Xenia elongata

[bradl.]

I have a pulsing xenia growing on a flat piece of rock. How do i transfer it to my live rock?If I pull it off will it die? :?:

 

[wade1]

I've transfered your post to a new forum for more visibility.

Wade

 

[ChrisRD]

You can pull it or scrape it off the flat rock and use a bit of crazy glue to stick it in the new location. You can also try securing it with a rubberband (not too tightly). If all is well, it should reattach itself in the new location within a few days to a week...

 

[Fatal Morgana]

For less dramatic but safer way to spread Xenia, just put a piece of rubble right next to it, and in no time, it will spread onto the new rock. You then can cut the "runner" off from the mother colony.

 

[Playdope]

My Xenia hasn't divided yet, and it's been about a month. Its on a rock island on the substrate, so I'm not flooding it with light. It's grow a little bit since I got it, but not a lot. It is pulsing well. Will it be alright if I let it grow slow under lower lighting conditions?

 

[ChrisRD]

Xenia is a bit strange IME. In some tanks it grows so fast it's almost out of control - in others it does nothing or may even whither and die for no apparent reason...

What do you mean by lower light conditions? I've seen it grow very well under VHOs and PCs in fairly deep tanks (so, not overly bright conditions IMO).

 

[blastermqn]

I've had exellent luck with Xenia.

Seems to be very nitrate tolerant, if not enjoys a bit for stronger growth. Xenia does not like new tanks in my experience and cannot tolerate even slight ammonia or nitrite levels.

In other respects, I've found it a weird critter. In one of my 55's under 110watts of PC is would tolerate about 11 hours of light, and then close up, this being on the bottom of the tank. In one of my 30s, where it's doing very well, it's a lot closer to my 6500k halide and can't seem to get enough light.

Most Xenia have a reddish or brown color, which would seem to indicate heavy colonies of zooxanthellae algae, which might account for it's appetitite for nitrate. It's ability to grow like a mad weed is something to be respected, even though I've always liked the looks of it, and it's easy to frag and sell by placing a small rock against it where it soon 'glues' to.

I've heard some interesting theories that the pulsing motion of Xenia is not to capture oxygen, but to release internal gases as the result of the metabolism of the zooxanthellae inside it.

 

[Fatal Morgana]

>...I've heard some interesting theories that the pulsing motion of Xenia is not to capture oxygen, but to release internal gases as the result of the metabolism of the zooxanthellae inside it. ....

Any link? I love to shoot this theory down.

 

[bradl.]

well monday morning i scraped and pulled my beautiful xenia from the rock i purchased it on and rubber banded it high on my live rock.It really shrank. My hands stunk like raw fish all morning.That night it looked to be all but dead. Tuesday i saw a little movement . Now wednsday it looks to be opening a little and starting to pulse.Wish i had a digital to share the step by step its really amazing!

 

[Anonymous]

Xenia is very tough...glad it worked out for you!

 

[blastermqn]

Any link? I love to shoot this theory down

Was one of those long news group threads I saw awhile back. I wasn't sure if I should take it seriously or not - guess I won't.

 

[bradl.]

Thursday and I removed the rubber band. Its opening about half as full as originally and one of my green clown gobys seems to be "hosting". It looks so much more natural on the rocks.

 

[Fatal Morgana]

>...Was one of those long news group threads I saw awhile back. I wasn't sure if I should take it seriously or not - guess I won't. ...

RAMR? I wish I have the time that I used to have to check it regularly...

At any way, you should be taking everything with a grain of salt in this hobby, esp. if they can't back up the opinion with scientific facts.