Should I Remove "Ill" Xenia??

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 10:23 AM

After a brief power outage (30 min) yesterday(I wasn't home
to witness), when I got home from work one of my xenias
was noticeably shriveled. It was like they look at first light,
but worse. I 'm almost certain that I saw my flasher wrasse
"thump" it once with its tail.
I have checked my water and all parameters appear
optimal.

Anyway my questions are:

1. What are likely possible causes?

2. Should I remove this xenia from the rock (next to others)?

Psychographic · 12/30/2006, 10:38 AM

I doubt that 30 minutes without power would kill it. I would leave it in the tank.

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 10:53 AM

I'm not suggesting the outage killed it. It is just the
only oddity I can identify. Maybe the wrasse? That's
what I'm asking.

Here are pics:

jag1979 · 12/30/2006, 10:57 AM

my xenia tries to die every once in a while, then comes back strong...they are wierd like that

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 01:30 PM

If I decide to "amputate" later, what is proper method?

Randall_James · 12/30/2006, 01:35 PM

they can wad up in a ball for a week or more at a time, if it starts to "melt" just hack it off at the rock.

Do not worry about any remnants left behind, they will either be adsorbed into the tank or start growing again.

sufunk · 12/30/2006, 01:35 PM

You can "amputate" it anywhere. No matter where you cut it off, almost always a new stalk will grow even from practically nothing. The only way mine stays in control is my frogspawn melting them when they get to close.

drummereef · 12/30/2006, 01:39 PM

I'd give them some more time and see how it goes. No need to do anything drastic as of yet.

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 01:57 PM

They are fairly close to a hammer (it was sold as a hammer
but I've always suspected it to be frogspawn) and
may have reached over and touched. Is that likely?

dragonforce · 12/30/2006, 02:04 PM

If the coral is not literally melting then leave it because you're going to wake up to it in a few days and it will look great.

sufunk · 12/30/2006, 03:00 PM

I believe that is actually a torch but with some branching tips

Either way, that definitely could have done the damage if its within reach. Looks alot like what my frogspawn does to my xenia.

Randall_James · 12/30/2006, 04:41 PM

Frogspawn.... need to use one of the 2 threads on this subject as it is cross posted...

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randall_James
Frogspawn.... need to use one of the 2 threads on this subject as it is cross posted...

I don't understand.

Randall_James · 12/30/2006, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spanglish

I don't understand.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1005385

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 09:57 PM

Sorry, didn't understand the term cross posted. I originally intended for this thread to primarily concentrate on the
mechanics of removal, but I let myself ramble off subject.

Maybe a moderator could nuke one of the two.

My bad.

spanglish · 12/30/2006, 10:00 PM

On the frogspawn vs. hammer question (might as well completely
wander off topic) I would say frogspawn, but the guy I bought it
from is a very knowledgeable online coral sales website owner,
and he insisted it was a branching hammer. I have no idea who's
right

TWallace · 12/30/2006, 10:07 PM

Definitely not a hammer, most likely a torch. I have one nearly identical in my tank, though it's colored in reverse of yours. Pinkish tentacles with green tips. I believe hammers, torches and frogspawn are all in the same genus (Euphyllia?) so their appearance and growth patterns are very similar.

Back on the subject of the xenia, I'd leave it in the tank. It does look like something stung it and caused it to shrivel up. That happens in my tank occasionally from a BTA, torch or galaxea sting. The xenia always recovers from it and grows back in plague proportions.

Panduriniii · 12/30/2006, 10:10 PM

xenia tend to stink up the water if u cut them. get your fingernail under them a bit and scrape it off the rock at the base. I had one stalk of xenia and it spread like wild fire. I wish i never put it in my tank.

spanglish · 12/31/2006, 04:20 PM

Well, the melting began so I had (or chose) to nuke
the whole rock. Most of the colony (all but one ) looked
awful and were begining to expell tissue, etc.

It produced a "burst" of ick as I began to remove, but I
got it out fast and I see no ill effects.

There was one survivor. One of the branches had attached
to some nearby LR mid way up the stalk. It was looking like
it wanted to let go of the rock it was on prior to this mess.
Anyway it let go of the old rock as I removed it and seems
fine hangin' on by mid trunk with its "foot" flapping in the
breeze!

I hate when anything doesn't do well. With the exception of
a serpen t star ( that I still think was ill upon purchase) this
is my first real loss

I need to figure out what went wrong.

spanglish · 12/31/2006, 04:25 PM

I just saw my ember blenny nip at the survivor.
Is that a common problem? Maybe he's the culprit.

Randall_James · 12/31/2006, 04:46 PM

"Xenia Crash" is common. As much of a weed as it is, it is also a very good barometer of water conditions. When the water takes a downward turn, Xenia is one of the first animals to show the problem. It is possible that you have a turn in your water quality that is not being picked up in testing.

Fish nipping at it will not likely kill it. I had a Flame Angel keep the polyps cleaned off one for over a year and it never died.

scaryperson27 · 12/31/2006, 05:22 PM

IT is a good thing you removed them. What ever it was, it was spreading.

What you have is definitely a frogspawn. You see how your polyp frills have little buds all over them? Torch corals do not do that.

Hammer coral

Torch coral

Frogspawn

spanglish · 12/31/2006, 05:49 PM

Should I remove the survivor? my blenny is clearly nippiing
at it. Are xenias more prone to be nipped?

TWallace · 12/31/2006, 06:12 PM

I'd leave it in. I'm not familiar with your blenny, but my midas and red spot (before he died) never touched Xenia. In fact, nothing in my tank touches it, including a flame angel. It grows like the plague.

12/30/2006, 10:23 AM	#1
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	Should I Remove "Ill" Xenia?? After a brief power outage (30 min) yesterday(I wasn't home to witness), when I got home from work one of my xenias was noticeably shriveled. It was like they look at first light, but worse. I 'm almost certain that I saw my flasher wrasse "thump" it once with its tail. I have checked my water and all parameters appear optimal. Anyway my questions are: 1. What are likely possible causes? 2. Should I remove this xenia from the rock (next to others)? __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/30/2006, 10:53 AM	#3
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	I'm not suggesting the outage killed it. It is just the only oddity I can identify. Maybe the wrasse? That's what I'm asking. Here are pics: __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/30/2006, 10:57 AM	#4
jag1979 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 982	my xenia tries to die every once in a while, then comes back strong...they are wierd like that __________________ clowns, bi-color pseudo, coral beauty, yellow tang GBTA, crocea clam xenia, various polyps/zoa's, candy cane, tree leather, frogspawn, torch, various mushrooms, green/red plate, birdsnest Current Tank Info: 180 AGA, tunze 6100, 6025 and 6060, 3 x 250 mh's, 3 x 80 t5's, ASM G4+

12/30/2006, 01:30 PM	#5
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	If I decide to "amputate" later, what is proper method? __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/30/2006, 01:35 PM	#6
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	they can wad up in a ball for a week or more at a time, if it starts to "melt" just hack it off at the rock. Do not worry about any remnants left behind, they will either be adsorbed into the tank or start growing again. __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

12/30/2006, 10:38 AM	#2
Psychographic Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 439	I doubt that 30 minutes without power would kill it. I would leave it in the tank.

12/30/2006, 01:35 PM	#7
sufunk Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Davie, Florida Posts: 2,004	You can "amputate" it anywhere. No matter where you cut it off, almost always a new stalk will grow even from practically nothing. The only way mine stays in control is my frogspawn melting them when they get to close.

12/30/2006, 01:39 PM	#8
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I'd give them some more time and see how it goes. No need to do anything drastic as of yet. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

12/30/2006, 01:57 PM	#9
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	They are fairly close to a hammer (it was sold as a hammer but I've always suspected it to be frogspawn) and may have reached over and touched. Is that likely? __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/30/2006, 02:04 PM	#10
dragonforce Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Laguna Niguel, 92677 Posts: 587	If the coral is not literally melting then leave it because you're going to wake up to it in a few days and it will look great.

12/30/2006, 03:00 PM	#11
sufunk Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Davie, Florida Posts: 2,004	I believe that is actually a torch but with some branching tips Either way, that definitely could have done the damage if its within reach. Looks alot like what my frogspawn does to my xenia.

12/30/2006, 04:41 PM	#12
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	Frogspawn.... need to use one of the 2 threads on this subject as it is cross posted... __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

12/30/2006, 09:57 PM	#15
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	Sorry, didn't understand the term cross posted. I originally intended for this thread to primarily concentrate on the mechanics of removal, but I let myself ramble off subject. Maybe a moderator could nuke one of the two. My bad. __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/30/2006, 10:00 PM	#16
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	On the frogspawn vs. hammer question (might as well completely wander off topic) I would say frogspawn, but the guy I bought it from is a very knowledgeable online coral sales website owner, and he insisted it was a branching hammer. I have no idea who's right __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/30/2006, 10:07 PM	#17
TWallace Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,464	Definitely not a hammer, most likely a torch. I have one nearly identical in my tank, though it's colored in reverse of yours. Pinkish tentacles with green tips. I believe hammers, torches and frogspawn are all in the same genus (Euphyllia?) so their appearance and growth patterns are very similar. Back on the subject of the xenia, I'd leave it in the tank. It does look like something stung it and caused it to shrivel up. That happens in my tank occasionally from a BTA, torch or galaxea sting. The xenia always recovers from it and grows back in plague proportions.

12/30/2006, 10:10 PM	#18
Panduriniii Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bucks County Posts: 354	xenia tend to stink up the water if u cut them. get your fingernail under them a bit and scrape it off the rock at the base. I had one stalk of xenia and it spread like wild fire. I wish i never put it in my tank.

12/31/2006, 04:20 PM	#19
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	Well, the melting began so I had (or chose) to nuke the whole rock. Most of the colony (all but one ) looked awful and were begining to expell tissue, etc. It produced a "burst" of ick as I began to remove, but I got it out fast and I see no ill effects. There was one survivor. One of the branches had attached to some nearby LR mid way up the stalk. It was looking like it wanted to let go of the rock it was on prior to this mess. Anyway it let go of the old rock as I removed it and seems fine hangin' on by mid trunk with its "foot" flapping in the breeze! I hate when anything doesn't do well. With the exception of a serpen t star ( that I still think was ill upon purchase) this is my first real loss I need to figure out what went wrong. __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/31/2006, 04:25 PM	#20
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	I just saw my ember blenny nip at the survivor. Is that a common problem? Maybe he's the culprit. __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/31/2006, 04:46 PM	#21
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	"Xenia Crash" is common. As much of a weed as it is, it is also a very good barometer of water conditions. When the water takes a downward turn, Xenia is one of the first animals to show the problem. It is possible that you have a turn in your water quality that is not being picked up in testing. Fish nipping at it will not likely kill it. I had a Flame Angel keep the polyps cleaned off one for over a year and it never died. __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

12/31/2006, 05:22 PM	#22
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	IT is a good thing you removed them. What ever it was, it was spreading. What you have is definitely a frogspawn. You see how your polyp frills have little buds all over them? Torch corals do not do that. Hammer coral Torch coral Frogspawn

12/31/2006, 05:49 PM	#23
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	Should I remove the survivor? my blenny is clearly nippiing at it. Are xenias more prone to be nipped? __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

12/31/2006, 06:12 PM	#24
TWallace Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,464	I'd leave it in. I'm not familiar with your blenny, but my midas and red spot (before he died) never touched Xenia. In fact, nothing in my tank touches it, including a flame angel. It grows like the plague.