Major xenia crash. Things dying now.

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austinsdad

Aquarium Advice Addict
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Accokeek, Maryland
On Saturday morning, things looked weird. My tang was acting funny/lethargic. Fluff came by to visit and we didn't think any more of it until later I noticed the xenia - both pom pom and elongata loking withdrans and discolored. Frankly I had too much in the tank. Any way, as of last nite, I pulled most of it out. Got brown stuff that leaks from it when punctured - as I do when pulling it off or cutting it. My other zoos are taking a hit too. The leathers and shrooms seem to be making it thru so far. Did a 25% or so PWC Saturday nite and will do another today, and maybe tomorrow. Fluff, thanks for being there all day Saturday with me on the back and forth PMs.

The fish, dusters, crabs and snails are all doing fine now too, but I'm thinking I'm gonna lose all my zoos. Worried about my deresa too.

Anybody got any experiences to share? Things to look out for? No xenia jungle for me any more. Tanks looks so weird now. Sigh. :cry:
 
I'm sorry Ray. When mine crashed, I was completely clueless and lost my other corals. Granted I only had a few. It doesn't give you alot of warning in my experience but I'm hoping that since you are being diligent and I think you caught it pretty early Sat that your tank will recover. Keep us posted and in a week or two, I'm giving my tank a trim and will have some things that should help to fill the void if you want them.
 
Unknown it seems. I've read conflicting findings. Well, not conflicting so much as different. Some say its a seasonal thing in the wild. Or fresh water from rains. Some say iodine depletion. Some say because you can have too much densely packed in where if suffocates in its own mucus.

Just as much is the mystery about why some pump and others don't. Why pumping in one tank, yet ceasing to pump in another.

My leading candidates for crash were most likely being too dense in my tank. Or better yet, I hadn't done a water change in about 3 months - maybe lacking iodine from the fresh salt water mix - which again are not conclusive.

But, I did just read xenia being described as a Pheonix. Forgot what month, but TFH mag has an article talking about xenia crashing and rising again. Most tear it all out of the tank, which I did. The article went on to say that that wasn't necessary. Fluff got to me too late - after my panic attack. If dead, it turns into a jelley like substance. When crashing, just gets brown and weak looking. Still, I needed to thin out anyway. I've got maybe 5% of what I used to have, both elongata and pom pom. The LFS and Fluff, who got some the morning I noticed someting strange both have xenia still looking alright. My crisis seemed to happen w/in a 24 hr period.

My zoos don't look as bad as they did yesterday, but they aren't opening. Still encouraging.
 
Was this a natural overgrowth of Xenia? My Xenia is reproducing like mad. Should I get rid of some of it? If so, any tips?

Thanks,
Jason
 
Don't know what it was definitively, but overgrowth can be a cause by some accounts. When it was healthy, I could grab a thick piece and peel it off the rock. Affixed it to a small piece of rock with a rubberband and toothpick. Sold'm to the LFS after removing the toothpick and stuff. I should have done it more. I had too much in there, I believe but I was lovin' the lush pulsing, flowing, full tank thing. I believe it was too much now. I've got a slight ammonia increase today, so I'm still experiencing this. We'll see what happens. Once branches get about baby finger thick with 2 or 3 branches on it, and attached to a small rock, your LFS might give you store credit for them.

Even though it seems mine will come back, I don't think I'll let it be as widespread as it was before this crash. I'll also keep up with water changes. Dosing with iodine is not needed IMO.
 
Just as a side note, it is much easier to deal with xenia with scissors over pulling it off rock. Just snip it at the base and band it to a new rock. It will shrink up immediately, but within a few hours will be back to pulsing. I have had it go back to ulsing in the bowl while I was attaching it.
 
Cutting it off rock meant a jelly that would grow back into another. Peeling it off the rock was real easy for the stuff I had because it was as thick as your thumb. That would have kept it thinner for me when it got that big/thick.
 
so if you want it to thin out..you have to peel it from the rockwork?
 
You dont' have to peel it. That's just Ray's choice of method. I use rubble pressed against the xenya. It will eventually move onto the new rock. Takes longer this way. I also have shaved it from the rocks taking a bit of rock with it.
 
Things getting worse. The xenia started to look like it was rebounding - what very little that was left.

Just did a 50% water change. Both stars are out front moving very little. Deresa clam is peeling and won't close. Zoos, shrooms, all of it reacting now. Need to check ammonia. Fish still seem fine - for now.

Wondering if the clam isn't closing, is peeling and not reacting to the touch, is it dead? When do I begin to pull coral for fear of ammonia?
 
when a clam quits reacting to touch it is my experience that that means it is a goner.
 
I'm sorry Ray. I would have thought with all the water changes, things would be improving by now. When mine crashed, it was quick. :(
I know nothing about clams but like Hara said, it doesn't sound good.
 
Clam gone, two stars dead. Weird. Still got my cleaner, pistol, and blood reds still OK. Maybe all the snails are gone. The remaining xenia just shrivelled up.

Probably need to throw the zoos out - or at least brush the rock off. Leathers on their way out. All the fish seem to be totally fine still. Ammonia @ .5 after the big water change yesterday. I'm quickly running out of enthusiasm, but my living fish still need me....so I guess I'll hang in there The tank sure is ugly now.
 
did you have any cyano bacteria in the tank? I have going thru the exact same thing as you. Started with my glove polyps closing after growing like crazy. My tank is 11 months old. I have had a cyano problem for sometime now. Well around last week my zoo's which are one of my fav corals started not opening vary much or at all. I finally decided to use the stuff I did not want to use to remove the cyano. I got some of the red slime remover and added to my tank. It never killed the cyano,, and now many of my corals are closed or barely open. I have been doing water changes almost every week for a long time. I have no idea what to do now :( I TOTALLY FEEL FOR YA THAT FOR SURE.. Keep us posted it may help me also

Jeff
 
Wasn't cyano. Did have a single red are near a couple of powerheads, but not much at all in the tank. I think mine was waaaay too thick and lack of water changes.

Just finished bragging to a buddy about the trates between zero and 2.5, no dosing, and that I hadn't done any water changes for a few months...guess I showed him, huh?
 
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