Pulsing Xenias

[Rlumenator]

My tiny cluster of xenias have exploded over the past several months, spreading everywhere. I'd like to remove some from the rock and take to my lfs. How do I remove them, and what do I attach them to? Thank you, Dawn.

 

[[)R@G()N]

Well, you could break the rock up and you would have multiple frags on multiple rocks. Or you just cut them off and super glue/use a tooth pick/string it to some rock rubble or something of that nature.

 

[Rlumenator]

I do not want multiple frags, just to remove the extras from my tank. Breaking up the rock is not an option. I read that if you cut them off, new ones will grow from their bases left behind.

 

[[)R@G()N]

Yeah. If you cut them they just grow back. If you don't want them to grow back, I've heard that you can try scrubing off the extra part that's still on the rock or cut them as low as you can then put super glue or something like that over them to get them from growing back.

 

[Baianotang]

i want some :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Rlumenator]

Well, if you were close by, I'd give you some!

 

[liquid]

Dawn:

Head over to http://reefs.org/library/farmertodd/ and scroll down on the left side of the screen till you find:

Fragmentation
Softies
Nepthea
Rhodactis
Ricordea
Star Polyps
Xenia

And click on the Xenia link. That'll show you how it's done.

Shane

 

[Sprattoo]

I think I'm going to try just >snip<ing off one little head of mine this weekend to see if that works.

 

[tangir1]

I have a few colony that were grown from a single "hand" within a few month.

 

[Sprattoo]

sadly, I tried just snipping off one.. and it croaked.

I'm thinking I might need to take a bit of that flesh mat they spread around and "sprout from" to be more successful.

 

[Anonymous]

Wear gloves!

 

[Rlumenator]

I scraped and cut them off with a razor blade.

 

[Sprattoo]

I didn't know Xenias could potentially be toxic?!??!

I knew about the zooanthids.... Dang I need to read more.

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't either! Woops!

 

[Rlumenator]

Where did you read they are toxic?

 

[Sprattoo]

Wear gloves!

I was assuming this meant potential toxicity.
Although I suppose some folks even wear gloves to frag sarcophytons.

 

[mark78]

Wear gloves to prevent your skin oils dirt bacetia etc from getting in the open wound of the coral I'd guess.

 

[Reefer2b]

They're not toxic. Just slimy.

spratoo.....after you snip it you need to mount it or at least hold it down. I used to just pin it down with another rock. otherwise, when it opens up again, it'll just blow around and fade away unless it gets wedged on something and can attach.

now, if I'm mounting 6 or seven heads on a piece of rock I'm planning to sell to a LFS, I actually use a needle and thread. only takes a day or two to get them to attach. tom

 

[Sprattoo]

Last week or so I discovered a good way to propogate my xenias. I snip off 2 heads with the fleshy mat that attaches them. Or I should say I peel back the mat and snip off a couple.
Then run a small rubber band around the bit of rock between the polyps. after a few days I cut off the elastic... Seems to be working so far!

 

[Saltykirk]

Set some on a flat piece of plastic or glass. Then just scrape it off & rubberband or superglue to new rocks. I clean mine off the backglass & it is real easy to harvest that way. I just wish I could some blue xenia!!!