Please help...Xena's been half eat'n alive.

[Tie Sun Also Rises]

I have a 65 gallon reef tank without any fish. I've noticed that some of the "bugs" have been getting bigger over the last two months. I thought this was a good thing until last night when i noticed the Xena was half eat'n at it's base. Can someone please tell me what could be causing the damage and how to correct it before a bug gets hungry for some of my other corals???

 

[esmithiii]

Sounds like a crab problem to me.

Ernie

 

[phillips]

Some big worms will eat them too. Can you grow enough xenia to keep them alive?

 

[Tie Sun Also Rises]

Thankz for your reply- How big does a worm have to be to cause damage? Some of the little critters are getting thumbnail size and looking...well, alien. Someone thought a crab might be the problem. I have 4 red leg crabs and one with yellow striped legs and a white claw. I thought it was a bumblebee snail until i noticed he was no snail, he was a crab. He was in my tank for about a week. Today at lunch i went to go pull him and noticed that this morning he left his bumblebee shell and took over a red leg's shell. The red leg lost a claw, some legs and his shell. The bully is out, but what shall i do about the red leg? Will he recover...Do you think white claw was the Xena eater? Xena will recover if no more additional damage is done, i hope. Regards, Tyson

 

[phillips]

Some worms can get to be 5 feet long even in a reef tank!! Hermits are often omnivorous so they could be your problem. Isolate the hermits you suspect, and do nighttime checks w/ a flashlight to see who comes out at night for munchies. Just be careful not to scare the h*** out of your fish!!

You need to be quick cause worms can hide quickly when they see the light coming.

Just because hermits eat other animals, doesn't mean they don't make great pets. Give 'em their own tank and throw them your extra xenia.

I like to search my tanks in the middle of the night because I find all sorts of neat little monsters. 2 nights ago I found an abalone, 2 worms and a chiton I hadn't seen before.

 

[Tie Sun Also Rises]

Sweet Advice! Your right, hitting the reef with a flashlight in the middle of the night is awesome. Can't say i've seen any abs, but have seen some crazy things! Last night i caught some bugs, about thumbnail size near the freashy eat'n Xena. These guys had legs and looked mostly transparent, but hide before i could take a good look. Are worms and crabs the only ones that can cause the damage? The "bug" population has really boomed in the last two months, do I need a fish to keep things in check? If so what should be my first fish? I'm perfectly happy without any fish...

 

[Bucktronix]

you might want to make sure its being eaten at all.. sometimes xenia moves or walks. i have often found large raged holes in the trunk of mine only to find a week later either it has moved a few inches or grown a new limb there.

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bucktronix:
<strong>you might want to make sure its being eaten at all.. sometimes xenia moves or walks. i have often found large raged holes in the trunk of mine only to find a week later either it has moved a few inches or grown a new limb there.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I was going to say the same thing. I wouldn't worry too much about the xenia. In a couple months, you'll wish someone had been eating it!

I'd imagine if something was picking at it, it owuld grow right back. I've been lazy and pinched some off at the base and 2 days later there will be 10 babies growing there.

 

[phillips]

Tyson,
Bucktronix and tangirl are right, are you sure the Xenia is being eaten? Or is it disappearing faster than it's growing? I've also seen what appears to be ragged places in the stalk, but turn into new branches. If the xenia is growing faster than the villians are eating it, you might just sit back & enjoy your nighttime xenia raiders.

Just keep a eye out at night till you find someone w/ their teeth sunk into your xenia.

 

[Mike106]

What kind of lighting do you have? Xenia needs high light and could just be dying off. Also, check your PH cause they will also degrade in low PH. It is also said Iodine is important for their success.

good luck

 

[Anonymous]

The only additive I put in my tank is Kalk and xenia is out of control. If you do find something eating your xenia, will you send it my way?

 

[Tie Sun Also Rises]

I'll know tonight after work, but thinking a bumblebee snail that was actually a crab with large(proportionally)white claw and yellow striped legs. I was removed yesterday at lunch, but not before he had his way with a red leg hermit. Found the poor guy at lunch with a craw and three legs missing, trying to squeeze into the bumblebee shell. Stopped and bought a new shell and watched him jump into it as soon as it hit the sand last night! I brought white claw surfing this morning a dropped him in the ocean...good luck dude(if he doesn't freeze to death)! I'll let you know what the Xenia looks like tonight.

Two Fishes CombiSan, and a all-in-one is all i have ever put in the water. Water change with full and new moon and all the corals are doing great!

Been thinking about trying DT's in addition...

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like one mean little crab. Do you have grow out shells for your scarlets? If not they will make light work of your snails when it's time for an upgrade.

 

[klesyk]

I must be growing some tasty xenia - I had no problems for at least 6 months then a 2" by 3" section way up on the back wall of my tank disappeared overnight. Since then I have caught my peppermint shrimp and several green chromis munching away.

 

[davelin315]

I would think that the warrior princess would fight back. She's always looked tough on TV....

Sorry, the smart ass in me coming out. Do you have any urchins? Mine used to mow down my xenia all the time. Check out for bristle worms having a snack too.

 

[Tie Sun Also Rises]

Thanks for all the help. esmithiii, tangirl, and bucktonix you guys are all money! The crab was picking at it, but since he has been removed the Xenia is still doing some funky things. The combo rock i got him on has a ton of corals growing on top of one another. The sea squart that the Xenia is on is getting much bigger and much more powerful. When he contracts now he has about the force of a large clam. The Xenia is moving away toward some new rock, some of the hands have also become totally inverted. I'm assuming now that he is moving and/or reproducing???


I'm Audi 5000!

 

[Reeffreak]

You know I just saw the strangest thing the other night with my xenia as well. I was looking at my tank at night and noticed my something the head of my xenia. Upon closer inspection I found it was a worm hanging out of the head and onto the stalk of the xenia. I attempted to catch this vermin but was unable. The next night it was not so lucky. The worm looked similar to a bristle without the but with much more flexibility and it moved much faster when out of the rock. Could be something like this.

 

[Anonymous]

You are nicer than me. I would have ripped him in half and fed him to the hermit as retribution.

 

[davelin315]

See? Even smart asses who don't get thanked

are on the money once in a while! I would take your xenia out and cut it in half to find the worm. Once you've removed it, you can just pop your xenia back in and it'll reattach itself and grow from any tissue anywhere. Remove any necrotic tissue, though, or it will continue to decompose.