Pulsing Xenia

[orgtizz]

I bought a small piece of Pulsing Xenia in lat Feb., now the stuff is growing like crazy! Does anyone know how to slow it down? If not, can you tell me how to frag it out successfully?

Pic 1 is from today
Pic 2 is from some time in March

[Sardaukar]

The second part answers the first question: If you want to frag xenia and spread it, just try to remove it from your tank. All the little pieces that break apart will turn into new colonies wherever they land

[thegrun]

You can cut if off close to the rock it is attached to with either a knife/xacto blade or scissors. Sometimes you can pull it off the rock. If you want to frag it, I have found the easiest and quickest method is to run a tooth pick through the base of the Xenia and dive it into a hole in the rock or plug you want to attach it to. It usually will attach to the new rock in a day or two at the most.

[orgtizz]

I don't want to put it anywhere else in the tank, I'm looking to keep the colony size down. I want to frag it and prob. give it away. Can it be clipped?

[thegrun]

Yes, I trim mine back all the time. It tends to grow up towards the top of the tank. My LFS gives me a little store credit for the xenia I remove.

[mgdth]

You can just split it with a razor. I use rubber bands to bind then to a small piece of rock. Within a few days, it attaches itself to the rock and the rubber band can be safely removed.

[orgtizz]

Okay so you can cut through the meaty base of the colony without any ill effect to the rest of it?

[footballdude2k3]

i wantt you to read this with an MC hammer tone running through your head, duh nanana naaaa naaa cant kill this, duh nanana naaaa naaaa cant kill this you will be fine, just cut it up and either throw it out, take it to an lfs for credit or try to find enough people that want it from you.

[Namnuta]

If you can, try and isolate it. I have my Xenia and GSP isolated on a kinda rock island so they cant spread anywhere else.

[Fizz71]

+1 on isolation. Xenia is hit or miss..some people can't keep it, some can't kill it.

Keep it someplace perched or isolated in the sand or it will spread like a weed. I kept mine on a large rock head, every time it tried to jump to a neighboring structure I razor bladed it off.

Frag Bought:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...3/DCP_0098.jpg
7 Months Later:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...4/DCP_0080.jpg

[goldmaniac]

I'll trade you some neon GSP or yellow polyps for it.

[johnike]

Surrounding it with mushroom rocks seems to keep it at bay for me.

[orgtizz]

Originally Posted by goldmaniac

I'll trade you some neon GSP or yellow polyps for it.

I can go for a trade... Let me know if you are really interested...

[orgtizz]

Thanks for the help everyone... I feel a little more comfortable with the "issue" now...

[DustinB]

Wow, this stuff grows this fast and most places want $40 for a 1" frag? I think I got into the wrong hobby.

[orgtizz]

I was surprised at the rapid growth. A thought it was great at first, then it started to creep towards one of my polyp rocks. I had to move the rock over so it wouldn't attach. I wish my sps would grow this quick!

[Tuscaquatics]

I've found that as long as the trunk doesn't touch another rock, then it won't really spread. I've managed to keep it at bay by doing this.

[balto777]

LOL, I had to start another tank just to get rid of my xenia. Lesson learned.

[DustinB]

Anyone that has a "problem" with their xenia, I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands.

[mutateddogbone]

if the trunks dont have any rocks to attach to whenever they flop over, they will detach themselves and find a rock. any any part of the xenia still attached to rock after fragging will grow new stalks, only safe way to remove is to remove whole rock or break off parts with xenia with a hammer. i had to do this to my tank not too long ago to keep all of it off my SPS and ended up with a pile of rubble and frags. remove or isolate while you still have a chance!!!!!!

[Swoop]

Originally Posted by Namnuta

If you can, try and isolate it. I have my Xenia and GSP isolated on a kinda rock island so they cant spread anywhere else.

+1

My wife said adding some Pulsing Xenia to my tank was a condition for her approval to buy the tank so I created a rock island and stuck it there, nice and isolated away from any other rocks.

[rbergmandc]

Would you say that Xenia likes light then? to make it grow faster? I have mine almost at the bottom of my 65gallon tank with T5HO CurrentUSA fixture..

I'd love to get it to grow faster? SHould i move it higher in the tank?

[tdwright1971]

i tried to isolate my xenia, after a few months on top of a rock pieces of it started breaking off and floated around making new colonies wherever they landed, then the piece on top of the rock split into 5...

[orgtizz]

Originally Posted by rbergmandc

Would you say that Xenia likes light then? to make it grow faster? I have mine almost at the bottom of my 65gallon tank with T5HO CurrentUSA fixture..

I'd love to get it to grow faster? SHould i move it higher in the tank?

I have some pretty good lighting (2x250watt Mh & 4x54watt T5) and they seem to love it. As you can see they are placed a little low, but they get a good amount of light. Honestly if they are growing slow, I would suggest you leave them there. Once they catch on they start growing like weeds...

[Chris27]

I trim mine back with a pair of barber's scissors - usually once a month I cut about 10 stalks out and give it away. Stuff likes light, mine grows best high up in the tank under halides...