Pulsing xenia, how much flow?

[Tybond]

I just added a small cluster of puls xenia to my reef. how much flow should I have over this coral.
The area I placed it in has a steady slow uprising effect. The xenia seeems to open 3/4 up then pulls back in every once in a while to a ball.
Do I need a little more current?
TIA
ty

 

[24Tom]

I have pulsing xenia in my ten and my thirty. Lighting seems more important than current. The ten has one 32 watt PC and one 15 watt NO. The thirty 2 x 96 PC. The xenia in the thirty is small and bushy and pulses like crazy. In the thirty it is also reproducing like a weed. Frags from the 30 are barely surviving in the ten they get long and leggy and pulse slower. By all tests water quality in both tanks are similar. I have pieces in high and low flow areas in the thirty and it doesn't seem to matter. But if a frag falls to a shady area in the 30 it will not last. Even the healthy pieces will close up like a fist every now and then.

 

[Anonymous]

Same here Tom. And when they close up like a fist, they look like awrithing ball of worms - yuck!

 

[Tybond]

Thanks,
My set up is a 55g with a 6" dsb and 60lb of LR.
Lighting shouldnt be a problem. I am running 8x55w PC's made up of 4 6700k and 4 actinic 03's
So is the balling up just normal or does something really have to bother them to get them to retreat?
ty

 

[Anonymous]

nah, its normal. Usually. As long as they are out and about most of the time. I'll have a clump pulsing like crazy and then on or two in that clump (were talking a large clump of them here) close up for no apparent reason. They also do that when they grab a hold of something visible to eat.

 

[Tybond]

Thanks Tangirl.
I'll just let it ride for a while...nervous ninny about new corals I don't understand yet.
I hate to see a living thing suffer. worse when I think I am the cause.
You guys are great!
thanks for the info.
Ty

 

[Tybond]

HOORAYY!!!
the xenia was fully open today!
I placed it higher up in the tank closer to the lights and the little guy opened up and was pulsing like mad.
Thanks again everyone!