On a side note: If you ever want to clear an entire tank of xenia overnight, a little fluketab residue in the water will do the job. It will also nuke every colony of GSP and will ruin the tank for either coral until it's been drained and washed.

[m3drver]

Thanks for the replys!

The Xenia frag is doing very nicely now. I repositioned it, moved it into a lower flow area and POOF. it opened up fully and has been pulsing non stop for a few days straight with only a brief stoppage when one of the snails happens to brush up next to it.

I really think it either didn't like the location i initially put it in or it was just taking its time getting acclimated to my tank. either way its looking heathy. I haven't dosed anything into the tank either. I'm banking on PWCs to provide all the trace elements needed

It grows like a weed in mine.....

.
ya know the ole' " be careful of what you ask for" came to mind when I said to myself " yeah, maybe I want a coral... "

[MommaFishels]

I have a xenia and it has stayed the same size for months, I guess I am pretty lucky. It still pulsates so I'll see what happens..