Xenia issue for a newbie

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Snotman

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
47
My little (30g) tank just finished cycle and me and the family went off to aquire our first residents.

I had ordered a bonded pair of clowns a few weeks back from our LFS and they had got me a beautiful couple, vibrantly coloured and great together although still quite small. I was very happy with them.

My tank has quite a good amount of LR in and some of the hitch hikers I have been very very happy with. This includes a juvenile cowrie, a small white starfish, some small brittles and 2x 3" by 2" pulsing Xenia's that are gorgeous and are doing very well despite being added to the tank during its cycle as I was unaware they were there! There were also several Aptasia which I tried to inject but they are suprisingly fast at disappearing when the see the syringe (just like my daughter :) ) so I opted for a couple of peppermint shrimps.

I wanted some cleaners anyway and they seemed a good option to help with the nuisance Aptasia's. Only problem is, they seem to have polished off the Aptasia and have started on the pulsing Xenia's!!!! is this normal or am I just unlucky? :( . Dang and blast it!
 
Quite normal for pepp's as they are opportunistic feeders. It sounds like you jumped in a little too quickly after the cycle, but that may be my inclination from your wording.
 
It is common when they are done eating Aiptasia. They get an amount of food daily and then I think they keep on going with anything similar. I have never had it happen, but heard
 
no problems with my peppermint and xenias, knock on wood.
 
Me neither with peppermints but it has been known to happen in some cases. I think it is a minority that a real peppermint shrimp munches corals but it does happen as well as ofther soft corals like polyps.

No need to worry if you have them, just keep an eye out.
 
Innovator said:
Quite normal for pepp's as they are opportunistic feeders. It sounds like you jumped in a little too quickly after the cycle, but that may be my inclination from your wording.

Maybe just finished was a little poorly worded! The water is nice and stable in great condition. We just wanted a couple of hardy types to start the tank and thought it would be a good idea to get the pepp as we were there. As its the first additions to the tank Im testing daily and there was a slight raise in Nitrates (I presume down to the new Bio load) but thats fine now. All are feeding well and things are going great.
 
you might want to rethink the cowrie if you are going to do corals....
 
Are they a bit notorious then?

He is about 10mm at full stretch. I didnt even know what he was untill I showed a piccy to someone at my LFS. He may be wrong too. He is all white/cream at the moment with a flat shell that looks almost saddle like. He has wavey feelers all round his foot and his mouth is a extra circle at the front of his foot. When he is on the glass he looks a bit Bowling pin like. Sound familiar? I will get a picture on here when he is next mooching about.
 
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