Not so pulsing Xenia..

Hey guys,

I got a pulsing xenia frag on Saturday. I just got back from DC this morning and it doesn't look good at all!

Here's a picture, is it completely dead or what? I don't know what could have gone wrong! Any ideas?

I also have button polyps and GSP. The button polyps are doing great, so were the GSPs until I put the Button polyps in...do you think the button polyps are irritating the other 2 corals?

Thanks for the help!

 

I wouldn't count them out. Xenia can grow back from a nub. But, for whatever reason, xenia thrives in some tanks and dies right off in others, for no apparent reason.
Where do you have them placed? Xenia IME likes low to moderate flow and will take as much light as you can dish out. What is your lighting situation?

 

Give it a few more days. Sometimes with this coral it takes a while to get use to new flow. What you could try is to start this coral out by placing them on the bottom of the tank and reducing the lighting period for the first few days. Increase the lights by a hour per day until you are at your normal lighting schedule. Then begin moving this coral up to the level that you want.

 

Okay great. I put it on the side of LR initially, but pretty high up. I moved it to the top of a LR now so it's getting a lot of light. I have a PC light with 4 bulbs.

 

It's getting a good waterflow too. Hope it changes around quickly because it's pretty cool!

 

What are the water parameters ? Ca alk Mag PO4 and NO3's

 

How old is the tank? What is your nitrate level? If you think the button polyps are bothering it run carbon for a while. I found that Xenia loves light. I'd put them at the top right off the bat.

The first time I put Xenia in my tank it died a slow death and shrunk down to nothing. My second attempt 6 months later went much better. I had a scare and didn't think it was going to make it and it turned around and now I have to prune it.

 

The tank is 2 months old, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate were all surprisingly 0 (I thought tanks usually have a little nitrate). I had the xenia at the top of a rock, but I think it's hopeless. When I went home last night the head of it was floating on the floor. Looked like the button polyp was gonna try to eat it.

Anyways, I left the nub on the LR there, maybe it will somehow grow (looks dead anyways)?

Also...my green star polyps aren't coming out. I noticed less and less were coming out until recently none of them have been coming out. It's a shame because they look as if they were getting greener! Any input?

I have to get a reef test kit tonight and see what those params are.

 

I'm not trying to sound mean but at 2 months old I don't think you should add corals yet without knowing what all your parameters are. have you tested your ph, alk?

 

ph is 8.3 salinity is 1.025