Xenia for nutrient export?

Rhinecanthus · 04/29/2006, 11:35 PM

Anyone have any idea how good xenia is for nutrient export?

Im sick of brittle cheato and sexual macro!

Im going to get some eggcrate and make a little xenia farm in my fuge.

Anyone know how well it works?

Thanks!

exoticaquatix · 04/30/2006, 01:09 AM

i think GARF has done some work with xenia filters. ill look and get back to you. its late, might be tomorrow. all i know from personal experiance is that when i added an automatic feeder to my tank my xenia took off. i can only assume this is because the input of nutrients went up considerably.
-nick

Rhinecanthus · 04/30/2006, 11:20 AM

Yeah...I have always had xenia grow like mad when I felt I wasnt taking care of the tank well enough!

I will poke around GARF and see what I can find.

I want to say that there was actually an article on this somewhere not too long ago but I can seem to remember where.

moonpod · 04/30/2006, 02:11 PM

It works but it's not considered all that effecient. However the kicker is that its pretty easy to sell to LFS so its a potential hobby income supplement. IF xenioa grows well on you system then use a tray woith rubble and some of the nicer (blue, red sea, etc) species and subsidize the hobby

Rhinecanthus · 04/30/2006, 02:51 PM

I just came across this article:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-1...ture/index.php

It actually conludes that xenia is the best export mechanism on a pound for pound basis.

It sucks up more nitrogen and phosphorous than caulepra, but comes at a cost that it uses more calcium.

I can add more calcium to the system, thats not a problem.

So I guess I found my answer...xenia refugium it is!

moonpod · 04/30/2006, 04:05 PM

Interesting article. Its funny though b/c I've seen systems that get overrun by xenia, but others where the stuff just doesn't grow well though other things do. And others where it's in between. No rhyme or reason. But now I'm gonna try growing some more in my sump....

04/29/2006, 11:35 PM	#1
Rhinecanthus Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 647	Xenia for nutrient export? Anyone have any idea how good xenia is for nutrient export? Im sick of brittle cheato and sexual macro! Im going to get some eggcrate and make a little xenia farm in my fuge. Anyone know how well it works? Thanks!

04/30/2006, 01:09 AM	#2
exoticaquatix Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: baltimore, MD Posts: 536	i think GARF has done some work with xenia filters. ill look and get back to you. its late, might be tomorrow. all i know from personal experiance is that when i added an automatic feeder to my tank my xenia took off. i can only assume this is because the input of nutrients went up considerably. -nick __________________ This dude either has two glass eyes or he's wearing his patch on the wrong sa-sa-sa-side. -Aesop Current Tank Info: 120gal 500w MH 10K XMs 30g sump, MSX-200 skimmer, vortech MP40w and Tunze nanostreams; 9 gal, 29gal FW planted tanks

04/30/2006, 02:11 PM	#4
moonpod Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: B.H., Los Angeles Posts: 13,053	It works but it's not considered all that effecient. However the kicker is that its pretty easy to sell to LFS so its a potential hobby income supplement. IF xenioa grows well on you system then use a tray woith rubble and some of the nicer (blue, red sea, etc) species and subsidize the hobby __________________ Excuses are just the nails for the house of failure. Current Tank Info: 32" Leemar starfire cube now empty and not quite so stinky

04/30/2006, 04:05 PM	#6
moonpod Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: B.H., Los Angeles Posts: 13,053	Interesting article. Its funny though b/c I've seen systems that get overrun by xenia, but others where the stuff just doesn't grow well though other things do. And others where it's in between. No rhyme or reason. But now I'm gonna try growing some more in my sump.... __________________ Excuses are just the nails for the house of failure. Current Tank Info: 32" Leemar starfire cube now empty and not quite so stinky

04/30/2006, 11:20 AM	#3
Rhinecanthus Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 647	Yeah...I have always had xenia grow like mad when I felt I wasnt taking care of the tank well enough! I will poke around GARF and see what I can find. I want to say that there was actually an article on this somewhere not too long ago but I can seem to remember where.

04/30/2006, 02:51 PM	#5
Rhinecanthus Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 647	I just came across this article: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-1...ture/index.php It actually conludes that xenia is the best export mechanism on a pound for pound basis. It sucks up more nitrogen and phosphorous than caulepra, but comes at a cost that it uses more calcium. I can add more calcium to the system, thats not a problem. So I guess I found my answer...xenia refugium it is!