How to KILL xenia.

JeepersReefers

JeepersReefers

Member
A year ago i was probaly asking how to keep xenia alive. Well times have changed, and now i can't kill it. I have a type of xenia (think its waving) that is taking over one of my favorite zooanthid colonies. I have tried to pick the xenia off with tweezers one at a time, but each time i do that they come back quicker and more numerous than before. What can be done to the xenia with out hurting the zooanthids. Heres a pic, this is a weeks worth of xenia growth.

Thanks
Dane
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Oy, that's a tough one. IME, you can usually peel Xenia away from it's base, without risk of pedal laceration/regeneration.

If you can't peel away the Xenia without also peeling away the zo's, I'd try to frag some of the zo's independent of the Xenia and relocate them - and then do as you wish (sell?) the intertwined Xenia/Zo colony.

Xenia/Anthelia is pretty invasive - second only to nuisance algae, IMO.
 
JeepersReefers

JeepersReefers

Member
Originally posted by ReefLady

If you can't peel away the Xenia without also peeling away the zo's, I'd try to frag some of the zo's independent of the Xenia and relocate them - and then do as you wish (sell?) the intertwined Xenia/Zo colony.

Xenia/Anthelia is pretty invasive - second only to nuisance algae, IMO.
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The xenia are actualy growing on some of the zoo anthid polyps. this has essently become one creature, or i would just remove the zoos. I might have to frag the ones w/o xenia on them.

I was also thinking, that since zoos are more durable than xenia that i could place them in some kind of "solution" (TBD) or in a seprate tank/jar with some poor water quality. In doing this i hope the xenia will die but the zoos will recover. Any one think this will work???

If not im going to frag the zoos w/o xenia atached and make a new colony.

Thanks
Dane
 
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JeepersReefers

JeepersReefers

Member
Lucky,

There are too many stalks to try that and many of them are attached directly too the zoos
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thanks
 
JeepersReefers

JeepersReefers

Member
Originally posted by reefrunner
Ship the rock to yourself, xenia doesn't ship well ;)
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LOL:D :D :D :D . OK, or can i just save the expense and put it in a beer cooler for 2 to 3 days and pretend i shiped it.:D :D :D

thanks for the laugh, i needed that
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Dangit!!!!! RR took my answer.

Reeflady- you get a big "amen sister" about the anthelia. Hate it, then sell it, then love it. Then hate it, then sell it, then love it. LOL.

I did stumble on two ways to effectively kill xenia, but they ain't pretty.

1. Get a big green tree leather and put the xenia next to it. Nukola in about 2 weeks.

2. Let your DSB become a nutrient sink. The resulting PO4 will kill the xenia (don't try this at home). I actually have NO xenia left after the PO4 problem. Used to have it growing on the sides and back of the tank.

T
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
LOL, Travis - I like the sanbed idea. :D Just kidding! ;-)

Actually - Jeepers, I think your theory may have some merit -- combined with RR's suggestion.

Going on the knowledge that Xenia doesn't ship well -- the reason it doesn't it because it can't tolerate sustained low pH.

Sooooo.... if you bagged the piece with very little air - place the sealed bag in your sump or refugium (in the water to maintain temp) for about 24 hours. In theory, the pH should lower enough to crash the Xenia, but the zo's should tolerate it.

If it were me, I would make every attempt possible to remove some of the zo's off the piece and frag them separately. It's entirely possible (probable?) that the 'experiement' may not work, or it may take the zo's along with it.

One other thought (probably not the best one, but just thinking out loud) ... there is a nudbranch that is (in)famous for munching on Colt & Xenia. Here it is ... >Tritoniopsis elegans<.
They usually appear as hitchhikers, so I'm not sure how you'd get your hands on one, but just a thought. :)
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Only problem I see with purposely crashing the xenia... wild-collected zo colonies can be extremely tough to keep free of the dreaded white fungus due to die-off of surrounding (usually sponge) critters. However, a Lugol's dip or other coral dip goes a long way in helping to prevent the fungal infections, especially if done preemptively. I think that, some time ago, Logical started dipping every zo that came his way- or at least most of them. That says a lot to me.

My point... it sounds like a very worthwhile experiment, but I would remove as much of the xenia as possible either prior to or after the "false shipping" event, followed by a dip afterward.

Love where this is going. Some original thinking going on here, that's the exciting part of this hobby to me.

Travis
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
but I would remove as much of the xenia as possible either prior to or after the "false shipping" event, followed by a dip afterward.
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100% agreed. Thanks, T!
 
F

FishyinKY

Member
I believe I read somewhere that xenia's don't like to be dipped. Of course in other than lugols. I think it might be a good idea to frag the part that doesn't have xenias on it just to be sure.

Mac
 
JeepersReefers

JeepersReefers

Member
The zoos have been in captivity for almost a year now, but the xenia just exploded with in the last few weeks. Ill try the low ph bag tonight then. ill leave the zoos quarinteened for a while to see if some thing happens.

Thanks for the advise
 
R

RanRoc

Member
Do you dose your tank with CaCL? I've read that this may have a depressing effect on Xenia. As a matter of fact, when I used to dose my tank with 2-part solutions (ie, one had CaCL) about a year ago, all my Xenia died. Don't know if that works for everyone. I don't use 2-part solutions anymore. HTH.
-RY
 
R

RanRoc

Member
Originally posted by JeepersReefers
I just use a kalk mix right now but i do have the b-ionic mix siting right next to the tank. wonder if that works????
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I'm thinking that it's not just a one shot deal. I think that it has to be steady use, enough of it has to accumulated in the tank for it to be effective. In other words, you may have to dose it regularly for a while. That's what happened with my tank. I was using a 2-part for several months, then when I added Xenia, they lasted for about 2 weeks before they stopped pulsing and melted away. HTH.
-RY
 
jks1

jks1

Member
dont mean to steal the thread but was contemplating removing some Xenia myself. Teri- this "peeling" method- just grab the stalk and pull it away from the rock? I was going to sell some back to the LFS so I dont want to kill it but want to remove a good portion of it. My original intent was to snip it off at the base with scissors and attach with toothpics to a rubble piece- Do you think the peel method would be better than sniping?
 
JeepersReefers

JeepersReefers

Member
If they are large enough then, yes. I did that hundreds of times with my pulsing xenia they recoverd quicker and had a beter survival rate than cutting them. Id do the same but they are too small and in places i cat peel them off of.
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Yeah, what Jeepers said. I always found Xenia to be pretty resilient .... I've peeled it, snipped it, sliced it, tore it, it never seemed to mind.

Peeling is a good option if you want to remove it from where it is. Just get a decent grasp near the base, and pull slowly. It takes some practice, but isn't too difficult. Some types are easier to peel than others.

HTH,
 
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