how to get my xenia to sprout

[rx7racer210]

hey guys i just bought a really nice peice of xenia and for sum reason it wont sprout and extend it just stays kinda bundled up like if it was pom pom xenia. any suggestions on wat i should try?

[urban79]

run carbon and give it time. as long its not falling apart then its doing ok.

[erikharrison]

What kind of lights do you have on it? Xenia relies on strong lighting to prosper! Look on www.garf.org and look for a section on xenia!

[Ping]

Xenia takes some time to acclimate. I grow xenia under 2 watts per gallon of lighting about 12 inches from the fixture, and it prospers. In my experience temp is not critical. Xenia is Ph sensitive, and "I believe" that is why it grows well in some peoples tanks and crashes in others. Ph needs to be stable (tank well cycled).

[erikharrison]

My tank has been set up since december. I use tap ::dodges bullets from MAASTARDS:: water and the ph is always constant. Xenia was crashing before my tank had a MH, I had some that was almost dead, and I added the MH, and WHAM, big difference. PH could definitely be a HUGE factor, since mine has always been stable.

[urban79]

and when they do , there like weeds LOL

[MattK]

Like Ping said, Xenia does take time to acclimate. When I trim my Xenia and Anthelia in my 12g and put it in my 30g to mount it, it takes a few days (sometimes a week) before it really opens up and starts pulsing. From my experience when Xenia is dieing it shrivels up to next than nothing and disappears within a day or so.

They don't need much light to stay alive, of course more light is better. Example: I have a 20g with a standard 20w fluorescent bulb that I keep all my LR rubble and a few medium size pieces of LR in. The only reason I have it is to keep the rock cured for my next tank. Well, one of the pieces of LR had a stalk of Xenia on it and it has managed to stay alive for 5 or 6 months under that lighting.