Just how hardy are xenias?

FishAreFriends2 · 08/18/2007, 10:01 AM

My water quality is not top notch and my lighting isnt all that great, but I was reading around and alot of people suggested xenias being easy. So how easy are they? How much flow do they need? I have a 55 gallon with some low lighting pcs. Water quality isnt all that good. So how hardy are they?

theatrus · 08/18/2007, 10:49 AM

Xenias are one of those corals that like dirtier nitrate-laden (to a point

) water. Some people have major problems with them though. It wouldn't hurt trying some Xenia.

FishAreFriends2 · 08/18/2007, 10:54 AM

What about crappy lighting say a 96watt pc light? I once got a banged up frag of xenias where the rock was crushing it in the bag and after two days it melted. Could it be the rock crushing it?

siropa · 08/18/2007, 10:59 AM

I kept a wide variety of corals over the years, almost all with huge success. the one that never lives for me is xenia. I like to think its that my water is too clean

but you see people with awesome tanks that have it. i've given up on it after the last one I had. had a piece that I had for maybe 5 months and it was thriving and growing. it had probably gotten 4x the size when I had it. one day it looked a bit off and the next day it was melted away. I hate that coral.

vessxpress1 · 08/18/2007, 11:02 AM

Xenias are hit and miss. As has been said a thousand times on here, they will either take over your tank or do poorly and melt away. And nobody knows why.
I have four 4x39 w T-5s, 0 nitrates, 0.008 phosphate, and my xenia are on the bottom of the tank with moderate to heavy flow and they're doing great. IME, they will thrive in any flow. Less flow and you can see them pulse better.

I've had mine for a long time and have made good money selling and trading frags in. They are absolutely unkillable in my tank and I just recently got them under control. I have one colony isolated on the bottom now so they don't take over again. I usually put a rock or two by them and within a couple months have new, large clusters of xenia to trade in. HTH

The Reefer91 · 08/18/2007, 11:36 AM

i think it is a hit or miss. i originally got two pieces of xenia, but one of them melted away for no apparent reason, yet the other stalks has no multiplied abundantly. just remember they can get out of control. in the coarse of 5 months, my 1 stalk of xenia has turned to 34!

mwwhite · 08/18/2007, 12:04 PM

They are absolutely unkillable in my tank

Ditto

Yinepu · 08/18/2007, 12:38 PM

I've found that if the dkh goes below 7 it will cause them to melt. they also start to suffer when the ph drops below 8.3

08/18/2007, 10:01 AM	#1
FishAreFriends2 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,163	Just how hardy are xenias? My water quality is not top notch and my lighting isnt all that great, but I was reading around and alot of people suggested xenias being easy. So how easy are they? How much flow do they need? I have a 55 gallon with some low lighting pcs. Water quality isnt all that good. So how hardy are they?

08/18/2007, 10:49 AM	#2
theatrus 100-mile-commuter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: almost nevada Posts: 4,721	Xenias are one of those corals that like dirtier nitrate-laden (to a point ) water. Some people have major problems with them though. It wouldn't hurt trying some Xenia. __________________ Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics

08/18/2007, 10:59 AM	#4
siropa Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Neenah, WI Posts: 2,502	I kept a wide variety of corals over the years, almost all with huge success. the one that never lives for me is xenia. I like to think its that my water is too clean but you see people with awesome tanks that have it. i've given up on it after the last one I had. had a piece that I had for maybe 5 months and it was thriving and growing. it had probably gotten 4x the size when I had it. one day it looked a bit off and the next day it was melted away. I hate that coral. __________________ See red house for pics. Current Tank Info: 275 reef, 75 FOWLR, 60g frag

08/18/2007, 11:36 AM	#6
The Reefer91 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,250	i think it is a hit or miss. i originally got two pieces of xenia, but one of them melted away for no apparent reason, yet the other stalks has no multiplied abundantly. just remember they can get out of control. in the coarse of 5 months, my 1 stalk of xenia has turned to 34! __________________ Dan "Every day we fade little by little, 'till there's nothing left of us but the lies we've sown." Current Tank Info: 20g L display: 2x65watt Coralife light, Octopus 150 needle wheel protein skimmer, 1 Koralia 2 and 2 powersweeps, and a DIY sump/fuge.....120G in the works!!!

08/18/2007, 10:54 AM	#3
FishAreFriends2 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,163	What about crappy lighting say a 96watt pc light? I once got a banged up frag of xenias where the rock was crushing it in the bag and after two days it melted. Could it be the rock crushing it?

08/18/2007, 11:02 AM	#5
vessxpress1 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NW IL Posts: 1,603	Xenias are hit and miss. As has been said a thousand times on here, they will either take over your tank or do poorly and melt away. And nobody knows why. I have four 4x39 w T-5s, 0 nitrates, 0.008 phosphate, and my xenia are on the bottom of the tank with moderate to heavy flow and they're doing great. IME, they will thrive in any flow. Less flow and you can see them pulse better. I've had mine for a long time and have made good money selling and trading frags in. They are absolutely unkillable in my tank and I just recently got them under control. I have one colony isolated on the bottom now so they don't take over again. I usually put a rock or two by them and within a couple months have new, large clusters of xenia to trade in. HTH

08/18/2007, 12:04 PM	#7
mwwhite Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 690	They are absolutely unkillable in my tank Ditto

08/18/2007, 12:38 PM	#8
Yinepu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: in a fish bowl Posts: 146	I've found that if the dkh goes below 7 it will cause them to melt. they also start to suffer when the ph drops below 8.3