Beginner Corals: Pulsing Xenia

[DanConnor]

There is a species of Xenia that grows slowly and I think is safe to put in a reef. It can be called giant xenia, or thick-stemmed xenia. Grows slowly, pulsates fast, and has a thick trunk like a tree with a big round head of polyps on top. Could be a Heteroxenia but have no idea. Really beautiful, imo.

 

[bing_ph]

great read! adds more knowledge for a newbie like me ....

 

[Chessmanmark]

While this is true (and I personally love them) they are best suited for a softy only tank. I had them take over 1/2 of my old 125g (in 4 months!] and had to give it away along with all the rock it was on.

I love Xenia. It was the second coral I ever bought. The pulsing is beautiful.

That being said it can become problematic in an SPS tank. It's a fallacy to think that you can isolate it. It is my Achilles heel. I always have it in my tank, but it can become a pest similar to aiptasia. I started with it on a shelf made from eggcrate at the top of my tank due to prior experience with it. Generally it will grow toward the top of the tank and if it's on the glass it is simple to scrap off and remove. The problem I experienced is that when fish bite it, or "scuffle" next to it, little pieces go floating off into your tank and start popping up in places where you don't want it, like next to an acro.

One of the most difficult challenges when growing out your reef is predicting how it will look in a couple of years. Removing Xenia from your tank may be a bigger problem than you can anticipate.

Yes, it is hypnotic, but be careful or it can become invasive.

 

[zieg9479]

Thanks for the write-up. I might just have to put a xenia on a snail now..

So I have a softie/lps tank. I have a rock filled with mushroom and red-sea xenia. For a few months the xenia were confined to that rock (in a low flow area). Now xenia are popping up here and there (partly due to me, partly due to others). These coral are incredibly tough. I have three examples:
(1) I fragged them by putting them in little medicine syrup cups with ruble in them. After I take a clipping I place them in the cup waiting for them to attach. I've even had the xenia attach to the cup where I then scrape it off to let it try to attach to rubble again. Somehow, I end up having that original frag attach successfully on the second try and then end up with a few babies popping up where the xenia had attached to the cup! I wish I could get a 3-for-1 (4-for-1 really when you consider the originally fragging location survives) on other corals when fragging.
(2) The xenia are being smothered out by my 6" mushrooms and eaten heavily by crabs. They sprout right back and end up migrating away from the mushrooms. super tough
(3) My first xenia individual has not propagated but is durable (had it for 9 mo). At one point it was in front of a 800gph pump. It dissolved it's arms but persisted (It has since moved mass from the stalk to tentacles so it's squatty).

I also have some sympodium and anthelia that are just as tough.
I can only say I have one bad experience and that was on me. I had just brought home some other species of xenia (resembled pom pom xenia but with long long arms..elongata?), a few individuals on a pvc. I scraped them off the next day and they melted. Perhaps too soon after acclimation. Anyway, my xenia have done well despite my pestering them. I now think my hermit crabs like to play tricks on me because I find individual GSP and xenia polyps in the weirdest of places.

 

[Paul lynch]

What fish will eat these?!?!? Tank is completely covered!

 

[melypr1985]

What fish will eat these?!?!? Tank is completely covered!

Puffers might and Angels too

 

[Will Milberger]

Great article! What are some other beginners?
These are in my tank right now:

 

[melypr1985]

Great article! What are some other beginners?
These are in my tank right now:

Great tank! I plan to write a series of articles on beginner corals, but for now Most leathers like toadstools, finger leathers, crown and cabbage leathers are all easy. Zoas are mostly easy. There are some LPS that are pretty easy as well like Candy Canes, frogspawn, hammers and torches... though these require a bit more attention than the rest they are pretty forgiving.

 

[40B Knasty]

1)Candy cane or trumpet
2)Frogspawn
3)Torch (maybe frogspawn)
Others to consider Hammer, zoanthids(which I seen you have), green star polyps.
Basically these are corals you will not have to dose with. Simple weekly water changes.

 

[skybears]

These articles are just amazing and I can't stop following you I've started making files of the wonderful work that you've got out so I can keep referencing back. I can't thank you enough for the time and dedication you put into this

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

I would be happy to take some pulsing Xenia or any other frags anyone would want to get rid of, be more than happy to pay shipping

 

[40B Knasty]

I am not the best fragger. Plus I love my corals to much to damage them in anyway. If you are anywhere near CT. March 11th. There is a frag show in Storrs, CT. 60 venders! You will find a ton of corals there.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

I had a frag in my old old biocube. Once i tore it down there was a patch in with my pump in the back. This stuff spreads!!!

 

[Fin]

Good informative article. I am still partial to what we used to call "PomPom" Xenia. Single stalk and not quite as invasive. While I no longer keep it at the moment, I might in the future, if I can come across the right kind. I had some in my old 75 that I started in '99. When I had visitors to my home, they were always drawn to aquarium and their focus usually went to the pulsing of the xenia.

 

[lauderdalestunner]

These beginner corals are quite rewarding to most. The red monti cap and Hollywood stunner chalice, green star and Xenia can all be very beautiful in my opinion if kept in check.
My scrolling monti and stunner always impress visitors and I my self like the see the slow motion battle of shade and stings and the mature look of a large colony.

 

[govolsguy31]

Great article @melypr1985

 

[Troy V]

I enjoyed reading your article, and thank you for using my Xenia Refugium as an example. I think many people overlook the effectiveness of Xenia as an effective nutrient exporter. I have used this as my primary filtration for over a decade. That means NO skimmer to clean, NO added power needed for the skimmer pump, and NO risk of the skimmer overflowing. However it does take time to gradually wean your system off a skimmer. It took me several months to do it. But like many have said don't get it in your DT.

 

[stevo01]

I enjoyed reading your article, and thank you for using my Xenia Refugium as an example. I think many people overlook the effectiveness of Xenia as an effective nutrient exporter. I have used this as my primary filtration for over a decade. That means NO skimmer to clean, NO added power needed for the skimmer pump, and NO risk of the skimmer overflowing. However it does take time to gradually wean your system off a skimmer. It took me several months to do it. But like many have said don't get it in your DT.

Awesome! I'm currently using brown star polyps in my sump for the same reason.

 

[Troy V]

Awesome! I'm currently using brown star polyps in my sump for the same reason.

Very cool!! Do you have any pics of your DT and refugium?

 

[DRoth335]

Great article. I have always been a fan of xenia but have also been wary of it in a display. So, we have xenia in our sump. I started it as an experiment after reading a post on RC and have been impressed with its nutrient export capabilities. Over the course of about 6 months the macro algae (chaeto and calurpa) gradually disappeared as it got out-competed by the xenia for nutrients.

Here is a pic from a few months ago.