Xenia Refugium

BBoley24 · Jan 30, 2013

So what happens to the crap that hits the bottom of the tank? Can you clean it without ticking off the xenia?

Troy V · Jan 30, 2013

Pkunk35 said:
Wow i am ridiculously impressed with your system. The 30gal xenia filter is pretty money. Uh and so is the MEGA clam!

So can i ask you what you feed and how much? I'm curious to know just how fast the xenia are multiplying and taking up the dissolved organics.

And you do not run a skimmer?

-I feed a 2"x2" square of Rods Complete food every other day, and a tablespoon of a mixture of Reefroids and decapsulated brineshrimp eggs on the days I don't feed the fish.
-The Xenia will multiply when needed to fill the nutrient void. Growth is more of an ebb and flow, sometime it will grow very slowly and other times, like during the summer months it will reproduce very rapidly. This could be due to the increased heat and metabolism of the system.
-I have 2 skimmers attached to the system both 6"x30"-one beckett and one needle wheel. However, I only use the beckett for aeration and water changes, and the needle wheel only pulls about a pint a week. When the fuge is in full control I will get virtually zero skimmate.

The video was incredible btw, i have to admit i laughed when the music started but it does seem fitting. :wink:

edit: do you need to supplement iodine at all?

-I am a huge fan of Andy Williams, I made this right after his death...
-I've tried adding iodine, and I didn't see much of a difference, so I stopped using it. Besides IMHO if the balance cannot be achieved with what is already in the system, what good is it. It must be natural, not dependent on a particular trace element. I want the nurients to feed it, not the iodine.

andip3 said:
wow that is really awesome, I love looking at all the stuff people come up with : ) thanks for posting

-Thank you
-It still amazes me how many ways you can approach this hobby.... Gotta love mother nature

grumpy-crab said:
This would be ideal to run with my ATS sense only DOCs remain. Ive been running pura carbon every few months to remove the DOCs. So this is definitely going to be worth looking into more. Thank you for this.

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-I would be very curious to see the out come of having both. I have a very hard time growing macro algae in my fuge. The only time it will grow is when something dies, feed heavily, or my clams spawn. However eventually the Xenia seems to out compete the algae everytime.

thejoshdavis said:
That's a heck of an idea. Very cool!

Thank you

BBoley24 said:
So what happens to the crap that hits the bottom of the tank? Can you clean it without ticking off the xenia?

-I have pretty good flow in the tank along with a large hawkwing conch that does a great job of moving things around on the surface of the sandbed.
-Good question: The Xenia will usually wilt for and hour or so, then come back strong. I have yet to experience a crash in over 10 year of doing this.... KNOCKING ON WOOD.

danka-cedium · Jan 30, 2013

neat! always wanted to that, and or an aiptasia fuge. You should upgrade the fuge to a 300g rubbermaid stock tank and see what happens

grumpy-crab · Jan 30, 2013

Troy V said:
-I would be very curious to see the out come of having both. I have a very hard time growing macro algae in my fuge. The only time it will grow is when something dies, feed heavily, or my clams spawn. However eventually the Xenia seems to out compete the algae everytime.

I have the same problem in my setup with the ATS so it seems like they would compete.

danka-cedium said:
neat! always wanted to that, and or an aiptasia fuge. You should upgrade the fuge to a 300g rubbermaid stock tank and see what happens

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Dowtish · Jan 30, 2013

Troy V said:
Thats sounds just like the way I have mine plumbed. Once you find the nutrient equilibrium you will notice excessive feeding = faster Xenia growth, along with some accelerated macro growth, but then once the Xenia fills that nutrient void the macro growth will begin to wane. Same goes for skimmate production....

I don't have plans for many macros, maybe just some chaeto for the pods. Hopefully with the amount I feed the xenia wont shrink it to nothing. What kind of lighting do you use for the xenia and what is your photoperiod?

NanoNathan · Jan 30, 2013

thats amazing !!! great job now i want a fudge like that

J-Dog · Jan 30, 2013

How do u keep the xenia from getting into your DT?

J-Dog · Jan 31, 2013

bumping this up to find out more info

RavePartyReef · Jan 31, 2013

That is beautiful. Nice soundtrack too. I have some frags I was going to give away, since Xenia is a pest in my tank and seems to always come back. Maybe I'll leave themin my sump.
My concern with a sump filled Xenia fuge are iodine levels.. Being that they really need that element, do you dose it to compensate? What corals do you have on the DT? How do you know they export organics from the tank?

Squishie89 · Jan 31, 2013

That is really really cool. And I agree with an earlier comment, very mesmerizing. And, dat clam! Woo wee that is a big one!

Troy V · Jan 31, 2013

danka-cedium said:
neat! always wanted to that, and or an aiptasia fuge. You should upgrade the fuge to a 300g rubbermaid stock tank and see what happens

-I would love to go to a 300g Xenia fuge but I'm not sure my wife would be too happy about that.... I sure would be though

I can't even imagine how to feed a filter that size.

Dowtish said:
I don't have plans for many macros, maybe just some chaeto for the pods. Hopefully with the amount I feed the xenia wont shrink it to nothing. What kind of lighting do you use for the xenia and what is your photoperiod?

- The Xenia fuge houses just as many pods and mysid as a good macro fuge, mine does at least. I wish I had a good enough camera to show you guys but the entire tank floor of the tank is teaming with them.
- 10K 150watt MH-15hr photo cycle.

J-Dog said:
How do u keep the xenia from getting into your DT?

- The way I have my sump and refugiums configured, its about 6 feet away with a bunch of obstacles in the way for it to make it to the return pump.Plus it would need to make it through a needle wheel skimmer and then a Panworld 100pxx to finally make it to the chamber with the return pump. Hasn't happened yet, but if I wait long enough I know life will always find a way.

RavePartyReef said:
That is beautiful. Nice soundtrack too. I have some frags I was going to give away, since Xenia is a pest in my tank and seems to always come back. Maybe I'll leave themin my sump.
My concern with a sump filled Xenia fuge are iodine levels.. Being that they really need that element, do you dose it to compensate? What corals do you have on the DT? How do you know they export organics from the tank?

-Thank you
-I can understand worring about the iodine levels, but then I really haven't seen much of a difference when I do dose... I actually see a bigger improvement when I do a 10 percent water change, and siphon out the detritus that accumulates in my sump. That can become some funky smelling stuff if left unchecked....
-Oregan Tort, Stubber Acro, Joe the coral, Montis: Rainbow, Superman, Digitata (purple, German blue), Hirsuta, Caps(purple rim, orange, Idaho grape, green) Millepora(green and pink) Acans, Green Slimer, Tons of Zoas, FrogSpawn Euphyllia, Branching Euphyllia, Clams(Maxima,Gigas,Derasa) GSP, Favia. Thats all I can think of at the moment. It has a little of everything......