Xenia

So I have had my eyes on a pulsing xenia at a lfs for a little while now. This is my first SW tank and all is going well so far, only set up for a month and cycle finished a little over a week ago. Have 2 clowns and a CUC is arriving friday with mini hermits and snails.

Is a xenia a good first coral to go with? They have huge colonies of it and it has grown in their tanks like a weed where they have a ton of small rock fragments with a few stalks of xenia on them from spreading. Everything I read online seems to contradict each other where some say it is an easy coral some say it is extremely difficult. A lot of people say they like flow but dont put them in front of a powerhead. Also people say they like dirty water but then say not to add them to a tank that is under 3-6months old.

Tank specs are in my signature, just trying to figure out if I should attempt to keep this coral or not. Also I see many say certain species of xenia seem to harm SPS corals, the one at the lfs had was on the bottom of the aquarium underneath and around the frag holder with the xenia growing through the holder and surrounding sps frags which all looks very healthy.

IF all goes well I am hoping to get either a dual or quad T5 HO fixture next month and adding a coral at that time

 

IME Xenia is an excellent first coral choice and does much better in newer set up than most other corals.

With that said it can also melt for no apparent reason, just keep trying. Stay away from Anthelia, an Xenia look a like, but more weed like.

 

How would I be able to tell the difference between a xenia and an anthelia? Being new to corals I do not have the best ID skills and I have talked with the guy at the lfs (small family owned store) and he seems to know what family his corals belong to but does not now the specific species.

 

Anthelia will grow in more a mat pattern.

Xenia more of a stalk/branching pattern, although Anthelia will sometimes also stock. Anthelia may appear cream or brown in appearance.

Best to google both and compare the two.

 

Anthelia is much longer (most species) and looks more weedy.Google an image,i have a little,but just got rid of a bunch,it spreads fast and will make your tank look like a messy jungle.Xenia,very cool,i've also had it melt away for no apparent reason in an older tank and had it grow back 6 months later,it can be a crazy coral.

 

Ive tried googling images but with so many species its hard to say. I think it kind of looks more like a redsea xenia on aquacon than anything else I find. It is definitely not tan/cream colored.

How long should I wait until I add it to my tank? I know people say depends on your water paremeters all are in check but my nitrates are still high being a newer tank (around 10-20)

 

Adding Xenia to a newly cycled tank is easier than adding fish IMO.

This is not a coral that requires pristine water conditions, nor the intense lighting required to keep most sensitive stony corals.

In my experience it usually dies back or completely dies off in the low nutrient tanks desired by a lot of hobbyist.

Colt corals or Sinularia is another good choice

 

My experience is completely opposite.

 

You can add now,xenia likes a little nitrates in the water.They can thrive or die in the most prestine tank or the dirtiest tanks.

 

Forgot to add that pumping Xenia does better and you see more movement of the coral tentacles when the proper pH and alk are maintained.