Xenia "Die Back"

[AMANIQU77]

The folks at the LFS mentioned that almost all xenia owners end up in a crash at least within the year. Also, when they mention that, they describe it confidently as "die back". What is a die back? I know what a die-off is. But a die back sounds a bit too gramatically weird.

They say that most xenia owners have a perfectly healthy xenia, thriving, then one day, just wipe out the whole tank because it dies.

They mention that it's not perfectly explainable yet. They said that some say it is lack of iodine (which I suppliment anyways), or whatever unexplainable reason.

So basically, they are implying to me that I will deal with a crash within a year if I get a xenia.

Any thoughts? Any studies out there done?

 

[Hara]

my thoughts are that although xenia does crash, it does not necessarily happen as they say it does. I have had mine for YEARS and (knock on wood) have not had issues. I do not supplement iodine. I do water changes once a month.
There are studies out there, just google for them.

 

[AMANIQU77]

thank you Hara!

 

[austinsdad]

I believe there are a number of things to help avoid crashes in my experience. Also, I had xenia for almost 4 years and had no problems. Then, I believe I got lazy and things happened....

I had two variations. Let it get ENITIRELY too dense and cut back on my propogation. Didn't do water changes like I should. And like Hara, didn't dose iodine (that stuff scares me when there isn't a reliable test to ensure you don't overdo it), just water changes.

As you do some reading, you'll find xenia is a weird thing. Can not grow in some of the most beautiful, well maintained tanks, yet do fine in others. Some say their's likes good flow, others little flow. Some dose, iodine. Others never. Some crashes can be unexplainable. I think the secret is to not let it get too much of a hold on the tank so that if it dies off, it won't foul the water too much. I had too much in the tank and when it died off, it took all my inverts with it because of the ammonia. Now if I didn't have the forest I had, I believe I would've fared better.

But the "most...crash within one year"? Now way is that true.

Good luck.

 

[AMANIQU77]

How about some forum comments over the internet that Xenias can go "sexual" and kill everyone else? Do they go sexual, if you may?

 

[austinsdad]

"Asexual propogation" is what you might have heard about. I believe that reference is used that way to describe how a life form (such as xenia, mushroom) splits and makes a new piece that grows next to the original.

 

[MT79]

I've had xenia for about a year now. I don't dose iodine, just weekly PWC's. It grows like crazy so I'm always pruning it, and I believe that is part of my and others success. There is a theory out there that says xenia grows so rapidly because each polyp has a fairly short life span. So, assuming this is correct, regular pruning removes old polyps before they die and allows room for new ones to grow.

Xenias can go "sexual" and kill everyone else?

I've never heard of xenia going sexual either. Macro algaes like caulerpa can go sexual and crash a tank.
HTH

 

[AMANIQU77]

How do you prune? Is this similar to fragging?

And if I only have one saltwater tank at home, how do i prune without worrying about toxins being emmitted out for other specimen to stress over?

If I don't have a superglue of some sort, or if I am uncomfortable using superglue, are there other easy ways to keep fragged xenias into place?

What are the basic steps of fragging?

What are the basic steps of prunning?

Thanks.

 

[ntswift]

If you want to keep xenia on a rock I would suggest using a rubber band for about a week and then take off the rubber band. It will usually attach itself within that time. Check out this link to help you out with some other ways to keep corals in place.

http://www.fantasyreef.com/viewtopic.php?t=359

As far as your other questions, what is it that you're trying to frag? I don't know about prunning, but my guess is just cutt off the outer edges. I think you're supposed to cutt off the growth every two or three weeks. I could be wrong on that though. HTH

 

[austinsdad]

I was 50/50 with rubber bands. Sometime, the xenia would let loose. I was 98% OK with rubber bands and toothpicks. I'd stick the toothpick thru a decent amount of the bottom of the stalk. Then, I'd loop the rubberband thru each end and around/underneath the rock. Sometime the rubberband would slice thru the xenia. Mine took about 2 days to attach. Hold the pick at the bottom of the rock, slip the band off and twist/pulee the ruber band thru/out.

 

[FishFrik]

I also want to know how to "prune" xenia. Not that mine is growing out of control or anything lol. Just for future reference

 

[austinsdad]

Cut it down as close to the rock as you can. The jelly remaining will return though. I got better at peeling it too to get it totally off the rock. Of course, when peeling it, don't want to tear it from another piece.

 

[AMANIQU77]

OK, so when you frag a xenia, do you remove the coral (which is attached to a rock) out of the tank? What if the rock is too big that removing it will mess up the rock work?

Also, don't they have toxins that are released when you try to slice through them?

What precautions do I take to lessen the possibility of toxins contaminating the tank, if any?

In terms of pruning, are you only referring to "weeding" xenias (the type that are just starting to grow on a rock)?

Would fragging encourage the chances of a tank crash if done from inside the display or if the resucitating frag is returned to the display (where proper lighting is)?

 

[austinsdad]

Not sure if any tank would have a problem since no two are alike. Now, having made that disclaimer statement.....

In my 72g tank, I would frag no more than 10 pieces at a time. Did it inside the tank. The slicing or peeling was done under water, and yes there was a very small "puff" of a release, but I don't know if it was any toxin. The pieces I'd frag were at least the thickness of your baby finger and I never got any adverse water readings or other corals retracting or anything like that.

After slicing/peeling, the rubberband and toothpick assembly took place outside the water on a table top and the resulting assembled frag went back into the main tank. Stayed for 2 or 3 days, sometimes more if I didn't make it back to the LFS. I never had any adverse tank or inhabitant issues.

Then, one day I tried peeling instead of cutting. No "puff" or worry about anything emitted that way either. Of course maybe something baby finger sized provided a nice area to grab hold of to peel. I'm thinking smaller pieces fragged might make the "puff" release less of a concern.

Now, it's only my feeling, but NOT fragging when your xenia is really thick and abundant could cause it to crash. I've seen crashes described in tanks where the xenia chokes on it's own mucus if it gets too thick and can't get proper water flow and curculation thru it.

Maybe another method I used might help. Get a decent sized turkey baster. Plastic and rubber ball type. Cut with one hand and suck it up with the other. Might get some of that released "puff". Maybe when you remove the cut piece, have a small SW rinse nearby before you start construction.

 

[MT79]

What precautions do I take to lessen the possibility of toxins contaminating the tank, if any?

I recommend using fresh GAC after each fragging/pruning. It's also a good time to do your regular PWC's. In addition to those two things, a protein skimmer will aid in the removal of any toxins.

 

[austinsdad]

Excellent input there!

I got so caught with the frag process in my head, I did forget that peice of obvious information.