Help - Pulsing Xenia Turning White (dying)

mickeyfish · 08/07/2019, 05:45 PM

Looking for some opinions or suggestions here. I have had this pulsing Xenia on an island in my tank for a year and a half. It has been doing great up until this week.

Some of the stalks are turning white, then flat, and stop coming out or opening completely. It appears they are dying off. The rock was at the bottom of my tank, when this happened I moved it up a bit... but it just continued. In one week, half of the colony now appears to be white and dead.

There have been absolutely no changes to my tank the past 3-4 months and all other Corals remain fine.

Any thoughts?

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RBU1 · 08/07/2019, 06:45 PM

Some people would be happy about that. What are your parameters? Anything change recently?

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RBU1 · 08/07/2019, 06:46 PM

Do you run carbon? If not I would.

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mickeyfish · 08/07/2019, 06:49 PM

I do run Carbon and Purigen, but have been for the past year plus.

No recent changes which is why it’s baffling why all of a sudden.

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RBU1 · 08/07/2019, 06:52 PM

If everything else is ok and your parameters are good I wouldn’t worry about it. Maybe your tank is too clean for Xenia. Who knows.

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Uncle99 · 08/07/2019, 07:21 PM

What do you run your N and P levels at?

mickeyfish · 08/07/2019, 07:47 PM

So my phosphate is .11 as of last check this past weekend on the Hanna ULR, Nitrate consistently 5-10.

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mickeyfish · 08/07/2019, 07:48 PM

I guess my bigger question, are the white areas dead ... could they come back?

Xenia is supposed to be like a weed, yet it is the only Coral in my tank not doing well.

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Uncle99 · 08/08/2019, 05:36 AM

Your nutrients levels are good.
If every other coral is fine, then sounds specific to that coral
The pic is way to blue to tell anything else

Reid · 08/09/2019, 12:44 AM

Mine did the same. Looked like it was a natural die off, then started to get other healthy polyps drop off and attach elsewhere.

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mickeyfish · 08/11/2019, 10:39 AM

I think this mystery has been solved... but not sure. So I recalibrated my refractometer (Milwaukee MA887) this morning and salinity was actually at 1.23. I’m thinking this may be it.

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CrayolaViolence · 08/11/2019, 10:44 AM

When mine started doing this I was a fish picking at it and eating it. After the fish went into the sump it exploded back to life.

Uncle99 · 08/11/2019, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickeyfish

I think this mystery has been solved... but not sure. So I recalibrated my refractometer (Milwaukee MA887) this morning and salinity was actually at 1.23. I’m thinking this may be it.

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Good find! Certainly when any one/ or combination of parameters is not within “normal “ ranges that can show up in an unhappy coral.

It would be helpful if you can let us know in a bit if it bounced back after salinity adjustment

White is a bad colour in corals, can indicate bleaching.

j.falk · 08/11/2019, 05:48 PM

If it were the salinity being off...wouldn't that affect the entire colony of them and not just a few? Looking at the photos, my guess would be that something is probably picking on / eating them too because it's one specific area of them that is dying off and not the entire lot.

Uncle99 · 08/12/2019, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.falk

If it were the salinity being off...wouldn't that affect the entire colony of them and not just a few? Looking at the photos, my guess would be that something is probably picking on / eating them too because it's one specific area of them that is dying off and not the entire lot.

Your absolutely right, It could be many things, sometimes the causes elude me, I call it going “poof”. Needs to keep salinity on point.

I can’t see much, the pic is just blue for me.

mickeyfish · 08/14/2019, 08:56 PM

So... salinity is not the issue. I have moved it up with a water change and have been replacing daily evaporation with saltwater and I am just about at 1.026 again.

Meanwhile, there is only one portion of the colony left... and it’s shrinking. It looks like the whole colony is going to die.

j.falk · 08/15/2019, 06:00 AM

Looking around for information on this issue, I read that Xenia can melt if the tank water is too clean...not enough nutrients to sustain them.

Another solution was supplementing iodine because of low iodine levels.

mickeyfish · 08/15/2019, 06:02 AM

Thanks.. I read this as well so I literally turned off my reactor (bio pellets) and doubled feeding amounts to see. Been doing this for the past week now and no impact.

My nitrates have recently been testing as 0 though. Phosphates are .11 as of last night.

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Uncle99 · 08/15/2019, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickeyfish

Thanks.. I read this as well so I literally turned off my reactor (bio pellets) and doubled feeding amounts to see. Been doing this for the past week now and no impact.

My nitrates have recently been testing as 0 though. Phosphates are .11 as of last night.

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I keep Xenia happy in 2-5 ppm nitrate and .1 phosphate
Nitrate of 0 will starve all corals, so way to clean for softies.
You used to have 5-10 ppm nitrate so I am not sure how this went to 0

mickeyfish · 08/17/2019, 08:18 AM

Updated picture. And on the nitrates, not sure but the test this week the vial did not move off of yellow at all.

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mickeyfish · 08/17/2019, 08:28 AM

I take that back. There are some Nitrates.

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Uncle99 · 08/17/2019, 07:10 PM

Yup, that seems better, always some N & P in the column, whenever I get a zero, I somewhat distrust the test.

mickeyfish · 08/28/2019, 07:56 PM

For anyone interested, the entire colony has been wiped out. Just white bumps on a rock now.

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08/07/2019, 05:45 PM	#1
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	Help - Pulsing Xenia Turning White (dying) Looking for some opinions or suggestions here. I have had this pulsing Xenia on an island in my tank for a year and a half. It has been doing great up until this week. Some of the stalks are turning white, then flat, and stop coming out or opening completely. It appears they are dying off. The rock was at the bottom of my tank, when this happened I moved it up a bit... but it just continued. In one week, half of the colony now appears to be white and dead. There have been absolutely no changes to my tank the past 3-4 months and all other Corals remain fine. Any thoughts? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/07/2019, 06:46 PM	#3
RBU1 Moving on Up Join Date: May 2004 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5,167	Help - Pulsing Xenia Turning White (dying) Do you run carbon? If not I would. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/11/2019, 10:44 AM	#12
CrayolaViolence Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,867	When mine started doing this I was a fish picking at it and eating it. After the fish went into the sump it exploded back to life. __________________ "The good thing about science is that it's true whether you believe it or not." Neil deGrasse Tyson Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef tank

08/07/2019, 06:45 PM	#2
RBU1 Moving on Up Join Date: May 2004 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5,167	Some people would be happy about that. What are your parameters? Anything change recently? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/07/2019, 06:49 PM	#4
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	I do run Carbon and Purigen, but have been for the past year plus. No recent changes which is why it’s baffling why all of a sudden. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/07/2019, 06:52 PM	#5
RBU1 Moving on Up Join Date: May 2004 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5,167	If everything else is ok and your parameters are good I wouldn’t worry about it. Maybe your tank is too clean for Xenia. Who knows. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/07/2019, 07:21 PM	#6
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	What do you run your N and P levels at?

08/07/2019, 07:47 PM	#7
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	So my phosphate is .11 as of last check this past weekend on the Hanna ULR, Nitrate consistently 5-10. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/07/2019, 07:48 PM	#8
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	I guess my bigger question, are the white areas dead ... could they come back? Xenia is supposed to be like a weed, yet it is the only Coral in my tank not doing well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/08/2019, 05:36 AM	#9
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Your nutrients levels are good. If every other coral is fine, then sounds specific to that coral The pic is way to blue to tell anything else

08/09/2019, 12:44 AM	#10
Reid Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Yorkshire UK Posts: 7	Mine did the same. Looked like it was a natural die off, then started to get other healthy polyps drop off and attach elsewhere. Sent from my HRY-LX1 using Tapatalk

08/11/2019, 10:39 AM	#11
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	I think this mystery has been solved... but not sure. So I recalibrated my refractometer (Milwaukee MA887) this morning and salinity was actually at 1.23. I’m thinking this may be it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/11/2019, 05:48 PM	#14
j.falk Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 632	If it were the salinity being off...wouldn't that affect the entire colony of them and not just a few? Looking at the photos, my guess would be that something is probably picking on / eating them too because it's one specific area of them that is dying off and not the entire lot.

08/14/2019, 08:56 PM	#16
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	So... salinity is not the issue. I have moved it up with a water change and have been replacing daily evaporation with saltwater and I am just about at 1.026 again. Meanwhile, there is only one portion of the colony left... and it’s shrinking. It looks like the whole colony is going to die.

08/15/2019, 06:00 AM	#17
j.falk Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 632	Looking around for information on this issue, I read that Xenia can melt if the tank water is too clean...not enough nutrients to sustain them. Another solution was supplementing iodine because of low iodine levels.

08/15/2019, 06:02 AM	#18
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	Thanks.. I read this as well so I literally turned off my reactor (bio pellets) and doubled feeding amounts to see. Been doing this for the past week now and no impact. My nitrates have recently been testing as 0 though. Phosphates are .11 as of last night. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/17/2019, 08:18 AM	#20
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	Updated picture. And on the nitrates, not sure but the test this week the vial did not move off of yellow at all. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/17/2019, 08:28 AM	#21
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	I take that back. There are some Nitrates. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/17/2019, 07:10 PM	#22
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Yup, that seems better, always some N & P in the column, whenever I get a zero, I somewhat distrust the test.

08/28/2019, 07:56 PM	#23
mickeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: New York Posts: 196	For anyone interested, the entire colony has been wiped out. Just white bumps on a rock now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk