Xenia questions

[kgoldy]

After having this stuff in my tank for a little while, I can't believe LFSs charge for this stuff. It grows like crazy! I'm pretty sure that in terms of mass, it grows easily 10x as fast as the chaeto in my back chamber.

I've already given away a few frags because they conveniently happened to be growing on frag disks... But the rest of the stuff is now on my LR. Is there a way to trim this stuff and transplant it onto plugs or disks? A friend told me he used to just rip it off the rock and toss it in the toilet... But I'd rather give or trade it away in a healthy condition.

Where would you more experienced guys recommend putting this in terms of upper/lower part of the tank? I guess putting it on the sand level between three rocks was just asking to have it grow everywhere... Would keeping it at the top of the tank slow down it's spreading? I have a BC HQI, so I had been planning on keeping SPS towards the top...

Does it feed off of nitrates/phosphates? I've heard "nutrient export" as the reason people grow it and justify tossing frags in the trash... But never heard what specific nutrients.


If anyone's around Nassau County on Long Island, I'm totally up for tossing you a frag of it for a trade of any other frag. In low flow it pulses better than most I've seen. :lol: Happy reefing!

(ps I know my lettuce/cactus coral frag doesn't look too happy... I don't know what happened to it! It was the only SPS frag growing noticeably in my tank for months, then two weeks ago it started looking all beat up! Maybe the new duncan head that sprouted is shading it too much?)

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

xenia grows like weds for you but for me melts in days because my tank is very clean, i would use a rasor blade and cut as close the the rock as possible.but it will grow again if not cut close to rock. if it grows on glass it looks cool and is easy to cut off
Put a post for free xenia and you will see if you can help some newbies out

 

[kgoldy]

xenia grows like weds for you but for me melts in days because my tank is very clean, if it grows on glass it looks cool and is easy to cut off

Why does yours melt away?

i would use a rasor blade and cut as close the the rock as possible.but it will grow again if not cut close to rock.

Cutting it doesn't release any toxins into the water, like zoas do?

And can I cut it at the base, and glue it onto a frag rock? I'm not sure how else I could give the stuff away that's on my large pieces of LR.

 

[pauliwalnuts]

I keep mine on its own little island. From fragging it so much, I've developed a way of pulling on it gently and actually removing the whole stump/branch from the rock.
Also no glueing, not going to happen. Take some sewing thread, fishing line, or even a loose rubberband and tie it around the disc/rock.

 

[noelskii]

xenia grows like weds for you but for me melts in days because my tank is very clean,

lol

 

[kgoldy]

Well, I fragged the xenia twice in as many days. I now have 4 frag plugs.

2- Attached by rubber bands
2- glued

Trying to use rubber bands was a lot more difficult since I didn't have any small ones...

Gluing however, was simple and easy. All frags look healthy at the moment, we'll see if they melt over the next week...

 

[Reeftanker3295]

Don't leave the rubber band too tight. My softies always disintegrate under the rubber band if I leave it too tight and they float away...

 

[tentacles]

Also no glueing, not going to happen. Take some sewing thread, fishing line, or even a loose rubberband and tie it around the disc/rock.

You can also try the tupperware container with rock rubble in it (sometimes it attaches to the sides on the container though , it's more of a rebel than other soft corals).

 

[Pablo]

Natural attachment works best with the red sea type. As tentacles said on her post, use small plastic container, put some rock rubble and place your xenia frags inside. You can cover the plastic container with a bridal net so the frags wont float away.

 

[kasha]

i have had the same problem. i did an extensive search and found that AP fluke tabs will kill xenia. do a google search on "fluke tabs xenia"

i am 24 hours post treatment and it seems to be working (although i am sure to have a nutrient spike)

 

[kgoldy]

Got it to work. Buried some pieces in frag plugs and empty shells... Some attached in as little as 24 hours.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.