Pies Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 My xenia over the last 4-5 days has taken a serious turn for the worse. Its lost all inflation, and has gone limp, sad and sick looking. I started with a silver pom pom that I had, but now effects my 'jetskisteve' strain as well as other similar coral like clover coral. My water tests as follows: PH 8.05low - 8.3high KH 8.1 Nitrate 0 Amonia 0 Nirite 0 Phosphate 0 (undetectable) Magnesium 1280 Temprature 25 Salinity .025 Everything water wise has been VERY stable for ages. I cleaned out me CA reactor about 3 weeks ago, otherwise I have done nothing new chemical wise. I have added 3 fish and maybee 5 coral 4 weeks back (all which is doing great). I have whitespot on my blue tang and PBT but otherwise everything is looking GREAT. I've been doing lots of water changes - 5%10% fornightly. I know xenia is known to crash, anyone with thoughts or links please let me know, would love to save this stuff if possible. Cheers pieman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Xenia is the one coral I have never had much luck with. I don't know why, it's really mysterious. Maybe your tank is too clean for the xenia's liking Pies. Xenia tends to like dissolved organics, nitrates, and ammonia. Some people have suggested xenia crashing can be related to low alk (don't know if there is any real reasoning behind that), but at 8.1 I wouldn't say that it is low. So beats me, I've never been able to keep xenia for more than a couple of months, it just slowly withers away. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Come to think of it, dosen't xenia have a relatively high demand for iodine? Hmmm. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted April 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 I don't have an Iodine test kit and don't dose Iodine. I have read that some think it needs iodine, but have read equally as much saying it does't. I have a bottle of Salifert Iodine in the garage but given the amount of water changes I do i'd be surprised? I'll see what information pops up before deciding if i'll add some. Steve doesn't add anything to his tank, and his tank is OVER SKIMED to the max, yet his tank is a Xenia machine. Bah, if it dies I will have a GREAT spot for a nice big acro though :> And it woiuld be good if that cover would die anyway! Bah bah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 this might help... http://aqualinkwebforum.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/4956080522/m/8976080522/inc/-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 id say its to do with the water quality. it grows really well in my tank because im sure my water quality is not as good as it could be i read in eric bournemans book Coral that xenia thrives in areas that have runoff from sewage, hotels, industrial estates and the like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 :lol: thats probably why it does well in my tank too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted April 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Ive seen Xenia growing on the reefs happily along with all the acros and other hard corals, from shallows down to 40m (I have a photo of some silver pom pom at 43m in Vanuatu). My tank is clean and clear, however I think you are over-rating how good my tank is. I feed heavly on cyclopsezze so there should be food in the water...? Bah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 pies frag it and put some in your sump/refugium.... maybe it just got chemical attacked by something else in the tank..... rather then try to work out what happened try to salvage the situation. you may (read prob will) never know for sure...... I think you need to be disciplined and almosta perfectionist to keep an awesome tank.... but you also have to be able to let go and realise that you will just never know........ thats a lot of water change, I really doubt iodine is low but trust your instruments, c if you can borrow a kit locally? clownfish book will be in post before weekend! sorry its taken so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted April 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Thanks RnB. I have some in the sump, and its doing exactly the same thing Definatly a water paramater issue. I am resigned to it dieing, just though it may be salvagable... Its soooo nice... Not sure if its iodine, doubt I can get a test kit and to be honest not sure if I want to test it anyway. Lots of problems with Iodine, I think I will just leave it for now and let nature take its course. Looking forward to the book, was thinking today I wounder if you had sent it! Cheers Piemania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 well pies, if it does all die off, you're more than welcome to some free xenia frags from me once it comes right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Definatly a water paramater issue no thats your hypothesis.... and i think its a lousey one. since when did a major water quality problem effect a single coral in your tank. it would be a reasonable hypothesis if something else turns south in the next few days tho. maybe you have too low phosphate/nutrient levels.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skuzza Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 My jetskisteve strain did the same thing to me.(its not jetskisteve coral that is the problem just incase anyone gets any ideas)I fixed it with food.I put in plenty of coral food.This was after a drum of nsw water change.I could have been a bit of both,but it worked and i am not so tight on the coral food any and they seem happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted April 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 no thats your hypothesis.... and i think its a lousey one. since when did a major water quality problem effect a single coral in your tank. Since this time! Or if you read what I said, all 3 of my Xenia species are effected as is my clover coral and a few other similar types calvera etc. Now when I say 'issuse' I don't mean its out or wrong, but something must be different. I don't belive my tank is clean enough that its a case of too much of something removed, far to much algae and diatom for that. Its a water issue, maybee its waring SPS corals releasing something into the water retarding their growth? Maybee it is Iodine or strontium imballance? Maybee its a disolved o2 problem, ORP or somesuch? Buggered if I know. Its not too low phophate/nitrate levels (although both are 0 on the test kits), the reason I say this is the colour of my corals doesn't lend it self to that, although maybee I am being to harsh. Bah. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Maybe definitely is too strong a word, but since the water flow and lighting in the sump and tank are different, the only thing that's similar between the two places are the water or something in the water. So, it's reasonable to say that's where the problem is. My Xenia started to look really grumpy a few times, only commonality between those times was the alk dropped, but it was much lower than 8.1. Down near low 6s. Bring the xenia over to my place, I'll look after it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 One of the shops down here in Christchurh "Redwood Aquatics" has one of those all in one package deal tanks with a basic type of marine filter system in it and the Xenia is spreading all over the walls and will soon become a problem. This tank is not by any means what you would call a clean tank. Is anyone else that has a really clean/sterille tank having any luck with them. Aaron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 That link about the temp could be right. Bob at Redwood Aquatics used to keep his tanks at 22 to increase the o2. The tank I just mentioned could well be lower but I don't now if it is or not. If that is the case they could even be sensitive to low o2 levels. Just like air, the colder it is the higher the o2 level. I might fix my test tank and experiment with differant levels of o2 at differant temps, it could be interesting. Aaron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBlog Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 One of the shops down here in Christchurh "Redwood Aquatics" has one of those all in one package deal tanks with a basic type of marine filter system in it and the Xenia is spreading all over the walls and will soon become a problem. The stuff growing completely out of control (all over most of the rocks and even starting to grow on the overflows, etc...) in that tank are a few different types of star polyp. They aren't the same as Xenia, are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 That's what I thought. They are very different to xenia. Star polyps are like zooanthids and mushrooms, weeds which are damn impossible to kill :evil: Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Sorry I'm not thinking very well. I spent all of last night in the hospital with my wife and still haven't been to bed yet. However I still think it's a valid point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Xenia?? Big difference between xenia and star polyps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Pies, I have Xenia that is so big and growing so fast I can hardly control it. I have just had a sick one which will come right shortly. It got stung by my Heliofungia, (So did I for that matter!). Try getting a bottle of "Ecosystem, reef food liquid", (The same people who make miracle mud. (Ask Reef). Or real quick go and get some general coral food and dose it quick. Are you using coral food? Another good one is REEF SUCCESS Coral Food. I am running colourful acros in my tank also now, so my water is good. Nitrates 3 Po4 0 And my Xenia is pumping. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 They will start melting if they are next to Torches or Other stinging coral, but you said it is in your sump which means....Coral food! Nothing to lose if you havent been using it. The Ecosystem has EVERYTHING exept Ca and MG and buffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 i got a xenia years ago from a LFS, was the only one that survived the shipping, paid quite some money for it. nevertheless it thrived!! i sold countless pieces, including to jetskisteve. sometimes part of my xenia crashed for no apperend reason, some pieces disintegrated to almost nothing, only to come back from tiny outer rim leftovers! i can't really help you, i have scrubed dying xenia with a tooth brush, iodine dipped dying pieces with limited success (may be it was the iodine). i do not believe that changes in temperature has much to do with it!! if have seen xenia exposed to sunlight at low tide. survival seems to be a big issue as i have witnessed when heavy grassing takes place xenia grows pretty quickly. my tank has had no heating since december and temps. rise and drop quite a bit durin the day, with no ill effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 My star polyps remain unchanged and are as healthy and good looking as ever. Its the Xenia/Calvera etc thats dieing. Cracker - I feed several foods to the tank, Salifert, Kent phyto, cyclopsezee. Doesn't/hasn't made a lick of difference. Its not a feeding issue and has nothing to do with my tank being too clean. My tank is dirty, its a dirty dirty beast. I am convinced its a water paramater issues, either too many poisons from corals waring (I have several largish acro colonies fighting) or most likley something in the water has been depleted. Or the cleaning of my CA reactor has made a difference. I am at a loss as too any other cause. Doing BIG waterchange tommorow, we will see what happens but from what i've read, when its dead its dead. Pieola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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