Pulsating xenia spreading everywhere?

[mweber]

Just 1 week ago I bought a rock from the LFS. They told me it is xenia. It is a rock about 4" diameter with about 150 animals that look to me like long skinny aptasia. each is about 2" long. pencil lead diameter and about 5 feahtery fingerins at the ends about 1/4" long. I have since found these things free floating and transplanting themselves as much as 3' away.

1. Are the really xenia?
2. Do I need to worry about them taking over?

 

[Chucker]

1. Highly likely.
2. In some cases, a resounding "YES!"

 

[danmhippo]

Could be, but can't comment more without a picture.

 

[PDD]

I have had xenia do that before but my anthelia is always moving around the tank. Much more so than xenia. Unfortunately, I seem to be having trouble keeping xenia lately...but my anthelia is another story.

Some folks have amazing success with xenia and others can't keep it alive. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as they all may be accomplished reef keepers. If you are "lucky" enough to have success, it will likely need trimming on a regular basis.

PDD

[ November 01, 2001: Message edited by: PDD ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

hi.
Being an Octo-coral, member of the Xeniidae have eight (8) "fingers," not five... Each of the fingers looks like feather.

See the following:
http://www1.ics.uci.edu/~ckong/reef/graphics/pomlow.jpg

 

[Anonymous]

They are as thin as a pencil lead? I never saw xenia that thin- hydrozoans maybe more likely.

 

[chris_h]

Sounds like anthelia.

 

[mweber]

Yes I confirmed they do have 8 fingers and look much like the picture seven suggested I look at. However, they seem to be each individually attached to the rock, and are much darker in color. I would say about the color of a very healthy anenome or mushroom (medium brown). It is hard to get a perspective on size but the picture seems to show xenia with stems closer to the size of a pencil.
Where might I find a picture of a hydrozoan?

 

[Anonymous]

oh, I thought you said pencil lead...

 

[chris_h]

Look up a picture of anthelia and I think it will look more like what you are describing than xenia does.

 

[chris_h]

[ November 01, 2001: Message edited by: chris_h ]</p>

 

[mweber]

Sorry for my poor communication skills. Mine are about the size of a pencil lead. The picture of xenia y'all led me to looks much larger.

 

[mweber]

I found some pictures and it is definatly Anthelia. Should I be worried about it taking flight and reattaching elsewhere?

 

[mweber]

What I mean is that they are appearnatly breaking off or disconnecting and being washed to other parts of the tank where they are re-attaching.

 

[danmhippo]

They are fine, you shouldn't have to worry about them spreading. FWIW, I think they look better (and is easier to manage) then the white tubeworms. I have these tube worms on all surfaces, they even grow on the pump intake valve, which occasionally jams the impeller.

 

[fishfarmer]

Do you know what type of anthelia you have? I have Giant Anthelia(Anthelia glauca). It is very hard to keep under control. I have difficulty getting the whole colony scraped off the rocks without some getting away from me and colonizing somewhere else. I let it spread on it's own initially and now it grows most anywhere. It's tough as nails, but will get stung by many corals capable of stinging.

 

[Anonymous]

hi.
I am a bit puzzled by the flight part... anyway, yes, they can spread around the live rock. Just make sure you don't have slow growers around the rock they are on, and if they spread, just cut them in half and sell them/give them away. They are faster growing and easier to propagate than Xenia.