Xenia mystery

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, TNSRFR said:

Only reason I want Xenia is for their pulsing.  So no pulse,  no anthelia.  I may just get a pico tank set up just to have Xenia.  😜

Xenia generally only pulse in low flow. Its believed they pulse to generate oxygen

[TNSRFR]

1 hour ago, Murphych said:

I could never get Xenia to work out either. I have loads of softies, leathers, LPS and SPS.. all fine growing out well.. put Xenia in and it melts in a couple of days... 

I’ve heard of some just can’t.  It’s a mystery alright.   When I’ve tried it in my quarantine tank, it was doing fine and pulsing.  Put it in my DT, wham melted in a few days.  That’s why I’m wondering it’s due to how my DT is set up.  How’s your tank set up?

[Harrisonbored]

3 hours ago, TNSRFR said:

Only reason I want Xenia is for their pulsing.  So no pulse,  no anthelia.  I may just get a pico tank set up just to have Xenia.  😜

Every few weeks I scrape, and ultimately toss, about a sandwich bag full of Xenia from my back glass.

If you ever want some, just pay for shipping ,and I'll send you all you want  (I'm in LA so CA UPS Overnight should be reasonable)

[TNSRFR]

9 minutes ago, Harrisonbored said:

Every few weeks I scrape, and ultimately toss, about a sandwich bag full of Xenia from my back glass.

If you ever want some, just pay for shipping ,and I'll send you all you want  (I'm in LA so CA UPS Overnight should be reasonable)

Thank you.  I’ll keep that in mind.  🤗

[Murphs_Reef]

2 hours ago, TNSRFR said:

I’ve heard of some just can’t.  It’s a mystery alright.   When I’ve tried it in my quarantine tank, it was doing fine and pulsing.  Put it in my DT, wham melted in a few days.  That’s why I’m wondering it’s due to how my DT is set up.  How’s your tank set up?

I have a medium sized tank 92gal. Filter sock, skimmer and Carbon only. 

Strong flow and my parameters are: 

Salinity: 1.025

Temp: 25c 

NO2: 5ppm

PO4: 0.05ppm

Alk: 9.1 

 

Moderate lighting, reef sits under 2 x prime hd 16s at 39 watts in peak. 

 

As I say I have healthy corals of all types.. lots of GSP, zoa's , encrusting SPS, all sorts just can't keep Xenia. 

 

[TNSRFR]

6 hours ago, Murphych said:

I have a medium sized tank 92gal. Filter sock, skimmer and Carbon only. 

Strong flow and my parameters are: 

Salinity: 1.025

Temp: 25c 

NO2: 5ppm

PO4: 0.05ppm

Alk: 9.1 

 

Moderate lighting, reef sits under 2 x prime hd 16s at 39 watts in peak. 

 

As I say I have healthy corals of all types.. lots of GSP, zoa's , encrusting SPS, all sorts just can't keep Xenia. 

 

It seems you are running a similar set ups like me, skimmer, filter sock and carbon with similar parameters.  I’ve pretty much given up on trying to figure it out.  Some just can’t have Xenia.  Most response I get is “it’s a blessing!”.  I picked up a beautiful carnation coral from LFS today.  So I’ll focus my energy on her.  I know, I know it’s a very difficult coral to maintain in a home set up but I’m gonna try my best in caring for this coral.  😊

[Murphs_Reef]

Yep same as me. I'm not going to spend any time to try and figure it out. 

[Seadragon]

On 7/21/2021 at 8:57 PM, TNSRFR said:

I have toadstool leather and yes, I run carbon.

Figured I’d shed some light on the mystery.  I’ve been doing research on this subject in the past and then again today.  I keep lots of healthy, active Pulsing Xenia in my tank and I was thinking about getting some activated carbon for the hell of it.  Then I remembered I read something before…

 

I did a Google search and found other hobbyists just like you who run activated carbon, change it out regularly, and cannot keep Pulsing Xenia in their tanks either.  And then it was mentioned that Xenia needs trace elements such as Iodine and Iron to survive.  And carbon removes Iodine and Iron from the water causing the Xenia to eventually melt away.

 

Anyways, I don’t have any leather corals and I’m not about to test the carbon theory myself since I love my Pulsing Xenia, but I figured I’d let you know what I found out.

Also, the reason why Xenia pulses: “Recent research by a team of scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology finally have a few answers released in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The team discovered the motion of  the polyps helps with binding of carbon dioxide to the photosynthetic enzyme RuBisCo (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase), while also decreasing photorespiration. This led the team to the conclusion that in the case of H. fuscescens, the benefit overcomes the cost. Because of the pulsation, the ratio between photosynthesis to respiration in this Xenia is the highest ever measured in stony and non-pulsating soft corals.”

 

[banasophia]

I had issues with xenia for a while too… now it’s finally growing and pulsing for me. I think the one that is growing for me is one that was fragged from that nice front desk tank at aquarium depot. 

[rough eye]

21 hours ago, Seadragon said:

I did a Google search and found other hobbyists just like you who run activated carbon, change it out regularly, and cannot keep Pulsing Xenia in their tanks either.  And then it was mentioned that Xenia needs trace elements such as Iodine and Iron to survive.  And carbon removes Iodine and Iron from the water causing the Xenia to eventually melt away.

does this mean people who have sps or other organisms that need trace elements should not run carbon?

[Seadragon]

30 minutes ago, rough eye said:

does this mean people who have sps or other organisms that need trace elements should not run carbon?

I think a lot of people that have SPS also regularly dose and check their water parameters.  Their SPS may require different trace elements compared to Pulsing Xenia too.

[rough eye]

i'm considering adding an easy sps but i don't want to start dosing, or testing for things like iodine. so far i've only tested the basics: nitrate, nitrite, ammonia.

[banasophia]

7 hours ago, rough eye said:

i'm considering adding an easy sps but i don't want to start dosing, or testing for things like iodine. so far i've only tested the basics: nitrate, nitrite, ammonia.

Try a montipora digitata, like a forestfire or bubblegum

[TNSRFR]

Thank you all for your reply on my Xenia challenge.  I’ve been going through some severe health challenges with my husband and my daughter lately.  So I doubt  I will be on the site very much...

[banasophia]

11 minutes ago, TNSRFR said:

Thank you all for your reply on my Xenia challenge.  I’ve been going through some severe health challenges with my husband and my daughter lately.  So I doubt  I will be on the site very much...

Oh no so sorry… please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’ll pm you my number.