SO you're saying if I change my water with Reef Crystals that it's not enough. I have two Xenias - two kinds that is and both have thin stalks and long tentacles - I beleive they are this way because of two things. Not enough light and too strong a current. I am going to add more light and see how they go from there. These are supposed to be easy to keep. I agree with the original poster - right away people want to treat you lkke you dont know what they are doing. I can tell you that many a hobbyist have had ZERO success with Xenia - there is some kind of magic involved in placing them - I think that's what is the key. Placement!
Xenia, why is so hard for some to keep????
- Thread starter marki24
- Start date
SO you're saying if I change my water with Reef Crystals that it's not enough. I have two Xenias - two kinds that is and both have thin stalks and long tentacles - I beleive they are this way because of two things. Not enough light and too strong a current. I am going to add more light and see how they go from there. These are supposed to be easy to keep. I agree with the original poster - right away people want to treat you lkke you dont know what they are doing. I can tell you that many a hobbyist have had ZERO success with Xenia - there is some kind of magic involved in placing them - I think that's what is the key. Placement!
- Location
- Far Rockaway 11691
xenia
+1 for placement
in my tank xenia has success . it only grows where i do not want it lol. I had a couple of stalks that i kept isolated on my sandbed. After a couple of weeks i found a colony growing in the back i of my tank which it anchored itself to the eggcrate that was under the sand. guess it did not like the sand bed. the one in the back started off as almost 4 or 5 polyps now it is almost bigger than the original. i put a rock next to it to see how long it will take to grow on it
+1 for placement
in my tank xenia has success . it only grows where i do not want it lol. I had a couple of stalks that i kept isolated on my sandbed. After a couple of weeks i found a colony growing in the back i of my tank which it anchored itself to the eggcrate that was under the sand. guess it did not like the sand bed. the one in the back started off as almost 4 or 5 polyps now it is almost bigger than the original. i put a rock next to it to see how long it will take to grow on it
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This is a great post because I have this exact problem. I'm with Marki too, I don't test my water parameters either and all my coral are doing great besides my xenia. Me and my friend, TripleR who just started, got the same type of xenia at the swap and spit it in half. He put it in his tank and it was growing great and I put mine in my tank and it kinda shrunk but didn't fully die. I gave it to him to see if it'll live in his tank and he's keeping me updated on how it's doing, so far so good. I have a bigger piece left over though that I'm trying to keep in my tank and I keep repositioning it to see where it'll thrive because I've had experience with them before and I have to agree that it has to do with placement but xenia are just weird to me. And I also agree with Marki about people attacking on this forum sometimes, we all do things differently but it doesn't necessarily mean we're not doing it right only because it's not the way you'd do it (example: testing parameters)...
- Location
- poughquag, ny
it grows like weeds in my tank that has a turnover of around 3600 gph, mine is recieving alot of flow and directly under 250w mh 28" down though, i dont run a high nutrient tank at all and 98% of my corals are sps.
Its nice to see that I am not the only one that doesn't test their parameters. There are a lot more here that havent spoken up yet, but I see that testing you parameters is something that newbies do or someone that has too much time for themselves. I used to test my parameters and whenever they were off i would get "mad" and try to change it even though nothing was wrong with my corals. Xenia isnt a biggy really just wanted to see if i was the only one that wasn't sucessful in keeping these fellas. I just believe its my iodion level like other helpful reefers mentioned. All those "know it all" if you cannot provide help in a respectful way dont bother at all. Your help is not needed and save your time and dont post, cause people not gonna listen to ya at all. Thank you everyone once again for the help and I believe you know who ya are. Happy reef keeping
- Location
- Westbury L.i
i have no problem growing them...i dose regularly and check water about every 2-3 weeks..i agree they do need a moderate amout of light and low flow to have them pulsing....
they are hardy corals but also a good indication that something is out of whack..
i have sold or gave most of them away because of over population...
from the posts i see in this thread...the ones that grow them with no problem are mainly sps guys or test thier water.
markii...your corals looks good..but i suggest you check parameters and keep them stable and see what happens....having a stable water chemistry will only benefit the livestocks...
so far thats the only thing you havent tried..
this is also your quote:
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result :irked: "
they are hardy corals but also a good indication that something is out of whack..
i have sold or gave most of them away because of over population...
from the posts i see in this thread...the ones that grow them with no problem are mainly sps guys or test thier water.
markii...your corals looks good..but i suggest you check parameters and keep them stable and see what happens....having a stable water chemistry will only benefit the livestocks...
so far thats the only thing you havent tried..
this is also your quote:
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result :irked: "
When I started off and had my 37 gallon and check my parameters every week and everything was in check at that time I wasnt successful as well. I guess ill give idoine a chance and if that dont work then xenia is not the coral for me 
Killerdrgn
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Park Ridge, NJ
Here how bout this, next time you get a large frag or colony, split it up and place small groups all around the tank. That way you can see if it's placement, stinging/ toxic neighbors, or water chemistry that is messing up the xenia.
- Location
- Flushing NY 11355
Mark,
I think Xenia is actually something even experts or self proclaimed experts do not know WHY THEY DIE after thriving for months even years and/or why can never be kept in certain tanks that seems to meet ALL std. listed by the comon internet info. I also have some feeling along KathyC's line of thought. Most of us know/experienced WHY THEY THRIVE but many of the times we cannot tell why they wither in short notice. With high nutrients, the chance of some elements that they required, which we may not realized, have higher chance of presence. High nutrients is not a criteria though as many low nutrients tank owners hated them as they grow like wild fire in their tanks.
I also like what reefman said because that comes from experience and may be insight, not just what "liveaquaria.com" or Wet...Web said or just re-stating the obvious because to maintian the parameters they mention I have done and my clients have done. But once every so often the whole tank of them slowly withered or even RTN in couple days. I personally feel that to fully understand the life cycle of Xenia is not as easy as most of us claims. I also think the word hardy SHOULD NOT be used for them as I think they are "fast grower and qiuck dier". I can fresh water dip or even go 2 weeks without water-top-off for SPS(not hardy we usally called), they don't die and can regain color once parameters back in check but try the same with xenia, they probably die in couple of days. Reverse is true, there are many conditions that SPS will RTN while Xenia will survive. Hardy or not is the choice of the person who say it but "fast growth and quick death" are experienced by many.
I think Xenia is actually something even experts or self proclaimed experts do not know WHY THEY DIE after thriving for months even years and/or why can never be kept in certain tanks that seems to meet ALL std. listed by the comon internet info. I also have some feeling along KathyC's line of thought. Most of us know/experienced WHY THEY THRIVE but many of the times we cannot tell why they wither in short notice. With high nutrients, the chance of some elements that they required, which we may not realized, have higher chance of presence. High nutrients is not a criteria though as many low nutrients tank owners hated them as they grow like wild fire in their tanks.
I also like what reefman said because that comes from experience and may be insight, not just what "liveaquaria.com" or Wet...Web said or just re-stating the obvious because to maintian the parameters they mention I have done and my clients have done. But once every so often the whole tank of them slowly withered or even RTN in couple days. I personally feel that to fully understand the life cycle of Xenia is not as easy as most of us claims. I also think the word hardy SHOULD NOT be used for them as I think they are "fast grower and qiuck dier". I can fresh water dip or even go 2 weeks without water-top-off for SPS(not hardy we usally called), they don't die and can regain color once parameters back in check but try the same with xenia, they probably die in couple of days. Reverse is true, there are many conditions that SPS will RTN while Xenia will survive. Hardy or not is the choice of the person who say it but "fast growth and quick death" are experienced by many.
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- Location
- Flushing NY 11355
Many people used the same method :tongue1: including me but unfortunately most of the times, I still don't know what went wrong.:tongue1::tongue1:
So mark,
how did that little frag of xenia you showed me do?
oh & to all the people that keep saying "you must test your water parameters" There is 999999999999 different ways to acomplish the same thing in this hobby. Your way is not the only way. I've seen this tank on more than 1 occasion. IIRC 3 seperate times in 3 months. It's a very stable tank with very happy inhabbitants.
my .02 cents of insight..... try getting xenia from somewhere different (try mutts & buts?) & have your wife hold the bag on the drive home.... xenia's are known to be poor shippers & sometimes dont transport well
how did that little frag of xenia you showed me do?
oh & to all the people that keep saying "you must test your water parameters" There is 999999999999 different ways to acomplish the same thing in this hobby. Your way is not the only way. I've seen this tank on more than 1 occasion. IIRC 3 seperate times in 3 months. It's a very stable tank with very happy inhabbitants.
my .02 cents of insight..... try getting xenia from somewhere different (try mutts & buts?) & have your wife hold the bag on the drive home.... xenia's are known to be poor shippers & sometimes dont transport well
I had to bite my touge with this thread. I have this same argument with my best firend at least once a month. He calls me asking why his Xenia are dying. He keeps everything including SPS and only the Xenias are melting away. I ask him about his water parameters. He then gets mad at me because he doesn't feel that he needs to test.
So what can I do to help him?
This is like me telling you all that my car vibrates and pulls left when driving (which it does). You ask me if the ball joints are loose and I then get mad at you for asking me to check my ball joints. I just wanted you to tell me what to replace on the car, not to check things..
I need something to work with. Then again, I have a weird perspective on things :bablefish
So what can I do to help him?
This is like me telling you all that my car vibrates and pulls left when driving (which it does). You ask me if the ball joints are loose and I then get mad at you for asking me to check my ball joints. I just wanted you to tell me what to replace on the car, not to check things..
I need something to work with. Then again, I have a weird perspective on things :bablefish
- Location
- smithtown, long island
i didn't read this entire post but i remember a guy that i gave xenia to all the time and it died all the time.. lol.. his tank is amazing, full of sps...
i have pulsing xenia that is like weeds in both tanks
i have pulsing xenia that is like weeds in both tanks
- Location
- poughquag, ny
mine
guess i am a lucky one then, had this for about 3 months, had to move the mother colony{ this isn't my coral anyways } never been a fan of it but the blue is pretty nice, the mother colony has stalks 5" on some of them, like i said i have a ton of flow 250w mh dont test anything but cal, alk and mag, this had grown over onto my rock :irked: and is spreading fast
guess i am a lucky one then, had this for about 3 months, had to move the mother colony{ this isn't my coral anyways } never been a fan of it but the blue is pretty nice, the mother colony has stalks 5" on some of them, like i said i have a ton of flow 250w mh dont test anything but cal, alk and mag, this had grown over onto my rock :irked: and is spreading fast
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