xenia

[hermit]

any reefer out there can help me understand more on the basic of keeping xenia?

just brought a rock but dunno whether it can servive anot!

just want to know more on how to keep them......................

[Alvin Tan]

xenia requires high current...so place it at a location where there is strong current in your tank..

[sunny03]

any reefer out there can help me understand more on the basic of keeping xenia?

just brought a rock but dunno whether it can servive anot!

just want to know more on how to keep them......................

bro frag a pcs for me can hahaha

just in case ur die still have mine here

[hermit]

bro frag a pcs for me can hahaha

just in case ur die still have mine here

hahahah..................no problem bro....

u make me go ter one mah.....!

up till now the coral still never pulsing abt lor

[Kelmen]

Will it survive in tank without chiller? Like about 28 - 30 Celcius.

[hotlemond]

30 degrees abit high leh. can try to bring it down to 28 with fan?

current is important lor

[ozy]

I placed mine near the overflow box area, seems to be doing fine so far for 2 weeks. A bit early to say, but I am dosing iodine regularly as indicated by most literatures. Hope it can last.

[Tigger]

Does yr Xenia "Pump"

[Travy]

Just to share my experience...

Mine 2 rock didnt ok for abt 3 weeks... Even started spreading to the adj rocks.

But then after, slowly slow off. The turn brown and just crumble away...

Found this huge feathery white nudi "abt 1" in length" Grazing on them... Removed it but somehow too late to save them.

The rest of the colony which is not affected by the nudi somehow still turn brown and rot away... Place it in a good flow area, didnt dose iodine though. Could it be i over skimmed my tank?

Heard that some softies, in fact a marority of sofies need somewhat higher nutrients laden water to thrive.

[Kelmen]

I read that xenia shipment should be handled in a special package, called rafting. To avoid the polyn touching the bag, and hang upside-down.

Do you receive your xenia in such packaging?

[Kelmen]

Just come across a thread about Xenia in RC, very hilarious:

CrystalAZ:

...It can attach to a new surface VERY quickly (a local friend had a trapped hermit crab - the hermit had been chilling out on a rock and the xenia next to him attached to his shell!)...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=612356

[Melvyn Tan]

Does yr Xenia "Pump"

If it pumps it is called "Pumping Xenia" it it does not then it is "Swaying Xenia". One previous colony i have pumps...in a matter of a few days my angel ate it

[blueheaven]

Actually, the pumping action of xenia is not quite an accurate to differentiate its species. I had a friend whose xenia stopped pumping when his pH went up to 8.5 and resumed the pumping action when the pH dropped. Interesting huh?

[iantoh]

hi all,

agree with blueheaven that the pulsing action of xenias is not such an accurate way to speciate a specimen. also, of all the species of xenia available, most of them do pulse, just to varying degrees of speed and animation. some pulse slowly, others quickly, so not a great gauge of species. the best would be the cespitularias with their shining spicules in their tissue but i havent seen any in lfs yet, so anyone know where to get some, pls do share ya.

back to hermits question, i find that xenias thrive best in conditins of high ph (8.2-8.3) and high kh (8-10dkh); everything else being as per normal. i also find that the pulsing activity is most pronounced at high ph levels. ive kept xenia in ph levels of from 8.0 to 8.5 and i find that towards the lower 8.0 levels, pulsing slows. but then again, pulsing is not a definite indication of poor health and ive seen pulsing colonies that dont pulse still grow so its ok. good lighting is another important aspect. for a one foot high tank, 24w HO T5s would be my recommended minimum, with increased lightings for taller tanks. 10000k works fine for me.

also, like most soft corals, even where they are photosynthetic like the xenia, nutrient uptake also occurs through filtration that is facilitated by water uptake as polyps and stems are expanded, and gut analysis of xenias have shown phyto absorbtion so i think some supplemental feedings or a mature reef tank helps their progress.

last thing hermit, if youd like to try xenias, and would like a few frags to see if they do alright in your tank, i'd be happy to give you a few small frags. i think trying out frags is better than buying a colony as it helps ease harvest pressures, so do pm me if youre interested. as for anyone else that might like to swop or buy some xenia frags, pls do pm me and i'll get back to you about it as i can ya. my xenias are pulsing and growing prolifically. i tried to upload some videos previously but cant so if youd like to see the video, you can pm me your email add and i can send it you ya.

cheers everyone,

ian

[FuEl]

No one exactly knows the reason why xenias pulse. Some speculate it's to increase water circulation, others say it's for food capture, some say it's to shield itself from bright lights..the list goes on.

As for the pulsing action, I agree with what iantoh has said about the pH and kH levels. I probably would add photoperiod as a possible reason too. You won't notice your xenia pulsing as much after lights off. pH drop at night might cause this effect too but your pH won't fluctuate alot at optimal kH levels.

[kueytoc]

Please PM me your video of Xenia...in action !

[iantoh]

hi all, im unable to upload or attach the vids on src so you can either access my open briefcase at <http://briefcase.yahoo.com> using the user name: ianmajeur, with the password: password, or you can pm me your email address and i'll send you the video ya. for bro sunny to whom ive emailed the vid, if youre able to upload it somehow, pls help me.

cheers,

ian

[sunny03]

sorry i also have no idea how to upload maybe u can try upload under ur signature

[Kelmen]

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-02/...ature/index.htm

A good article about the Xenia reading.

Obviously, the "pumping" remains as a "myth".

[anakjoh]

I read that xenia shipment should be handled in a special package, called rafting. To avoid the polyn touching the bag, and hang upside-down.

Do you receive your xenia in such packaging?

Your suggestion is not practical lah. Who knows how the lfs receive the xenias? And which lfs would special pack the xenias when it's not expensive stuff?

[Kelmen]

Dunno lah, I read it from the ReefCentral, think is under Anthony subforum some time ago.

Actually LFS here (at MY) did similar way, just not that "professional" lah. Using newspaper as somekind of "form-factor" at bottom.

If the supposed-pumping-Xenia is still pumping in the LFS, then NVM loh, but make sure its packed in proper way on your transit.