Worried about my new Xenia

[bguile]

Hey guys,

I just added a new Xenia to my tank after a long time waiting to catch it at the LFS. They were very lively in the LFS tank and as expected kinda died down the liveliness as they were in the bag and waiting to be transferred to my display tank. However, the still looked pretty good.

I completed a water change while accimating the new xenia. It took me a little while to decide where to place the xenia as I read that they don't like high current area and the rock. They were extended for a while but not pulsating. I finally had decided where I was going to place them, then a few minutes later they went totally limp! The lights are off in the tank now, just moolight. Do they normally do that at night? Am I just being paranoid? I've just completed water tests and they seem fine (I think). They are posted in my log for reference http://www.reefland.com/myaqlog/public.php?userid=4907

I'd take a picture and send however, I dont want to turn the lights back on and disturb the other life in tank. Maybe I'll post tomorrow if they are still doing the same thing. The guy at the LFS said they came in the day before from Fiji, so that may help someone in ID'ing the type of xenia.

Any words, solutions or anecdotes are greatly appreciated.

[Sueet]

It's probably just acclimating itself to your tank... and yes, xenia can/does 'shrink' some at night, making it appear rather limp. Xenia is the type of coral that tends to slowly wither/shrink away rather than just going limp when it dies, and ..... honestly.. lol, it's really rather difficult to kill xenia, so I wouldn't worry about it unless it doesn't respond at all after the lights have turned back on for a while.

[bguile]

Ok. Thanks Sueet. I'll take your word for it, you've given me good advice in the past and have been very helpful.

[bguile]

Well, here's a pick of my new Xenia's.

I came home after church today to find that it was dragged down into the substrate . I went to the LFS to obtain some epoxy as I figured this might happen...and my superglue skills have been hit or miss b/c it crazes the instant it hits the water, doesn't stick to anything, and then hardens into this big white unattractive clump. Anyway...this is what it looks like today. I fed my tank cyclop-eeze hoping that I might get some kind of response..but nothing. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Any thoughts?

[Reefland]

Well my first thought it they aren't dead, you can still see the heads of the polyps even they they are clinched shut. Was there a difference in the temperature, lighting of salinity in the tank you purchased them from and yours?

[bguile]

I didn't think to test or check the water from the LFS before I began to acclimate the Xenia. I used a drip method that I got from another site. After doubling the water volume 3 or 4 hours later I finally placed it in my display. They were open but nonpulsing by the time I put them in the tank. It took me a little while (30 min) to place it in its final position but I left it alone as soon as possible. Some polyps were closed but they still were standing. An hour after leaving it, i returned and they were limp. Are they a type of coral that can't be out of water at all? I noticed some type of mist-like give off after removing them from the acclimating bucket to the tank.....and mistakenly when I was trying to glue it down. Although they weren't out for long periods of time (less than 5 seconds).

[Reefland]

No they can be removed from water and exposed to air for short periods of time so that's not it, and your acclimation process seems more than sufficient. Sorry I don't have more advice but the best I can suggest it to wait and see.

On another note, despite how hardy some people find Xenia, other people find it impossible to keep.

[Caesar Augustus]

Well let me make you feel a little better. When I first brought home a single stalk, mine did the same thing. And, much like yourself, in my frantic attempts to find the problem the stalk fell off the rock into a powerhead! I thought they were gone. It has since split into four stalks and is pulsing away. Keep in mind that they tolerate light to med current and like light a lot. Place them high in your tank. The ammount of light they recieve has a direct relation to if, and how often they pulse. Mine had stopped pulsing for a few months and started back the day I replaced the bulbs. They are hardy so keep the faith friend and good luck to you.
Augustus

[bguile]

Thanks Caesar, I remember reading your post as I was looking for as much info on Xenia's as I could. I'm glad to hear that yours have survived and are doing well. I guess I'll just have to be patient and see. As far as light goes, they are placed about 2/3 rd's of the tank high on the second highest peak in the tank. it's safest there as normal water changes would cause it to be out of water.

[Samper]

I don't wanna scare you bguile but I had a nice size patch of xenia for atleast 5 months about that size maybe a little bigger. One day for no reason at all that I could find they started to look like your pic. About a week went by and slowly the heads closed up completely and shortly after they just shriveled up and died. If they do remove them from the system as soon as possible but give em a fighting chance first.

Like reefland said some people can't keep them and some people have to throw them away because noone will take frags fast enough and they spread like fire in their systems. Best of luck to ya.

[Sueet]

What is your salinity? I don't see it in your log, and so far it's been my experience that xenia's seem to like a slightly lower ph and salinity between 1.019 and 1.023 (of course, I use a cheap swing-arm hydrometer, so that could be.... and more than likely IS... completely inaccurate)

They do like a bit of gentle flow, and not all xenia likes intense light... It's kind of hard to id which type yours is with the polyps closed, it doesn't look like the ones I have tho.

Good luck!

[bguile]

I usually keep the tank around 1.022 specific gravity. I believe there's a salinity reading on the opposite side of my hydrometer scale but I usually never look at that number seeing that it's static in respect to the specific gravity reading. ( I use an Instant Ocean swing arm hydrometer). I was thinking to test their water too...just for comparison but had already started the acclimation before I thought about it again. My PH is right around 8.4...so I hope (it's hard to tell the difference between the dark pink and hot pink on the stupid test strip!!) Just in case, I stopped dosing B-Ionic for a few days now so it should be closer to 7.8 after the water change. Since I wont get instant results I'll keep and eye on it and keep you all posted.

However, I did take a look this morning before leaving for work. Only the moonlight (blue led's) were on, but it looked like the polyps were starting to open up. It wasn't exactly standing up but it didn't look as limp as it does above. I'm hoping to see good improvement by the time I get home. Stay tuned.

[bguile]

UPDATE: I came home today and found that a few polyps have opened slightly. Still a little limp and hanging but a little more glimmer of hope than yesterday. I'll wait till tomorrow to post another pic.

[bguile]

Well guys and gals ....the worst has come to pass. The Xenia's didn't make it. The worst part of the whole thing is, I waited so long for the LFS to get some in and I don't even know why it died. I do want to say thanks for all the help and suggestions from everyone.

I didn't work today so I had a chance to watch hopefully as it recovered, but to no avail. One stalk is completely "jellied" as the other one continues to wither but it still has what looks to be 2 small new polyps. Should I yank the whole thing or wait to see what happens with these new polyps? I did an ammonia test and it seems to have only raised to .25 which my kit says is safe. (0 being ideal, Jungle Labs).

I'd like to see if the LFS has more but Im worried that the new ones would suffer the same fate seeing as I can't figure the reason. Everything else in the tank appears to be healthy and thriving normally. Any thoughts or encouragements? I'd like to "get back on the horse" and try again, but I don't want to just go killing life forms without even knowing why.

[Reefland]

I would go ahead and remove the colony to prevent from polluting your tank.

As far as some words of encouragement, absolutely you should try to find another stalk and give it a go. If I remember correctly your LFS just got that stalk in right? You should try to find a stalk from a fellow reefers tank (should be easy to find) that will probably be a bit more hardy.

[Samper]

Don't give up the fight my good man!!!

[bguile]

Thanks guys. I'll give it another go then.

[Caesar Augustus]

Sorry to hear that friend, better luck is sure to follow
Augustus

[Sueet]

Wow, I have to admit, I surely didn't expect it to die! I'm very sorry, I've never seen xenia that wasn't 'made of steel' but maybe it was just in shock from going from dealer tank to dealer tank to your tank in such a short time... Maybe next time put a deposit, or even buy it outright, but have the lfs hold it for you, for a few days at least? I'm really sorry, I hope you have better luck next time.