Xenia going going gone?

[jimeluiz]

In December we introduced a white pulsing Xenia into our tank. It was about the size of a fist (and came with a super-cute Xenia crab hitchiker tucked inside). It seemed to thrive.

About one month ago things changed and slowly - slowly it started to reduce in size. It looks 'healthy' still opening up during the day and pulsing away. But shrinking.

Now it is the size of a thumb.

Water has been and continues to be stable with parameters right on the mark. All other creatures happy.

After asking in several places I have been adding Iodine, about 10 - 12 drops/day for about two weeks. No change.

At this rate the tiny white crab will be without a home in another week or two.

Fresh ideas?

[Travis]

Always a tough one with xenia. Can you post your water params? Especially SG, pH, alk, iodine (you are testing right? ) and phosphate.

What kind of flow has it been under? You might try the opposite... in other words if it was under high flow, go low. If it was in low flow, go high(er).

Xenia seems really fickle. Some like high flow, some low, some high light, some low, etc, etc.

[jimeluiz]

On 6/12 (I test again later today...)
pH 8.1
Temp 78
SG 1.026
NO3 1mg/L
NO2 0
NH4 <.5
PO4 0
CA 460
KH/Alk 10.9 dkH
Iodine - no reading

We did move it from a high flow area to a lower flow area, no change as yet.

Thanks for giving it some thought.

[nigle]

Oi!

Don't take it personally, xenia is strange. It lives; it dies; it takes over your tank; it kills your tank; it doesn't change for years.

I'm not going to be the first one to say something like this, but I had xenia of 2 types long ago, did well then one day I cracked open a 'concrete rock' [not knowig it was concrete], and the xenia [both] died before my eyes, it took just minutes. I bought more xenia a year later, it grew like a weed taking over almost half of the glass on one side of my tank, in three days it was gone. I have another piece now, it hasen't done a thing since I bought it 3 months ago.

Strange stuff.

Cheers!
nigle
!~!

[jimeluiz]

My heart goes out to our poor little xenia crab. He's gonna be homeless...

It will be interesting to see what he does. These days he looks out from his disappearing hiding spot with nervous eyes.

[Travis]

Might try raising your temp to 80, see if you can get the pH up a bit as well. I seem to remember theories about them being sensitive to lower pH.

Another tactic? Get some more xenia. The new colony might just prosper under the same conditions.

[cheeks69]

My xenia stopped pulsating and seemed to be reaching for the light when it was under PC's, then I got Halide and I put it about 2 feet from the light with good flow and they are pulsating like never before and look great. I would move it around and see how it does maybe it's just unhappy where it is. HTH

[Curtswearing]

I agree with everyone above. Xenia can be quite weird. I did want to warn you about the iodine though. If you get too much in your tank, you won't have a tank anymore. Iodine in reef aquaria

[SeaShel]

I have xenia that moves to wherever it feels like going.
I started it three months ago on the bottom of a reef tank with very stron current and lighting. It apparently wanted more. It has literally climbed to the top of my highest rock. It is pushed by current constantly and sits directly under one of my metal halides.
It has also nearly tripled in size in the last 3 months.
I agree that they are strange critters!

[sincityreefer]

yes i will jump on the bandwagon of xenia being wired.. Ive had 3 types, 2 of them seemd to do fine for about a week, then melted in about 20hrs.... but now i have a colony that is doing great, pulsing like crazy and growing. and nothing is different, same tank, same params, but 2 died, 1 is flourishing. hard to tell... i support the get more xenia idea! your crab will love you for it.

[jimeluiz]

Thanks all. Yeah, Curstwearing, the iodine dosing feels like a tight rope walk. Thanks for the link. I think I'm going to give it up (now that the coral is all but gone...)

Great advice to get another xenia so the crab can upgrade its cramped studio for a spaciaous one-bedroom.

This episode has me again shaking my head about how little we seem to know about the critters we keep. No clear direction/information. I don't mind the learning curve, but I'm frustrated that the consequences are the loss of life in my tank.