xenia does not pump why?

[markc]

I have just purchased a xenia which was described as a pumping xenia.
It pumped at first but has now stoped all else seens fine .
I have the coral in a strong water current and strong but not direct light.

 

[Wormy]

Xenia is picky stuff. As near as I can tell, we really don't know all of the things it "needs" to do well. The first bunch of Xenia I put in my tank melted in days, and never pumped (even though it had been doing so at the store). The second batch pumps like mad, and has been sprouting new polyps like a weed. These were from the same source. I would check your pH first, as that seems to be a primary key for getting Xenia to pump. Alkalinity seems second in my experience. If it's too low, the Xenia stop pumping, even if pH is good.

HTH

 

[ging]

FWIW, I moved some stuff around in my tank a few weeks back and my pulsing Xenia stopped pulsing. I found from the board that I had set it to close to a green star polyp and they were fighting with each other. I had to eventually move them away from each other and that did the trick. I also have mine in a med current and they are growing like weeds

ging

 

[Ritteri&Bubbles]

Xenia and what makes em pulse are still keeping me clueless. I have a few different strands, sometimes they pulse, sometimes they dont. A strain that is right next to my green star polys and is definetly fighting for space pulses pretty good. Another strain only pulses after a water change and stops when water quality is iffy, even when all water tests come out perfect including ph,orp,temp,alk,ca,po4 etc. And the last strain, which grows the best in my tank pulses on occasion. I keep my alk at the natural levels found in the ocean(6-8dkh). I have raised Alk higher with no effect,PH in my tank is always around 8.25-8.3 during the day,8.1 at night. I dont use Iodide/Iodine, the one time I tried it(1 single drop of lugols)all the xenia closed up immediatly and started to shrivel till I did a massive water change. IMO with xenia, its a roll the dice situation, alot of the myths with xenia didnt(dont)work in my tank.

 

[Nathan1]

If it's xenia elongata, it needs relatively high alk levels (3.2-4meq/l) and the correct pH (8.0-8.4). Bright light seems to help as well.

-Nathan