xenia...why did I pay for this stuff, whats the best way to eliminate it?

kware · 08/19/2009, 07:15 PM

I have pumping xenia growing all over my tank. When I peal it off the rocks it just grows right back or just rips apart. I like how it looks growing on the back of my glass but now it's starting to overrun all my other corals. I've heard that injecting it with alk water works well ? Does anyone have any experience with this or any other way to get rid of the stuff?
I can't believe how fast this stuff grows. It has to help keep water clean right?

bizzleb01 · 08/19/2009, 07:30 PM

Yeah, it's a great nutrient export. I've got the same problem and was just getting ready to start a post asking how to get rid of it also.

canned fish · 08/19/2009, 07:35 PM

one of my tangs has always remove any xenia I had. Rabbit fish are also good at.

Jade · 08/19/2009, 08:02 PM

Just a thought, but what about growing it in a fuge like cheato???? If it's a good nutrient export, would there be any problems you could see with trying this???
Chris

kingfisher62 · 08/19/2009, 08:03 PM

I wish i had that problem. I had xenia when i first started keeping corals , did great for several months then they just dwindled away . I never did figure out what caused it.

You really should try to sell it , they get a pretty penny at most LFS's.
Think of all the new corals you could buy, oooooh!

JGHA · 08/19/2009, 08:14 PM

Had the same problem as you did, they grew in all or my tank in the glass and everything I did not know what to do until I got a Favia not knowing about their aggressiveness, I had huge sweeper tentacles and it eliminated almost completely all xenias.

ksouers · 08/19/2009, 08:32 PM

I had the same results as kingfisher. Mine just evaporated as the tank matured, never to be seen again.

Now, if anyone knows how to get rid of a kenya tree...

psteeleb · 08/19/2009, 08:43 PM

take a small rock and dip it in a bucket with tank water with a fluke tab. Put the rock back in the tank and the residual fluke tab water will kill off the xenia and star polyps

kware · 08/20/2009, 12:34 AM

I actually do have some xenia growing in my fuge. There is a bunch of it living right next to my bubble tip anemone. The tentacles sweep all over the xenia but that doesn't seem to bother them. psteeleb what is a fluke tab?

Snakebyt · 08/20/2009, 12:40 AM

what nutrients does it export?

bgraves · 08/20/2009, 03:02 AM

I frag it and trade at my lfs to control it

Fingers68 · 08/20/2009, 03:27 AM

I have just been ripping it off the rock as it gets out of hand, like weeding a garden. Once you peel a little off the rock at the base it just peals off a treat very cleanly. I have baged mine and given it to my local shop, some one else will always want some.

Orochimaru · 08/20/2009, 07:43 AM

I know this is kinda of the topic but may be you can share your water parameters and maintenance habbit so some of us can get our to grow like that?

As for getting rid of them, I have no idea. All I know is xenia likes stability...I once had xenia over took my 40 gal...with no water change. Hell, my bro. used to keep them with just topping off with tap water instead of RO/di. Now I can't seem to get them to grow at all and having to buy them too.

produceb · 08/20/2009, 08:00 AM

Mine is also beginning to take over , luckily it is my wifes favorite coral so I dont catch so much greif about how much I spend.

BigJay · 08/20/2009, 10:14 AM

I have to scrub the xenia off my rocks and glass with a toothbrush, that seems to keep it in check.

It does export nutrients, but it's not as fast growing or effective as chaeto or caulerpa.

Chooch1 · 08/20/2009, 11:32 AM

Many angels will eat it such as a Regal Angel.

driftin · 08/20/2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by psteeleb
take a small rock and dip it in a bucket with tank water with a fluke tab. Put the rock back in the tank and the residual fluke tab water will kill off the xenia and star polyps

This method works like a champ. I had it overgrowing my tank. Traded it off, gave it away for free, pulled it and threw it away, and finally we nuked it with fluke tabs. A little goes a long way.

bobbyjeb · 08/20/2009, 12:56 PM

you can mail it to me...

david pinder · 08/20/2009, 04:20 PM

it was taking over my 1200 gal tank killing my sps tried everything to get rid of it, finally srarted pulling out the rock and taking is to my local pet shops, I traded for more rock more corals I got some really good deals the rock I was bringing in was covered with xenias and they were selling as fast As i could bring it in, usually agout 8 large pieces every weekend sometimes half of them would be sold before I got out the door, so dont fight, profit from it

Tadashi · 08/20/2009, 06:49 PM

I had a 180-gal SPS tank with the main softie being the pulsing xenia. Yeah it grew like a weed and I would yank it out each week by the fistful but like others have stated it is excellent nutrient export and it does not sting other corals (at least never bothered my SPS).

On the plus side I believe it eats phosphates and produces ammonia which my 4 clams and filtration would take care of. I am not sure where I read this. I had really high flow to keep the ammonia from bothering the SPS. My tank had a 30x turnover per hour and being by the overflow any toxins they produced went straight to the skimmer and sump.

I eventually got the xenia off my rock and on my overflow.

kware · 08/20/2009, 10:18 PM

I definitely have more xenia than Tadashi. It has just got so it is growing over and around the few zoanthids I can manage to keep alive. On the plus side, when I pulled a bunch of the xenia out I found a bunch of purple zoanthids had grown out and away from the main colony. As far as my water params are concerned I am terrible at maintance. (15 gall wc once a month, it's a 90 gal tank. ) My Ca is around 400 , alk is on the low side around 7. I haven't tested for anything else in a long time. I have a 6'' DSB with cheato in my sump and a good Euro reef skimmer. I will post a pic if I can figure out how. For some reason I have bad luck posting pics.
I never really thought to sell it back to the LFS.

kware · 08/20/2009, 10:47 PM

this is an old FTS there is alot more now.

TheWeaz · 08/20/2009, 11:03 PM

like other mentioned, since its a nutrient exporter you could try to cut back on the nutrients (feeding) and it may slow the spreading.

I dont know how to get rid of it though..

basssnake · 08/20/2009, 11:34 PM

I would love to have a bunch of it. How much for a "BIG batch" of it?

kware · 08/20/2009, 11:40 PM

I only feed my fish once a day. A relatively small amount. They devour all of it.
I would love to trade for... anything!

08/19/2009, 07:15 PM	#1
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	xenia...why did I pay for this stuff, whats the best way to eliminate it? I have pumping xenia growing all over my tank. When I peal it off the rocks it just grows right back or just rips apart. I like how it looks growing on the back of my glass but now it's starting to overrun all my other corals. I've heard that injecting it with alk water works well ? Does anyone have any experience with this or any other way to get rid of the stuff? I can't believe how fast this stuff grows. It has to help keep water clean right?

08/19/2009, 08:02 PM	#4
Jade FWMAS Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Van Wert, Ohio Posts: 478	Just a thought, but what about growing it in a fuge like cheato???? If it's a good nutrient export, would there be any problems you could see with trying this??? Chris __________________ WHAT WE KNOW IS SO MUCH LESS THAN WHAT WE DON'T KNOW Current Tank Info: New set up in the works. 36x36x18, 2x Tunze 6045, RKE with MLC and 4 pods, 2x Lumen Max 3 150w HQI's with Bluewave 7 Ballast. Thats all so far.

08/19/2009, 08:03 PM	#5
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	I wish i had that problem. I had xenia when i first started keeping corals , did great for several months then they just dwindled away . I never did figure out what caused it. You really should try to sell it , they get a pretty penny at most LFS's. Think of all the new corals you could buy, oooooh! __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

08/19/2009, 08:32 PM	#7
ksouers Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 153	I had the same results as kingfisher. Mine just evaporated as the tank matured, never to be seen again. Now, if anyone knows how to get rid of a kenya tree... __________________ Kevin Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef, 20g sump, GEO 612 Ca reactor, AC Jr., 1x150w, 2x250w mh

08/19/2009, 08:43 PM	#8
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	take a small rock and dip it in a bucket with tank water with a fluke tab. Put the rock back in the tank and the residual fluke tab water will kill off the xenia and star polyps __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's

08/19/2009, 07:30 PM	#2
bizzleb01 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Citrus Park, Tampa Posts: 370	Yeah, it's a great nutrient export. I've got the same problem and was just getting ready to start a post asking how to get rid of it also.

08/19/2009, 07:35 PM	#3
canned fish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Slidell, LA Posts: 7	one of my tangs has always remove any xenia I had. Rabbit fish are also good at.

08/19/2009, 08:14 PM	#6
JGHA Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Guadalajara Posts: 116	Had the same problem as you did, they grew in all or my tank in the glass and everything I did not know what to do until I got a Favia not knowing about their aggressiveness, I had huge sweeper tentacles and it eliminated almost completely all xenias.

08/20/2009, 12:34 AM	#9
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	I actually do have some xenia growing in my fuge. There is a bunch of it living right next to my bubble tip anemone. The tentacles sweep all over the xenia but that doesn't seem to bother them. psteeleb what is a fluke tab?

08/20/2009, 12:40 AM	#10
Snakebyt Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Lubbock Tx Posts: 2,141	what nutrients does it export?

08/20/2009, 03:02 AM	#11
bgraves Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 366	I frag it and trade at my lfs to control it

08/20/2009, 03:27 AM	#12
Fingers68 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 82	I have just been ripping it off the rock as it gets out of hand, like weeding a garden. Once you peel a little off the rock at the base it just peals off a treat very cleanly. I have baged mine and given it to my local shop, some one else will always want some.

08/20/2009, 07:43 AM	#13
Orochimaru 1 of 3 legendary ninjas Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Leaf Village of OC Posts: 3,324	I know this is kinda of the topic but may be you can share your water parameters and maintenance habbit so some of us can get our to grow like that? As for getting rid of them, I have no idea. All I know is xenia likes stability...I once had xenia over took my 40 gal...with no water change. Hell, my bro. used to keep them with just topping off with tap water instead of RO/di. Now I can't seem to get them to grow at all and having to buy them too. __________________ Gintama, episode 118 = "Live an honest life even if your back is crooked." STD(s) are not Pokemons, you don't have to catch them all!

08/20/2009, 08:00 AM	#14
produceb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 61	Mine is also beginning to take over , luckily it is my wifes favorite coral so I dont catch so much greif about how much I spend.

08/20/2009, 10:14 AM	#15
BigJay Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Southlake, Texas Posts: 1,872	I have to scrub the xenia off my rocks and glass with a toothbrush, that seems to keep it in check. It does export nutrients, but it's not as fast growing or effective as chaeto or caulerpa. __________________ PBITAWA

08/20/2009, 11:32 AM	#16
Chooch1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 502	Many angels will eat it such as a Regal Angel.

08/20/2009, 12:56 PM	#18
bobbyjeb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: athens, tn Posts: 99	you can mail it to me...

08/20/2009, 04:20 PM	#19
david pinder Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: houston tx 77316 Posts: 538	it was taking over my 1200 gal tank killing my sps tried everything to get rid of it, finally srarted pulling out the rock and taking is to my local pet shops, I traded for more rock more corals I got some really good deals the rock I was bringing in was covered with xenias and they were selling as fast As i could bring it in, usually agout 8 large pieces every weekend sometimes half of them would be sold before I got out the door, so dont fight, profit from it

08/20/2009, 06:49 PM	#20
Tadashi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Ft. Hood, TX, USA Posts: 2,252	I had a 180-gal SPS tank with the main softie being the pulsing xenia. Yeah it grew like a weed and I would yank it out each week by the fistful but like others have stated it is excellent nutrient export and it does not sting other corals (at least never bothered my SPS). On the plus side I believe it eats phosphates and produces ammonia which my 4 clams and filtration would take care of. I am not sure where I read this. I had really high flow to keep the ammonia from bothering the SPS. My tank had a 30x turnover per hour and being by the overflow any toxins they produced went straight to the skimmer and sump. I eventually got the xenia off my rock and on my overflow.

08/20/2009, 10:18 PM	#21
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	I definitely have more xenia than Tadashi. It has just got so it is growing over and around the few zoanthids I can manage to keep alive. On the plus side, when I pulled a bunch of the xenia out I found a bunch of purple zoanthids had grown out and away from the main colony. As far as my water params are concerned I am terrible at maintance. (15 gall wc once a month, it's a 90 gal tank. ) My Ca is around 400 , alk is on the low side around 7. I haven't tested for anything else in a long time. I have a 6'' DSB with cheato in my sump and a good Euro reef skimmer. I will post a pic if I can figure out how. For some reason I have bad luck posting pics. I never really thought to sell it back to the LFS.

08/20/2009, 10:47 PM	#22
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	this is an old FTS there is alot more now.

08/20/2009, 11:03 PM	#23
TheWeaz Beer Snob Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 620	like other mentioned, since its a nutrient exporter you could try to cut back on the nutrients (feeding) and it may slow the spreading. I dont know how to get rid of it though.. __________________ ~The Weaz Current Tank Info: Leemar 100g

08/20/2009, 11:34 PM	#24
basssnake Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 838	I would love to have a bunch of it. How much for a "BIG batch" of it?

08/20/2009, 11:40 PM	#25
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	I only feed my fish once a day. A relatively small amount. They devour all of it. I would love to trade for... anything!