Pulsing Xenia ?'s

[silberspieler]

Just got a nice big PX frag, for only $15!

Question is; I drip acclimated him for about 1.5 hrs, and then placed him on the very top of the rock. It's been about 2 hrs since he was placed in there, and it's still curled up, tight like a ball. In the lfs it was big and beautiful and pulsing...

do they remain curled up for some time and then come around, or what's the deal?!

[Pio7]

xenias are pretty durable, they should open up by tomorrow when the lights come on. dont worry lol soon youll be wanting to rip those things out since they grow like weeds!

[santarosasalt]

I would have given you some xenia for free. But they are a great starter coral.

[pugcrush]

What kind of lights do you have? You might want to put them lower in the tank. Xenia's will grow toward the light & it gives them better extension IMO. Just give it time, they'll open.

[elmafioso52988]

I have mine all the way at the top of my tank under t5 lighting. As long a they don't look melted they should be fine.

[cablebox2003]

Hey just to let you know most corals do not need to be drip acclimated. Corals are deprived of oxygen when drip acclimated. I only drip acclimate some inverts. Most corals I just temp acclimate for about 15min and then if im feel like it needs more acclimation I will put a half cup of water in every 10 mins. Drip acclimating may have been your problem. But like everyone else said they are very hardy and like weeds. I loved them at first but now the are getting out of control and taking over my tank.

[yardboy]

Xenia are very sensitive to changes in their environment. I have a tank full of it that I sell to the lfs for credit. It's all big and pulsing in my tanks for years, but when I take it to the lfs it gets shocked for some reason (difference in salinity, organics) and takes a week or more to recover.

[AJSTITAN14]

Xenia has a reputation for not transporting well.

[sfilipowski]

and VERY stinky

[Whaledriver]

They pulse based on the alklinity. If he doesnt pulse the next day check you water paramiters. CA/MG/SG/ALK/PH should all be normal. I can tell my alk is low or the PH is low based on my Pulsing Zenia.

[Engloid]

I've also been told that if they get too much water flow, they won't pulse. I put mine in an area that gets only indirect flow. It's only about the size of a half dollar, but has about 15 ends that pulse like crazy!

Soon as it grows into a little tree, I'll trim it back and that is all I want.

[bsmith22]

I bought 2 stalks of pulsing Xenia from TFP for $39.99 about 6 months ago. Now I have over 25 stalks! They "walk"/ stretch and move to wherever they like it and stay there and pulse like mad. I have seen them damaged and looked nearly dead after being next to my BTA, but after it moved it made a full recovery. They are excellent starter corals, but can easily take over a tank in a matter of months. I am going to take some to the frag swap in Williamsport next month if anyone is interested!

[Crozure]

Hey just to let you know most corals do not need to be drip acclimated. Corals are deprived of oxygen when drip acclimated. I only drip acclimate some inverts. Most corals I just temp acclimate for about 15min and then if im feel like it needs more acclimation I will put a half cup of water in every 10 mins. Drip acclimating may have been your problem. But like everyone else said they are very hardy and like weeds. I loved them at first but now the are getting out of control and taking over my tank.

I can't say that I agree with you on this one. All corals acclimate differently, some I can't kill even if I tried to (yellow polyps) and some acro that need to drip acclimate for 20+ minutes. If you are really worried about O2, which I don't know why, put an airstone in there.

Also, explain the oxygen thing again for me. I ship corals with no O2 and have great results.

[Crozure]

xenia are filter feeders..............................give it some poop and it will be just fine.

[Mr.evo]

I acclimated mine for like 20min and they opend right away, they are at the top under. 150mh

[StrongMN]

after aclimiation, how much flow should a xenia be placed in first in the tank? Right into where u want it, or should one put it in less flow to transition into a new tank?

-StrongMN

[Engloid]

from what I've seen and heard, they don't like a lot of flow. If they get too much flow, they don't pulse as much. Mine are about 8" to the side of a 600gph Koralia, and they dont' get a lot of flow...but they pulse like mad!!

[gweston]

I had a Xenia take a 2 hour drive from pickup to the house, med dipped for critters, then temp/drip acclimated for maybe an hour. It was open and pulsing in about another hour but slightly agitated. By the next day it seemed normal. I now have a a lot of tiny branches growing and the thing is noticeably larger. It has been < 2 weeks.