Thread: Melting Xenia
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Unread 03/20/2012, 02:03 AM   #20
Fryman
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Belmont, CA
Posts: 337
I have one of those tanks where Xenia grows like a weed. I have a rock where they are growing in between a big zoa colony and I can't get rid of them! Cutting them back only slows them down, they grow right back in a matter of days. You have to destroy ALL tissue to kill them, which is very hard to do on live rock cause of all the little holes and crevasses. I swear they will grow from any shred of tissue! I can't get too aggressive with the rock cause they're growing between zoa polyps. It's a real problem.

Xenia is a cool coral, but when they like your tank they certainly can go crazy. If I were to add Xenia again, I'd be sure to do more to contain them right off the bat. They spread by leaning over to touch another rock & splitting wherever they touch. So they generally grow up the rock & when they reach the top they don't know where to go. Don't leave a path to other rocks and you can contain them a bit. You still have to cut them back or they start to shed little stalks that float around until they find somewhere else (like right in the middle of your nicest zoa colony!).

Some aggressive coral can hold the line. My torch coral & pineapple tree coral keep them at bay, but they just grow right over the more peaceful stuff. They don't seem to sting, just smother. Definitely a love/hate thing for me atm.


My param tests from last w-e:

salinity: 1.025
pH: 8.4
temp: 79F
alk: 8.4
ca: 420
mag: 1330
nitrate: b.d.
phos: 0.02

I used to have a serious phosphate problem from recycled sand, and they LOVED it. They also love the light. They seem to grow in just about any flow. Good luck.



Last edited by Fryman; 03/20/2012 at 02:09 AM.
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