Fragging/Pruning Pulsing Xenia

[BubbleTrouble]

How best would one prune back pulsing Xenia if needed? Or like how to make frags of it? I'm just wondering if it's removed from rock if it'll be okay 

[WV Reefer]

12 minutes ago, BubbleTrouble said:

How best would one prune back pulsing Xenia if needed? Or like how to make frags of it? I'm just wondering if it's removed from rock if it'll be okay 

You can pull it, cut it, chisel it…… whatever really. Xenia is basically a weed in most tanks and will often drop itself all over the tank without any help. 

[Dave21]

I have one that regular grows out of control. I've found the best way to keep it managed is to agitate it with your fingers so it retracts then use surgical forceps to grab the base at the rock and wiggle it a bit and they pop off. 

 

I tried to frag it by gluing the stalks onto plugs but I have trouble getting them to stick. If you have a sump or area in the tank where you can place some live rock rubble you can set the pieces on the rubble and in a couple days it should attach then you can just use the rock rubble as your plug. 

 

Honestly mine grows so fast I've plucked it and thrown it out to keep the tank managed. Definitely still one of my favorite soft corals. Love the way it pulses. 

[Dave21]

34 minutes ago, BubbleTrouble said:

I'm just wondering if it's removed from rock if it'll be okay

I've personally found it's next to impossible to hurt. I've torn it and a little torn up piece floats off and will start growing where it lands. 

[BubbleTrouble]

On 2/3/2023 at 5:51 PM, WV Reefer said:

You can pull it, cut it, chisel it…… whatever really. Xenia is basically a weed in most tanks and will often drop itself all over the tank without any help. 

Okay awesome! 

[BubbleTrouble]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:10 PM, Dave21 said:

I have one that regular grows out of control. I've found the best way to keep it managed is to agitate it with your fingers so it retracts then use surgical forceps to grab the base at the rock and wiggle it a bit and they pop off. 

 

I tried to frag it by gluing the stalks onto plugs but I have trouble getting them to stick. If you have a sump or area in the tank where you can place some live rock rubble you can set the pieces on the rubble and in a couple days it should attach then you can just use the rock rubble as your plug. 

 

Honestly mine grows so fast I've plucked it and thrown it out to keep the tank managed. Definitely still one of my favorite soft corals. Love the way it pulses. 

I think I'll try fragging it like you mentioned with the rock rubble, thank you! 

[less than bread]

Using a rubble basket works or you can rubber band it to a frag plug.

 

I’m not sure if you can easily find these, but sometimes my LFS uses frag plugs that have a spike on them and they stick  it through the spike.

[BubbleTrouble]

57 minutes ago, less than bread said:

Using a rubble basket works or you can rubber band it to a frag plug.

 

I’m not sure if you can easily find these, but sometimes my LFS uses frag plugs that have a spike on them and they stick  it through the spike.

As it stab it through the xenia?? That won't hurt it? 

[less than bread]

On 2/9/2023 at 2:38 PM, BubbleTrouble said:

As it stab it through the xenia?? That won't hurt it? 

Nope, just make sure the piece is thick enough so it won’t rip. Corals are amazing creatures. People frag hard corals using a band saw…