I got a coral today.

[lougotzz]

I got my coral today, its a pulsating xenia. I just have one question. It came on a frag rock (little square rock) when can I take it off, and how?

Thanks.

[sonic]

don't take it off, if you dont like the rock it came in just place that rock on a rock you want the coral to grow on to, eventually it will spread.

[jmadison]

I'd leave it on the little rock, and place it next to or on wherever you want it to be. Within no time it'll prob bud off and spread to the surrounding rock where you placed it. Then you can just take the frag back out and sell/trade it! :)
Just be forwarned this stuff can spread like wildfire!
Enjoy your first coral and good luck!

[jmadison]

I'm donating plasma and evidently type too slow one handed ^^^^^

[lougotzz]

Oh ok, I will leave it on teh frag rock then. How do I keep a snail or a hermit crab from knocking it over?
Thanks.

[spleify]

Like mentioned already, just be aware that these corals spread like crazy. I would suggest placing the coral on the sand bed away from everything else.

[lougotzz]

Ok, I put the coral on teh sand bed.

[RumLad]

Unless of course you really like this coral and you want to have a tank that is predominantly softies? In that case, put it near something so it can spread.
What are your aspirations for this tank, long term? Give us some insight and we can help you out.

[lougotzz]

This is going to be a softy tank, and yes long term. I love this little coral. I came home quickly from work when it arrived, I acclimated it, put it in all closed up. I came home, its all open and pulsating. I think this thing is awsome! Should I move it onto some rock so it can spread? I do want it on my rock in the display, it wont move itself there?
Thanks.

[Radioheadx14]

If given the right water parameters, it will eventually cover most of you tank. Small pieces often break off and root somewhere else in the tank... They can also grow quite rapidly... double in size in a matter of weeks.

In my tank, they never grew well... Sps, clams and anemones all grow great tho so there is nothing wrong with my water.

My brother has a problem with xenia... it grows way to fast. he started out with a small frag, now he has it everywhere in his tank, and a rock with maybe a squar foot of the stuff.

I could never find a clear reason why it does well in some tanks and not in others.

[lougotzz]

http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/lougotzzz/DSC03525.jpg

I want the coral to be on the top left corner of the right rock on the sand bed. Right under the higher rock, in the crevece area if that makes sense. Should I stick his rock on there?

[Snailpowered]

You might want to put it in the sand infront of the rock so that it will grow up the rock or if a bud falls off take root in that rock. Just be forwarned (again) that it will grow like weeds. I think that you might be better off trying to find the (i believe) redsea xenia. It wont bud off tanking over your tank. You can find more info on it in the softy forum.

BTW i really like your tank and the aquascaping. Good luck and have fun with your first reef tank. :)

[lougotzz]

RED SEA XENIA! That was teh xenia I was looking for! I bought the wrong one LOL. I still like this one though. If I got the red sea xenia, would I be able to keep both of them in the same tank? Oh, and thanks for the nice remarks about my aquascaping. Took me a while to get it the way I like.
Thanks.

[Shawnbeaulieu]

I have the red sea pom pom and it buds and if not watched it would take over the tank just threw a bunch out no one wanted any, it doubles in size weekly it seems

[Alaskan Reefer]

Put it anywhere, watch it overtake the tank. I bought a one headed frag in January, I'm about to take a rock with 15 heads on it in for trade this week -- I'll still have plenty more left. Make sure you put it somewhere you can isolate it or it will take over the entire tank.

[DPalm3]

cool first tank :)

[snorvich]

Yeah, I LOVE the aquascaping.

[Kent D.]

I find placing them up towards the top of the tank keeps them from spreading like weeds. Some water conditions allow it to spread like weeds and I have heard too that some tanks have issues with it spread depending on your chemistry. Nice tank.

[RedClay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15086701#post15086701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lougotzz
RED SEA XENIA! That was teh xenia I was looking for! I bought the wrong one LOL. I still like this one though. If I got the red sea xenia, would I be able to keep both of them in the same tank?


Yes, you would have no problem keeping different types in one tank (except maybe a xenia invasion). If you want them growing on your rock, put them there. They will move relatively quickly to find a spot they like and then start growing like crazy. Good luck!

[Alaskan Reefer]

+1 on loving the aquascaping, by the way. That's a really nice looking tank...

[uR_a_frag]

Elos is your 1st tank?

[lougotzz]

Thank you all for the nice comments! Yes, elos is my first tank, it is a beautiful looking tank. I do have a 75 I am setting up for a volitan lionfish. I will also be setting up a 135 in the future, this is a fun hobby.
As far as the coral, I think I will only keep one...the thing tripled in size in a day LOL. I am going to have to take a photo in a while so you can see how fast it grew lol.

[reefscape15]

Yes that tank is very awesome! I love how you've layed out the rock, and I think that would make an awesome softie nano. I'd put the Xenia wherever you want it so it will start spreading. Also, you can get some GSP (Green Star Polyps) and a bunch of different Zoa frags. They will all compete with the Xenia for space pretty much equally, although the Xenia may end up growing more quickly than everything else. But, there are other corals that you can put in there if you so choose. I love nano tanks, and I love softie tanks, so in my eyes, you have the best of both worlds! I've had a mixed reef for about 6 years or so, and couldn't ever get Xenia to grow in my tanks until just recently. Good luck with everything!

[robot2222]

that is a very nice tank . nice aquascaping glue ithe rock it came on too the spot where you want it . I have read that it tends to grow fast in high nutrient water conditions [high nitrates] if you keep them in check you should be able to controll. what kind of light is that you have there ?

[robot2222]

I AM SORRY MAYBE IT DOES GROW FAST .............I HAVE THE RED KIND IT SEEM NOT TO HAVE GROWN THAT MUCH.

[lougotzz]

My phosphates are reading 0 and nitrates are reading 5. I have heard that (I think in this thread) that they pull nutrients out of the water. The light I am using is an elos mini.
Thanks for the nice replies.

[lougotzz]

I still have the xenia on the frag rock, and he has grown a good amount. At any point can I take him off the frag rock, and then place him on my live rock?

[eb8919]

You could take it off the small rock by cutting the mat base with a blade...but you risk damaging/killing the coral. Your best bet would be to do what a few others have said and place it on your live rock...allowing it to grow from the small rock to your live rock. Eventually the small rock will vanish. My friend bought a frag roughly the same size about a month ago and there is no sign of the frag rock...just one giant colony of xenia. By the way i really like your tank. Very clean..good scape.

[finsurgeon]

Don't take it off the rock. Just put the rock where you'd like to have a cluster of Xenia. It'll take care of the rest. If you're worried about the rock getting knocked off, use some aquascaping putty to stick it down. My experience is that it's not necessary, since the xenia will bud onto the neighboring piece of rock if it can reach it, effectively sticking the first rock down. Also, if you plan ahead, put the xenia on a medium size piece of live rock that you can take out and replace as it gets covered, giving you a barrier (that you can sell at your LFS). I get $15 to $20 in store credit for each rock with my red sea pom pom on it, producing 1-3 rocks per 2 weeks. One secret to my success in still liking my xenia for a couple years is that I originally put it on a black shale rock shelf that I made hanging with fishing line off my overflow to keep the xenia out of reach of my decorator crab - later I found that the xenia populated up the wall and onto my inflows and onto any small rock I set onto the shelf, but never has it spread downward off the shelf. Nice tank.

[lougotzz]

Ok, I'll just wait for it to spread it self. It's really growing!

[400M1963]

Careful, some regard it as a troublesome weed once it gains a foothold. I would say you've been warned, but that would be too ominous. :)