Xenia Overgrowth Solution

DanCorals · 02/16/2018, 03:04 PM

Hey Everyone,

I occasionally see posts regarding explosions of Xenia growth in reef tanks overgrowing coral. The default answer seems to be the manual removal of Xenia from the rocks which can be difficult if it is encrusting over a large area in an established reef. I had this issue at the end of last year and a $5 piece of black felt and some patience (10 weeks) took care of the issue! The felt can be easily cut to size depending on the area where you want the Xenia removed. The best part is, because the Xenia died off slowly, the tank didn't get shocked in the same way that scraping causes. Here is the before and after:

Watchm@n · 02/16/2018, 03:16 PM

I'm having this issue on a piece of rock...
How long has your after pic been clean for now... As in how do u know it won't grow back

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

DanCorals · 02/16/2018, 05:14 PM

When you remove the felt it is apparent that the xenia flesh is gone. If there is no leftover living flesh than Xenia wont regrow. Often there are patches of white dead xenia left under the felt that peel off the rock easily. If there is a patch of xenia that somehow got a sliver of light and still is growing, it is easy to smother that section with some bonding putty. But overall, it helps eliminate large patches of Xenia with little effort. The patch in the picture has been free for 3 weeks now. But I can see no Xenia flesh so I am confident that it will not return.

Drix · 02/16/2018, 09:59 PM

These pulsing Xenia? I kinda want some...

THEUNION1 · 02/17/2018, 02:20 PM

Frag and sell?

02/16/2018, 03:04 PM	#1
DanCorals Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 66	Xenia Overgrowth Solution Hey Everyone, I occasionally see posts regarding explosions of Xenia growth in reef tanks overgrowing coral. The default answer seems to be the manual removal of Xenia from the rocks which can be difficult if it is encrusting over a large area in an established reef. I had this issue at the end of last year and a $5 piece of black felt and some patience (10 weeks) took care of the issue! The felt can be easily cut to size depending on the area where you want the Xenia removed. The best part is, because the Xenia died off slowly, the tank didn't get shocked in the same way that scraping causes. Here is the before and after:

02/16/2018, 03:16 PM	#2
Watchm@n Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 129	I'm having this issue on a piece of rock... How long has your after pic been clean for now... As in how do u know it won't grow back Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

02/16/2018, 05:14 PM	#3
DanCorals Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 66	When you remove the felt it is apparent that the xenia flesh is gone. If there is no leftover living flesh than Xenia wont regrow. Often there are patches of white dead xenia left under the felt that peel off the rock easily. If there is a patch of xenia that somehow got a sliver of light and still is growing, it is easy to smother that section with some bonding putty. But overall, it helps eliminate large patches of Xenia with little effort. The patch in the picture has been free for 3 weeks now. But I can see no Xenia flesh so I am confident that it will not return.

02/16/2018, 09:59 PM	#4
Drix Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 590	These pulsing Xenia? I kinda want some...

02/17/2018, 02:20 PM	#5
THEUNION1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ORANGE COUNTY, CA Posts: 928	Frag and sell?