Xenia moving?

BigAl07 · 07-15-2007, 09:08 PM

Several months ago I got an AWESOME specimen for Pom-Pom xenia from an RS member (meemo) on a frag disk. I placed this disk right in the middle of the tank in every respect. At first it just pulsed it's heart out right there... then it sort of started getting long and TALL (Only one stalk on the Frag). It just kept getting longer and longer and longer. It looked really cool waving in the current all the time. Then I noticed one day that it was "touching" a rock up next to the water's surface. It just seemed to WANT to be up there literally with air touching it. I then needed to move some things around and realized that the Xenia had attached itself up high to the rocks next to the waters surface. It was still attached to it's original "plug" way down in the tank but also attached up next to the top. I took a chance and "Cut" the main stalk between the plug and it's new attachment location. It sort of "smoked" out of the cut for about 10 seconds (I noticed some of my OTHER corals started "feeding" at this point so it must have smelled/tasted good) and that was it. It never even wilted or stopped pulsing for that matter. After that the plug-stalk withdrew slightly but as of today looks healthy (as healthy as a STALK can look). The other is still at the very TOP of the tank and it seems to be happy.

My question is (bet you've been waiting on this) is......

#1 Is it normal for Pom-Pom Xenia to climb high and expose itself to water-air conditions? I mean when the pumps are off it's exposed to air and even when they are NOT off it gets some air exposure just from current and turbulence....

#2 Has anyone else seen Pom-Pom Xenia travel like this?

#3 Has anyone CUT a Pom-Pom Xenia mid-stalk like this? If so did BOTH parts survive?

#4 How do you FRAG a Pom-Pom Xenia? It's got a central stocky stalk that leads up to many smaller stalks that have the actually "hands" on it that pulse... Can I cut one of those and mount it?

Any ideas?

Allen

woolfe · 07-15-2007, 09:26 PM

Place some rubble or a disk near the base. I usually put it against the flow so the Xenia is being pushed onto it. It will split on it's own when there's something for it to attach to.

lcstorc · 07-15-2007, 10:01 PM

I've had pieces mysteriously appear on a rock some distance from the original colony. Not at all sure how it got there just noticed it one day and both have continued to grow.

BigAl07 · 07-17-2007, 11:09 AM

Just a quick update. The "stub" (the part that's still attached to the original frag plug) withdrew more and got sort of stocky & thick. Over the last day or so it's started looking VERY healthy and now it's "knobby" with what under VERY close observation could be the beginnings of new "tentacles". either that or it's a teenager and acne is kicking in here. Once my camera charges I may try to snap a pic of it.

If that IS the case, I'm going to cut some more of the excess stalk and see how much of it becomes a new plant.

Allen

rebekwl · 07-17-2007, 11:34 AM

I just had my Xenia do this too!! It was attatched to a small pebble when I bought it and has since moved completely from the pebble to the rock I had the pebble sitting on. It's only aboput an inch higher in the tank then it was though, so it's not anywhere cliose to the air. I was hoping that part of the stalk would stay on the small rock pebble, but it finally detatched completely a few days ago. Pretty neato!

vdituri · 07-17-2007, 11:39 AM

My pulsing zenia moved up the rock, very close to the surface and seems quite happy. When it did so it split into two colonies as it moved. I just let it split on its own. I do believe though that they occasionally will drop a hand or part of a stalk and it gets blown to a new home to start a new colony.
Haven't seen it yet, but did have it happen with my yellow moon polyps.

rebekwl · 07-17-2007, 12:20 PM

Just found this pic of my xenia "relocating", thought you might appreciate it...

Triggerjay · 07-18-2007, 01:14 AM

same thing mine is doing.. It is nearing my frogspawn... my tank is so crowded at the moment, I have no other place for it..I need to get the 125 up.. lol

Jason

goldenmean · 07-18-2007, 08:00 AM

Xenia reminds me of the broomsticks in Disney's Fantasia
You know- Mickey mouse in the Sorcerer's Apprentice.
The more Mickey chopped up that hexed broomstick the more brooms he got.

kyle1284 · 07-18-2007, 11:23 AM

i had ONE decent sized stalk and now its about 25 small stocks that are growin like crazy... gonna be doing some trimming soon enough though...

Seasalt Dreams · 07-18-2007, 11:28 PM

Mine climbs up the rocks all the time, it never stops. Here is an older pic of one "walking" up the rocks.

BigAl07 · 07-19-2007, 09:12 AM

That's EXACTLY what mind looks (or looked) like! Thanks for the pic.

As of this morning it appears that the new separated "nub" is indeed going to be a whole new stalk in itself. It's lil "bumps" now look like they are sprouting into small "hands. I'll post back in a couple of days.

Allen

Seasalt Dreams · 07-19-2007, 11:57 AM

I have it growing all over the back glass of my tank now, its working its way up to the top of the tank in 3 different spots.

BigAl07 · 07-20-2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl07

#3 Has anyone CUT a Pom-Pom Xenia mid-stalk like this? If so did BOTH parts survive?

#4 How do you FRAG a Pom-Pom Xenia? It's got a central stocky stalk that leads up to many smaller stalks that have the actually "hands" on it that pulse... Can I cut one of those and mount it?

Well as of this morning it's official! The little "bud" on the original frag disk IS indeed sprouting tiny Xenia hands. Not just from the cut area but the entire outside of it is sprouting these hands. That's freaking SWEET man!

There is another "narrowing" section up ON the LR that I think I will "snip" like the first and let it attempt to do the same.

Allen

(doing My Happy Dance)

bluespotjawfish · 07-20-2007, 08:38 AM

If you don't want it crawling up the rocks, place it high in the tank. Make sure it is surrounded by smaller rocks that you can remove (take your frags and sell them or give them away). Make sure the waterflow does not aim it down the rocks. I have found that I like mine on the bottom of the tank. I place a separate rock in the sand in the front. Then I lean a few smaller rocks around it to give them something to grow on. Once they attach to the smaller rocks, I slice it with a razor blade and then I can then sell or give away the frag. They don't touch any other rock or coral in the tank. So far this process as worked the best for me. My biggest xenia is actually one of my frags but the closest rock to it has frogspawn on it, so it stays contained. I try and keep it fragged enough that it doesn't encroach on the frogspawn.

07-15-2007, 09:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Xenia moving? Several months ago I got an AWESOME specimen for Pom-Pom xenia from an RS member (meemo) on a frag disk. I placed this disk right in the middle of the tank in every respect. At first it just pulsed it's heart out right there... then it sort of started getting long and TALL (Only one stalk on the Frag). It just kept getting longer and longer and longer. It looked really cool waving in the current all the time. Then I noticed one day that it was "touching" a rock up next to the water's surface. It just seemed to WANT to be up there literally with air touching it. I then needed to move some things around and realized that the Xenia had attached itself up high to the rocks next to the waters surface. It was still attached to it's original "plug" way down in the tank but also attached up next to the top. I took a chance and "Cut" the main stalk between the plug and it's new attachment location. It sort of "smoked" out of the cut for about 10 seconds (I noticed some of my OTHER corals started "feeding" at this point so it must have smelled/tasted good) and that was it. It never even wilted or stopped pulsing for that matter. After that the plug-stalk withdrew slightly but as of today looks healthy (as healthy as a STALK can look). The other is still at the very TOP of the tank and it seems to be happy. My question is (bet you've been waiting on this) is...... #1 Is it normal for Pom-Pom Xenia to climb high and expose itself to water-air conditions? I mean when the pumps are off it's exposed to air and even when they are NOT off it gets some air exposure just from current and turbulence.... #2 Has anyone else seen Pom-Pom Xenia travel like this? #3 Has anyone CUT a Pom-Pom Xenia mid-stalk like this? If so did BOTH parts survive? #4 How do you FRAG a Pom-Pom Xenia? It's got a central stocky stalk that leads up to many smaller stalks that have the actually "hands" on it that pulse... Can I cut one of those and mount it? Any ideas? Allen __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

07-15-2007, 09:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
woolfe Sea Pen Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 331 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Xenia moving? Place some rubble or a disk near the base. I usually put it against the flow so the Xenia is being pushed onto it. It will split on it's own when there's something for it to attach to. __________________ Wendy 90 gal reef w/ a 29 gal seahorse tank connected. 30 gal. nano w/ Maroons

07-15-2007, 10:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Xenia moving? I've had pieces mysteriously appear on a rock some distance from the original colony. Not at all sure how it got there just noticed it one day and both have continued to grow. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

07-17-2007, 11:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Xenia moving? Just a quick update. The "stub" (the part that's still attached to the original frag plug) withdrew more and got sort of stocky & thick. Over the last day or so it's started looking VERY healthy and now it's "knobby" with what under VERY close observation could be the beginnings of new "tentacles". either that or it's a teenager and acne is kicking in here. Once my camera charges I may try to snap a pic of it. If that IS the case, I'm going to cut some more of the excess stalk and see how much of it becomes a new plant. Allen __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

07-17-2007, 11:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
rebekwl Achilles Tang Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Utah Posts: 846 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Xenia moving? I just had my Xenia do this too!! It was attatched to a small pebble when I bought it and has since moved completely from the pebble to the rock I had the pebble sitting on. It's only aboput an inch higher in the tank then it was though, so it's not anywhere cliose to the air. I was hoping that part of the stalk would stay on the small rock pebble, but it finally detatched completely a few days ago. Pretty neato! __________________ Rebekah Member of: Snails Are Stupid Society 90 Gallon Display w/ 2-3" LS & 100-120 lbs. LR. 20 Gal sump w/fuge that has 4" sand, LR and rubble, and Chaeto. CUC - Lots of assorted snails, 3 conchs, Serpent Starfish, Hermit Crabs, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, 2 Sand Sifting Starfish (I think that's it). Fish - Bi-Color Blenny, Orange Spotted Prawn Goby, Scooter Blenny, Clarkii Clownfish, Yellow Watchman Goby, Fiji Devil Damsel, Tomini Tang, Sailfin Tang, Lawnmower Blenny, and Pink Skunk Clown. Corals/inverts - Pink Branching Hammer Coral, Green Branching Hammer Coral, Torch Coral, Frogspawn, Bubble Coral, Neon Green Fungia, Green Star Polyps, Cup Mushroom, Green Candy Cane, Kenya Tree, Pom Pom Xenia, Toadstool Leather, Finger Leather, Devil's Hand Leather, LOTS of shrooms (red, green, blue), Orange Sponge, Green Monti Plate, Brown Gorgonian, Blundell Buttons, Flower Pot, Zoanthids, Palys, Green BTA

07-17-2007, 11:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 6,244 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Xenia moving? My pulsing zenia moved up the rock, very close to the surface and seems quite happy. When it did so it split into two colonies as it moved. I just let it split on its own. I do believe though that they occasionally will drop a hand or part of a stalk and it gets blown to a new home to start a new colony. Haven't seen it yet, but did have it happen with my yellow moon polyps. __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

07-18-2007, 01:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
Triggerjay Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Springfield MO Posts: 2,071 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Xenia moving? same thing mine is doing.. It is nearing my frogspawn... my tank is so crowded at the moment, I have no other place for it..I need to get the 125 up.. lol Jason __________________ The start of my journey: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...xperience.html My current journey: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ld-thread.html My clownfish breeding log: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ne-fishes.html

07-18-2007, 11:23 AM	#10 (permalink)
kyle1284 Elegance coral Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Huntsville, TX Posts: 1,061 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Xenia moving? i had ONE decent sized stalk and now its about 25 small stocks that are growin like crazy... gonna be doing some trimming soon enough though... __________________ KYLE 75 Gal 110 Lbs Live Rock 40 Lbs of live sand Equiptment:48 Inch 4x54 T-5 true blue and 10000k lights, 2 fuvual 305 Canister Filters Mis. Mushrooms, Fan Worms, hammer coral, frog spawn, candy cane, A TON OF TRUMPET CORAL!! orange plating monti, some kind of branching monti, pom pom xeina, all kinds of zoos BRIGHT GREEN star polyps, xeina, neon green toadstool, 3 damn damsles, a foxface and a blue tang. November 1...The begining! http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../random045.jpg November 8,2008 http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ristina034.jpg My 75 GALLON BAR TOP REEF TANK! http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...n-bar-top.html

07-18-2007, 11:28 PM	#11 (permalink)
Seasalt Dreams Midas Blenny Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 99 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Xenia moving? Mine climbs up the rocks all the time, it never stops. Here is an older pic of one "walking" up the rocks.

07-19-2007, 09:12 AM	#12 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Xenia moving? That's EXACTLY what mind looks (or looked) like! Thanks for the pic. As of this morning it appears that the new separated "nub" is indeed going to be a whole new stalk in itself. It's lil "bumps" now look like they are sprouting into small "hands. I'll post back in a couple of days. Allen __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

07-19-2007, 11:57 AM	#13 (permalink)
Seasalt Dreams Midas Blenny Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 99 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Xenia moving? I have it growing all over the back glass of my tank now, its working its way up to the top of the tank in 3 different spots.

07-20-2007, 08:38 AM	#15 (permalink)
bluespotjawfish Tridacna maxima Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Utah Posts: 4,943 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Xenia moving? If you don't want it crawling up the rocks, place it high in the tank. Make sure it is surrounded by smaller rocks that you can remove (take your frags and sell them or give them away). Make sure the waterflow does not aim it down the rocks. I have found that I like mine on the bottom of the tank. I place a separate rock in the sand in the front. Then I lean a few smaller rocks around it to give them something to grow on. Once they attach to the smaller rocks, I slice it with a razor blade and then I can then sell or give away the frag. They don't touch any other rock or coral in the tank. So far this process as worked the best for me. My biggest xenia is actually one of my frags but the closest rock to it has frogspawn on it, so it stays contained. I try and keep it fragged enough that it doesn't encroach on the frogspawn. __________________ Lorraine To BB and all Bluespots - Journey of the 2nd Year ...The 2nd Year - Photoshow Check out Mr. BJ and friends... Mr. BJ's Aquarium - PhotoShow Please Donate to the American Cancer Society: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/lorrainerichards

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