My tank is only 2 months old since the live rock but i already have 3 frags i picked up from a friend and at a fund raiser auction. It is a green striped mushrrom (single), some xenia (which has stopped pulsating after 2 days, now it just flows with the current), and a yellow velvet finger acropora (was doing fine until now some of it looks really white and other parts of it the polyps seem open but others closed). How do I feed these things and why did the Xenia stop pulsating?
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Feeding corals?/Xenia not pulsating.
- Thread starter IcantTHINKofONE
- Start date
I'm not sure if these guys will make it. None of those species should require feeding, although it might help. Assuming you have proper lighting, my best guess is that you just have to keep your fingers crossed.
I would give your tank another few months before adding any more corals. Your parameters may seem fine, but it still would be good to let it get dialed in more before adding anything delicate. You may be getting pH swings or short spikes of ammonia, for example, that would disturb most corals.
Tim
I would give your tank another few months before adding any more corals. Your parameters may seem fine, but it still would be good to let it get dialed in more before adding anything delicate. You may be getting pH swings or short spikes of ammonia, for example, that would disturb most corals.
Tim
Xenias only pulse under certain circumumstances... High Ph being one, I believe about 8.6... Someone should be able to verify that ! As long as the base of the Xenia stock looks good and thick and the polyps are extended you should be fine. As far as the other frags, you check your levels??
The green striped mushroom actually looks great as does the xenia. I was just curious about if I should feed them. The acro I know is because of low light and Ca but I am working on supplying it with more light and Ca....hope it makes it til then. Thanx again.
My xenias pulse through the full range of my pH. 8.1 in the am to 8.3 in the pm. I found they don't like a strong current, but enjoy the backwash areas where gentler currents come from all directions. They seem to like it closer to the lights. 2 96w 10,000k and 2 96w 03 actinics pc's. They did look a bit puny when I first got them, but have grown quite a bit. They pulse almost non stop. Just give them some time. I don't feed them anything.
Regards, Eric
Regards, Eric
hi.
As others mentioned, Xenia needs no feeding. Even mushroom can do great without feeding.
On the issue of why a Xenia pulses while other does not, I tend to go along with Reefguide. Check the pH and alkanity. However, there is no specific cutoff point for any of the parameters, but oftentime, Xenia will stop pulsating when the pH or the alk. is too low.
As others mentioned, Xenia needs no feeding. Even mushroom can do great without feeding.
On the issue of why a Xenia pulses while other does not, I tend to go along with Reefguide. Check the pH and alkanity. However, there is no specific cutoff point for any of the parameters, but oftentime, Xenia will stop pulsating when the pH or the alk. is too low.
My Ph is about 8.3 in the pm, and the only time I ever saw them pulse was in the bag I brough home from the LFS !! The bag was floating on the surface and they were going nuts pulsing. After I placed them in the tank, they stopped pulsing after about 1 day I think it was. They grew nice and happy, split, ect till a few weeks ago that I had a problem with my fuge. Most of my corals have recovered bt the Xenias didnt make it. Most stalks have withered away, but the main stalk is still there shriveled, and with no polyps. I'm hoping it will recover even though I doubt it.
I agree that you should wait before adding any more SPS corals.Your tank is immature and needs more time to stablize. Now shrooms on the other hand should thrive in your tank. They seem to like trace additions and some indirect feeding(same for the xenia). In my tank I have shrooms that expand with iodine additions and the xenia seems to thicken and pulse more often. All of the xenia I have was from the same original piece and some pulse, some do not. Some are doing great in heavy current, while the others are doing great in moderate or slack current. IMO their reaction all depends on where they were collected or even how they were treated during shipment or at the LFS.
As far as food goes xenia and shrooms take in nutrients in the water that are present from a tanks regular feedings. Xenia seems to absorb nitrate from the water and help keep nitrate levels low as long as they are pruned occasionaly. Now you may find it hard to prune shrooms once they are established. Some even refer to them as "roaches".
Some say that xenia will flourish at a higher PH and ALK, and it is probably true in most cases. But some here even say that at a PH of 8.4-8.6 and a high ALK their xenia doesn't pulse or even flourish. But it does seem that xenia, in most cases, does fare better at a high PH/ALK. That along with some nutrient IMPORT(feeding) will help xenia flourish. A lack of pulsing does not mean your xenia is doomed. I have some xenia that never pulses, yet it divides and spreads well. Now shriviling or the loss of their heads is a different story. That is a sign of a problem. So by making sure your PH/ALK is up and there is adequate feeding, as well as keeping your salinity and lighting constant, may help your xenia stay healthy.
Good luck,
As far as food goes xenia and shrooms take in nutrients in the water that are present from a tanks regular feedings. Xenia seems to absorb nitrate from the water and help keep nitrate levels low as long as they are pruned occasionaly. Now you may find it hard to prune shrooms once they are established. Some even refer to them as "roaches".
Some say that xenia will flourish at a higher PH and ALK, and it is probably true in most cases. But some here even say that at a PH of 8.4-8.6 and a high ALK their xenia doesn't pulse or even flourish. But it does seem that xenia, in most cases, does fare better at a high PH/ALK. That along with some nutrient IMPORT(feeding) will help xenia flourish. A lack of pulsing does not mean your xenia is doomed. I have some xenia that never pulses, yet it divides and spreads well. Now shriviling or the loss of their heads is a different story. That is a sign of a problem. So by making sure your PH/ALK is up and there is adequate feeding, as well as keeping your salinity and lighting constant, may help your xenia stay healthy.
Good luck,
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