xenia help

[Mindymou]

I have a 75 gal tank with 100 lbs of live rock. I have a pom pom xenia and a polyp coral. I did a small water change today (10 gal). My salt readings must have been off. The tank started at 1.025 and after the change ended up at 1.023. Now both of the corals are closed tight and look dead. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[brandonberry]

Replace the water with more seawater as in evaporates until you target salinity is reached. Do not try to change it too quick. Is is more likely the rapid change in salinity and not the lower value that affected them. Xenia are very sensitive to salinity changes. There could be other factors affecting them as well such as pH, alkalinity, etc. They also respond negatively if either iof these is low. By adding diluted seawater, you may have also diluted the alkalinity enough to cause a pH swing. Always test the salinity of freshly mixed water before doing water changes and always mix new seawater for 12 hours or so with a powerhead before performing a water change. I assume you are using RO/DI water to mix with your salt?

 

[Mindymou]

That is probably what happened. Now I have what is likely a stupid question. I'm sure I have to take the dead xenia out of the tank. What is the correct way to do that?
Thanks for you help

 

[Brian5000]

They just peel off, it's not that hard.

Before you do, Make sure it's really dead and not just very upset. If it just happened today, I'm guessing it will spring back when it's happy again.
_________________
apollo mist photos

 

[mr_X]

what does the alleged "dead xenia" look like? if it's just slumped over, it will most likely recover, once you straighten the water out and give it some time.
xenia is pretty durable.

 

[Mindymou]

It is slumped over and looks shriveled up. Maybe it's not dead. I'll give it another day.
thanks

 

[mr_X]

give it a week. :wink:

 

[extremepb319]

Yea i would say a week or so. My friends did that and his starfish destroyed his down to a little nub but it came back...just wait