Help...Xenia out of control

[Darth-Tater]

Ok we are very new to the hobby (8 months). Several months ago my son brought home a xenia(sp) it was our first coral. My wife loved it and it lived :lol well it is multiplying faster than rabbits.:o I don't know what to do. :unsure They are attaching to big pieces of rock. Can I scrape them off? How do I control these litte buggers :unsure Soon I will have a 100 g tank with nothing but pretty Xenia. Any ideas? Thanks


David

[Sherri]

Yeah...I now have a forest going myself...all starting from a few sprigs I got from Gary. I need to "harvest" myself...it is spreading over to my other rocks...want to get it "isolated." HaHa I know. So I'll be watching this also. :innocent

[::pete::]

If you miss a piece .. tiny ... it will grow again. I use a "stop aptasia" applicator (big needle from AA in the front glass) and inject the stalk with kalk. You can watch it fill as its a little transparent and in a day or so it is melted and DOES NOT grow back!

[carlinsa]

pete is a xenia killing man!!

[Sherri]

By melting it - it won't pollute the tank?? was wondering...that is the method I use to kill aptasia (needle) so I have one., but they're a lot smaller.

[GaryP]

I use a pair of hemostats to pull it off the rock. I then throw it into my fuge and let it attach to the rubble there. After a week or so I harvest the rubble and take it to the LFS and trade it. Xenia doesn't ship well so the LFS is glad to get it.

In that way I can control where I want it to grow in the tank. I have it isolated to a low area under the center bar of my tank where most corals don't grow well. Yes, it will come back if you don't get it all, but if you continue to "trim" it you can keep it under control.

[Reef69]

Two of my tanks are xenia free, but thats because i chizzled off the xenia with a screw driver and a hammer..lol..then threw them in my 25 gal. and let them grow, then i give frags away to whoever wants them..

[::pete::]

:angry I got one ... :lol

[GaryP]

At one time I had a solid hedge of Xenia on the back wall of my 125. That was perfect. All I had to do when I wanted to harvest some was run a razor blade down the glass. I never had to worry about cleaning algae off the glass either.

Xenia do have some excellent properties. The absorb a lot of toxic stuff from the water such as heavy metals. They also directly absorb dissolved organics as well. Some people set up Xenia refugiums for this purpose. When I give aways Xenia frags its like I am giving away my tank's toxics as well.

By contiunuously harvesting the Xenia it stimulates its growth. Rapidly growing xenia absorbs more stuff then established colonies. The trick is to keep it away from stuff like SPS colonies. Its not really toxic, but it will shade the SPS and cause it to die back. I found that out early on with a large stag colony. The based died back when I let the Xenia grow out around it.

[Sherri]

By melting it - it won't pollute the tank?? was wondering...

was still wondering... ;)

[JimD]

Depends on how much you melt and how large the system is...

[::pete::]

I usually do one stalk at a time.

[don-n-sa]

here is an old thread...I still use this method from time to time and it still works for me.


http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=7125&high light=xenia

[NaCl_H2O]

I removed most of the Xenia when I setup the new system and moved it to the fuge. Most of it in the fuge has been choked out by macro algae. What's left in the tanks doesn't grow/spread much and I think that is due to the high flow in my tanks - so maybe increased flow will "contain" it?

[::pete::]

Low light will too as well as low flow as it likes both.

[Sherri]

Mine is in heavy flow & loving it!

[Darth-Tater]

Thanks everyone for the information. I have many new ways to try. If all else fails I will take to school and put it in the 20 gal and just grow a forest. I am sure the kids will love it.


David

[GaryP]

I know that when I lost Xenia when moving my tanks a lot of other stuff died quickly afterwards. My conclusion was that while it can absorb a lot of toxins out of a tank it releases them back just as easily.

Dead Xenia is nasty stuff.

[mkengr45]

does it like low or high flow? I want to set up a fuge with xenia but only have a few stalks. I want it to grow quickly....

[v2k]

Is your xenia the pulsing kind? I would actually love a frag if you are near San Antonio

[Tim Marvin]

I use a pair of hemostats to pull it off the rock. I then throw it into my fuge and let it attach to the rubble there. After a week or so I harvest the rubble and take it to the LFS and trade it. Xenia doesn't ship well so the LFS is glad to get it.

In that way I can control where I want it to grow in the tank. I have it isolated to a low area under the center bar of my tank where most corals don't grow well. Yes, it will come back if you don't get it all, but if you continue to "trim" it you can keep it under control.

I am going with Gary on this, I also get it to grow onto the glass and remove it from all the rocks. It is VERY easy to harvest off the glass with a razor blade. Why kill it if you can get a trade-in.

[GaryP]

does it like low or high flow? I want to set up a fuge with xenia but only have a few stalks. I want it to grow quickly....

Medium to high flow and high light. It is almost totally photosynthetic.



Is your xenia the pulsing kind? I would actually love a frag if you are near San Antonio

Yes its pulsing Xenia, Xenia elongata to be exact. Drop me a PM. I need to thin some out this weekend as well as some clove polyps.

[v2k]

Ohand I will gladly accept clove polyps as well..I am very new to this or I would offer to trade you something...but perhaps in the future?

Victoria

[GaryP]

Victoria,

That is generally my modus operandi. Come and get them. Over the years I have gotten some very nice frags from folks that were just getting started and willing to show their appreciation sometimes years later when they have collected some really nice stuff. I'm glad to help a newbie out.

[rocketeer]

Hey Darth,

If you want, I can trade you a xenia free rock for a xenia covered one. PM me if interested.

Jack

[rocketeer]

Hey Darth,

If you want, I can trade you a xenia free rock and a frag of something for a xenia covered one. PM me if interested.

Jack

[alteredego]

If you still have some left you want to get rid of, i'm starting a new tank and would love to get some to start drawing junk out of the water.

[hedgehog01]

If you have enough I would like a peice, don't have anything to trade still building up tank. But would like to work something out!

Stephen

[GaryP]

I always have a lot of Xenia. Just drop me a PM and we can hook up. I'm in SA.

[Thunderkat]

<------- Wants some pulsing Xenia ^_^

[Darth-Tater]

I will take stock and see what I can do about dumping (I mean letting everyone have some.)

David

[shellback]

clove polyps are they the green centered ones? If they are would like to help in clearing out a little for you, if you need to get rid of. Will take some of the xenia also. :D

Thanks Chuck