Getting rid of Pulsating xenid

[salavelle]

I made the mistake of adding Pulsating xenid (Heteroxenia Polyp) to my tank when starting and now it is taking over the tank. Is there any way to rid the tank of this stuff without just starting over with new rock and substrate?:( I have tried pulling it out and even scrubbing the rock in the area it was with a stiff bristle brush and it just keep coming back. Please someone tell me I don't need to start over.:furious:

[psusocr]

They thrive on nitrates, if you nitrates are high they are going to grow like a weed, spo first try to lower your nitrates. But in the meantime you can take the rock out and just chip the piece off with a chisel and hammer,easiest way to do it, or cut it very close to the rock and then take some some putty and put a thin layer over the top and it will die off.

[salavelle]

The tank is now two years old and my Nitrates are checking 0 with a Salifert test. But, I like your suggestion on removing some of the rock and putting putty over the area. Do you think just scrubbing the area and then putting epoxy putty over the area would work?

[Palting]

You'll just have to persevere and pick them out individually. It will take a while, pick and scrub with a tootbrush. The good news is that they require light, so they grow where you can see them and pick them out. Otherwise, the answer unfortunately is to take the tank down :(.

I have mine on an island. I put rubble around the island, then take the rubble with the Xenia to the LFS for credit :).

[QuailHollow]

I made the mistake of adding Pulsating xenid (Heteroxenia Polyp) to my tank when starting and now it is taking over the tank. Is there any way to rid the tank of this stuff without just starting over with new rock and substrate?:( I have tried pulling it out and even scrubbing the rock in the area it was with a stiff bristle brush and it just keep coming back. Please someone tell me I don't need to start over.:furious:

I have a 10" piece of cabbage leather coral that has killed ALL of my pulsing xenia. It's a 20 year old piece of coral that my dad gave me. It destroys it, seriously. It just melts away.

[DrBegalke]

If you can take the rock out, run hot tap water over the areas where the xenia is.
This will change the color of the coralline, but new coralline grows back quickly.

Just do one rock at a time, spaced at least a few days apart.

[salavelle]

Thank' s for the ideas. Since "psusocr" suggested putting putty over the area the xenid inhabited, I am wondering if covering the area with super glue would also work. I have concerns about taking a hammer and chisel to the rock, as some of the rocks have encrusted sps and other corals attached.

[psusocr]

super glue works as well, i cut it off, put putty over and super glue gel to attach new pieces of sps over it

[gmate]

Nitrates read zero because the Xenia absorb them before they become detectable in the water. Remove the Xenia and your nitrates will likely spike, possibly pretty high too. Consider an alternate method of removing nitrates (chaeto, denitrator, etc) and see if that is the cause of the problem. Only thing I can think of.

[Zappo]

I have the same problem with kenya trees. Rather than fight it, I just trade in coral-covered rocks for clean cured live rock at the lfs from time to time.