Xenia trouble

First off thanks for reading. i'm sure all this newbie stuff gets repetitive. But anyways I added some xenia to my tank but this newb exposed them to air for a couple seconds. They look all bunched and contracted up like they are going to die what do you think is going to happen .. Nitrate is at or below 40mg/l and nirite is at 0 thanks. Checked salinity and water temp tahts ok.. Thank you

 

At or below aye? 40 is a pretty high number for nitrates. While the coral is probably only closed up because it's acclimating to your tank, it might not open up again with nitrates that high. How old is the tank that you've put them into and what kind of lighting have you got?

 

it's been two days since i've added them. They do open up, I think im screwed it seemed to have cycled nitrite>nitrate increased then decreased within the first week it's been 2 and a half weeks. Added the Xenia two days ago they just dont look right, or happy but when they open they all look great. It's a 5 gallon CAD LIGHTING tank with t5's. THANK YOU! what could be a possible emergency setup i could get at the LFS to help these surviVE?

 

How about bringing them back to the lfs to hold for you until your tank is ready for corals? Even if you set up an "emergency" tank to hold the corals until your tank is ready, that emergency tank is going to have to cycle as well so you don't have many options.

 

Good advice from amcarrig.

Xenia like high lighting, some flow, and good water conditions.

It probably be one the last corals you add. (maybe 6 mos to 1 year after tank cycle) -

Then it won't be long till you have them all over the place.

 

I agree u should have the lfs hold the xenia until ur tank is established otherwise that piece is finito.

 

+2 for what amcarrig said.

 

OK so just when I think I can't count on my friends for much, one came through in a huge way today, or so I thought. One of my friends has a well established 190 gallon tank just to house his enormous puffer fish that he has had for 5 years. I saw it take down a giant boiled shrimp it's teeth are huge .. Anyways he gave me a few gallons of his well established water. NOW i get home and do the water change thinking im good, but then I check the water chemistry and BANG nitrate SKYROCKETED. Im assuming becuase of the waste from the 12 inch long puffer which I will get pics of for you people when I return him his water I'm screwed completely my nitrate was at 40 now its up over 200 thanks to what I thought was going to help in a big way, I guess I can't blame him I kept stressing that I had a nano 5 gallon'r . Well here comes the sulfer

 

Ok, what you should do is bring them back to the LFS and have them hold them. Let your tank fully cycle. You will see ammonia go high, drop to zero, then the nitrites will rise, then drop to zero, then the nitrates do the same thing. after your tank is fully cycled you add a clean up crew, then let the tank go for a few weeks, then add a fish(never add more than 1) then comes corals. If you don't let the tank FULLY cycle, every time you add something it will go through another cycle. You need to do some research on keeping a reef tank and go super slow. Nothing good happens in this hobby fast. For corals you need good lighting and for quite alot of them, they require excellent lighting. Water perameters have to be in check. This is what you are aiming for with a reef.

ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - lower than 20ppm(some corals like a little bit of nitrates)
phos - 0
calcium - 400 -450ppm
alkalinity - 8 - 12dkh
ph - 8.0 - 8.4
temp - 7.7 - 8.0
salinity - 1.023 -1.026

Hope this helps, continue to do your reading and research, it's a fundamental for this hobby.

 

It is good to have some nitrates/nutrients in your water as corals, clams and filter feeders sonsume it one way or another.
Xenia, or any other coral for that matter will become stressed in a new environment. The time it takes for them to take on their natural shape, color and behavioral idiosyncrocies will depend on you and the lighting and water parameters.