Pulsing Xenia removal

Teddynola · 07/31/2012, 12:41 PM

Does anyone have an effective Xenia removal technique. I can remove large stalks with a pair of hemostats, but they just shred smaller pieces...and there you go, more stray patches of xenia. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

DownwardDawg · 07/31/2012, 12:48 PM

The last time I did a water change, I got my son to hold the hose in the bucket. I cut a bunch of xenia with small scissors while I held the siphon hose in the other hand.

Hydronic · 07/31/2012, 12:57 PM

I place small frag rocks around mine and wait to they attach to them. Once attached I cut them and sell the frags to my lfs. I keep them under controll this way and at the same time use my credit to purchase food and what not.

kissman · 07/31/2012, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydronic

i place small frag rocks around mine and wait to they attach to them. Once attached i cut them and sell the frags to my lfs. I keep them under controll this way and at the same time use my credit to purchase food and what not.

+1

zachfishman · 07/31/2012, 03:23 PM

Fluke tabs will nuke all of 'em, if that's what you want. It will also knock out GSP and clove polyps.

Andrew D · 07/31/2012, 05:08 PM

Am curious about the last post. How do you apply the fluke tabs, and won't they also harm some of your other tank inhabitants? I am struggling to contain my xenia as well, and have had to remove (to my fuge) some pretty nice display rocks.

zachfishman · 07/31/2012, 05:18 PM

Never did it myself, but here's a recent thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2153276

Teddynola · 08/01/2012, 12:12 AM

I ordered some fluke tabs, but will it harm any of my fish?

alton · 08/01/2012, 05:07 AM

Dip the rock in freshwater

zachfishman · 08/01/2012, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teddynola

I ordered some fluke tabs, but will it harm any of my fish?

Considering that it's a fish medication, I'd say no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alton

Dip the rock in freshwater

^^^A good alternative if you can easily remove the rock the Xenia are on, and you don't mind losing whatever else s on the rock.

Chris27 · 08/01/2012, 07:50 AM

Take the rock out and chisel them off with a regular wood chisel...

Shells4 · 08/01/2012, 08:09 AM

I usually try to keep them on an island. A small start of them got to another rock once that was hard to remove and I used pickling lime and they never came back. My husband has cleaned of several large areas by cutting them off at the base and then scrubbing the rock throughly with a scrub brush.

MarkGP · 08/01/2012, 06:33 PM

If you have hemostats and grab the xenia as close to the rock as possible and peel them off the rock instead of pulling them. They come right off.

Reefmedic79 · 08/01/2012, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shells4

I usually try to keep them on an island. A small start of them got to another rock once that was hard to remove and I used pickling lime and they never came back. My husband has cleaned of several large areas by cutting them off at the base and then scrubbing the rock throughly with a scrub brush.

+1, but I remove the rock from the tank to prevent any stray tissue from planting itself elsewhere.

ReeferBill · 08/01/2012, 07:02 PM

I cut and scrape them off with a cutting knife or scaple

DHyslop · 08/01/2012, 07:40 PM

With Xenia, the only winning move is not to play.

Eric45 · 08/01/2012, 07:47 PM

I cut the stuff as close to the base as possible, put the stalks in one of those plastic boxes lfs use to isolate fish in aquariums, along w/some rock fragments and let them stick on to the rocks. Then I sell them to my lfs for 8 bucks a frag.

Andrew D · 08/01/2012, 08:50 PM

I do the same, and have recently plumbed an inline 20G that just holds Xenia (2 varieties). Looks great, helps clean the water, and helps pay for some of the many things I want at the LFS.

planedoc · 08/02/2012, 05:00 PM

I just reach in a rip them out. If you grab close to base and rip fast with a little twist they come completely off. It does make your hand smell funny for a while.

4ddiction · 08/02/2012, 05:02 PM

I just take a blade, scrape near the base, then just rough up anything left on the rock. Been doing the trick!

Fish_Freek · 08/02/2012, 06:00 PM

I had the same problem... got desperate and used kalk paste. I mixed some up (so its thick) applied it on top of the xenia stalks with a syringe with out the needle. Apply it with the pumps turned off, let it sit a few hours, syphon it off and do a water change. Thats what i did when i had a few in hard to reach areas of my tank. Worked very well for me.

07/31/2012, 12:41 PM	#1
Teddynola pod wrangler Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 301	Pulsing Xenia removal Does anyone have an effective Xenia removal technique. I can remove large stalks with a pair of hemostats, but they just shred smaller pieces...and there you go, more stray patches of xenia. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks. __________________ 75g Oceanic RR mixed reef in progress, 40b sump. Current Tank Info: Black occ pair, lawnmower blenny, scooter dragonette, yellow tang, male and female green mandarin, one spot foxface, flame hawkfish, fire shrimp, harlequin shrimp, skunk cleaner shrimp, harlequin starfish, with softies, sps, lps.

07/31/2012, 12:48 PM	#2
DownwardDawg Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 838	The last time I did a water change, I got my son to hold the hose in the bucket. I cut a bunch of xenia with small scissors while I held the siphon hose in the other hand. __________________ Current Tank: 125 gal mixed reef, 3-250 watt Radiums, T5 actinics, CS2 skimmer, RKL 60 gal "fun tank", 2-Ecotech Radions, Lifereef Overflow, build-in-progress

07/31/2012, 03:23 PM	#5
zachfishman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 3,577	Fluke tabs will nuke all of 'em, if that's what you want. It will also knock out GSP and clove polyps. __________________ Patience is a reefer's best tool. Secret Xenia lover. M.S. Marine Biology Staff - Marine Discovery Center, St. Petersburg FL Tampa Bay Reef Club BOD 2018 Current Tank Info: 34g modded Solana

07/31/2012, 05:18 PM	#7
zachfishman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 3,577	Never did it myself, but here's a recent thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2153276 __________________ Patience is a reefer's best tool. Secret Xenia lover. M.S. Marine Biology Staff - Marine Discovery Center, St. Petersburg FL Tampa Bay Reef Club BOD 2018 Current Tank Info: 34g modded Solana

08/01/2012, 12:12 AM	#8
Teddynola pod wrangler Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 301	I ordered some fluke tabs, but will it harm any of my fish? __________________ 75g Oceanic RR mixed reef in progress, 40b sump. Current Tank Info: Black occ pair, lawnmower blenny, scooter dragonette, yellow tang, male and female green mandarin, one spot foxface, flame hawkfish, fire shrimp, harlequin shrimp, skunk cleaner shrimp, harlequin starfish, with softies, sps, lps.

07/31/2012, 12:57 PM	#3
Hydronic Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 52	I place small frag rocks around mine and wait to they attach to them. Once attached I cut them and sell the frags to my lfs. I keep them under controll this way and at the same time use my credit to purchase food and what not.

07/31/2012, 05:08 PM	#6
Andrew D Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada Posts: 356	Am curious about the last post. How do you apply the fluke tabs, and won't they also harm some of your other tank inhabitants? I am struggling to contain my xenia as well, and have had to remove (to my fuge) some pretty nice display rocks.

08/01/2012, 05:07 AM	#9
alton Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Zuehl, Texas Posts: 4,460	Dip the rock in freshwater

08/01/2012, 07:50 AM	#11
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	Take the rock out and chisel them off with a regular wood chisel... __________________ Fill your tank with $5 bills, add gasoline and light it on fire.....only then will you know the real cost of reefing. Current Tank Info: 180 Mixed Reef

08/01/2012, 08:09 AM	#12
Shells4 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 201	I usually try to keep them on an island. A small start of them got to another rock once that was hard to remove and I used pickling lime and they never came back. My husband has cleaned of several large areas by cutting them off at the base and then scrubbing the rock throughly with a scrub brush.

08/01/2012, 06:33 PM	#13
MarkGP Why do I do this? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bristol, RI Posts: 1,015	If you have hemostats and grab the xenia as close to the rock as possible and peel them off the rock instead of pulling them. They come right off.

08/01/2012, 07:02 PM	#15
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	I cut and scrape them off with a cutting knife or scaple __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium!

08/01/2012, 07:40 PM	#16
DHyslop Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: RI Posts: 1,085	With Xenia, the only winning move is not to play.

08/01/2012, 07:47 PM	#17
Eric45 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 725	I cut the stuff as close to the base as possible, put the stalks in one of those plastic boxes lfs use to isolate fish in aquariums, along w/some rock fragments and let them stick on to the rocks. Then I sell them to my lfs for 8 bucks a frag.

08/01/2012, 08:50 PM	#18
Andrew D Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada Posts: 356	I do the same, and have recently plumbed an inline 20G that just holds Xenia (2 varieties). Looks great, helps clean the water, and helps pay for some of the many things I want at the LFS.

08/02/2012, 05:00 PM	#19
planedoc Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 535	I just reach in a rip them out. If you grab close to base and rip fast with a little twist they come completely off. It does make your hand smell funny for a while.

08/02/2012, 05:02 PM	#20
4ddiction Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 141	I just take a blade, scrape near the base, then just rough up anything left on the rock. Been doing the trick!

08/02/2012, 06:00 PM	#21
Fish_Freek Cheese Head Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kimberly, WI Posts: 386	I had the same problem... got desperate and used kalk paste. I mixed some up (so its thick) applied it on top of the xenia stalks with a syringe with out the needle. Apply it with the pumps turned off, let it sit a few hours, syphon it off and do a water change. Thats what i did when i had a few in hard to reach areas of my tank. Worked very well for me. __________________ ~~ Bob ~~ Current Tank Info: 75g reef tank, octoHB2000 HOB skimmer, 2x EG D120 Led black boxes