Shrivelling Xenia

[djxtreme504]

Can anyone tell me what might be causing my xenia to shrivel up? All of my params are fine. It was fine and beautiful when I bought it. I acclimated it over a 2 hour period and it looked great even in the bag. As soon as I took it out and put it into the tank, it wouldn't extend as far as before. Each day it has gotten smaller. I have moved it from medium flow to low to high. No difference. I've even moved to different lighting levels within the tank. No difference. I really don't want to see it die. It has been 2 weeks now with no improvement. Any suggestions?

 

[reefrunner69]

What are the numbers of your parameters? PH and ALK especially? What lighting do you have on the tank, tell us a little about your tank, filtration size other inhabitants. What's close to it, what fish do you have in the tank?

 

[djxtreme504]

Tank size = 65g
110 lbs LR
Set up 6 months
SG = 1.022
Ammonia = 0
Trites = 0
Trates = 10
Ph = 8.2
Ca = 400
I have a 4 x 36w PC lighting setup (50/50)
2 Hagen Aquaclear 402 PH
4 Gorgs (1 ea. purple whip, red finger, grey rod, green whip) green is the only thing in tank with hair algae on it and it doesn't open much.
1 yellow watchman goby (like in your avitar)
1 percula
3 H. kuda seahorses
2 camel shrimp
2 pepp shrimp
1 unknown shrimp
several grass shrimp
2 turbo snails
2 margaritas
2 astrea
several neritina and misc snails
1 haw. zebra hermit
1 scarlett hermit
1 blue leg hermit
1 emerald crab
a few common hemits

 

[reefrunner69]

SG = 1.022

Ph = 8.2

2 camel shrimp

1 unknown shrimp

The SG is on the low side for all your animals and may be what's ticking the xenia off, I would recommend upping it to 1.025.

IMO, your lighting is just this side of adequate for soft corals and shrooms, most xenia thrive in very intense light, IMO.

The ph is OK, but the xenia might respond better if it was upped to about 8.3-8.4, although i suspect the ph will climb a hair if you up the SG to 1.025.

Camel shrimp are not considered reef safe and may very well be snacking on your xenia as well as other stuff.

And it is never good to have a critter in your tank that you do not know what it is, sometimes it is unavoidable...but you should never add one on purpose, I am assuming this was a hichiker on your live rock.