[clown-t]

hows my xenia look?

[This message has been edited by clown-t (edited 05-10-2001).]

[Cinco]

Other than it looks like it is being blown over. The color and texture are beautiful. What type of xenia is it?

[chromis]

Originally posted by Cinco:
Other than it looks like it is being blown over. The color and texture are beautiful.

Xenia needs alot of current though very little light.

[clown-t]

that a good quiestion i don't know. does anyone know?

[ScottC]

It really looks like X. elongata. I'd need more info on it to be sure.

I have some of mine in a direct blowing current, about 2" away from a powerhead (on a timer 15 min on/15 min off) that is growing like a weed. Actually, all of them are growing like weeds.

They need iodine. Also, the pulsing action of the "hands" works as an exchange of needed nutrients from the water to suppliment their zooxanthellae produced diet. Particulate feeding is rare.

[Smitty91]

It is the Xenia Elongata. Low to moderate current and strong light. Any Iodine it needs will be obtained from food alone.

If you're not running PC, VHO, or MH, most likely the coral won't survive. I've only seen one testamonial about Xenia being kept under normal output lighting. But, enough information couldn't be obtained about this particular setup. I can attest from an experiment tank that 1 1/2 WPG isn't sufficient to keep Xenia alive.

My Xenia growth (excuse the size of the pic) was achieved without dosing Iodine. It grows so much and thick, any stalks underneath literally fall off the edge of the rock to the sandbed due to the lack of light. My first frag started off approximately the same size as yours.

What does contribute to it's growth rate?? Nutrients in the water column. It's been referred to many a times as the sewer water coral.

It will most likely grow upwards, towards the light. You'll soon see, if you haven't already, little knobs on the stalks. Not to worry, this is normal. I do not have the technical name for these nubs. But, the Xenia stalks grow so tall, and then they start to lean. They use these nubs to attach to whatever it can. One of several ways Xenia spreads.

The pulsing action is said to be directly related to the PH. The rapid pulsing comes from a PH higher than 8.3. This varies from colony to colony, but is no direct indicator to it's health or growth. So if you have a slow pulsing colony, don't sweat it!

Xenia do not have a mouth, so, one can only assume they are a filter feeder.

You'll want to keep an eye on Alk levels as many a crashes have been contributed to low Alk.

It's a great coral, but you, like many others, may be soon cursing the rapid growth!! [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

Smitty [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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