A Xenia Refugium: Pulsing Xenia as a method of filtration?

Do you think a xenia refugium is an effective method of water filtration?

  • Yes

    Votes: 104 12.8%
  • No

    Votes: 119 14.6%
  • Maybe considering the set up

    Votes: 150 18.4%
  • Never considered it

    Votes: 429 52.6%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 13 1.6%

  • Total voters
    815

Nhjmc

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It's beautiful and it's pulsing polyps are memorizing! But is it just a weed in your tank or something more? Let's talk today about pulsing xenia and it's effectiveness as a method of filtration or not. So let me know what you think!

1. Do you think a xenia refugium is an effective method of water filtration?

2. Have you ever considered setting up a xenia refugium?

3. Do you think xenia would end up in your main display?


Xenia tank image via @Trex
Untitled-7.jpg
Holy crap!! Wow!! That is SO awesome! I love pulsing Xenia!
 

beaslbob

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How exactly are xenia going to remove nutrients, I mean whatever they consume is going to be put right back into the tank as waste, right??? Or do we murder a handful each week and throw it in the trash? Lol
They contain plant life and like all plant live they consume ammonia, nitrates, phosphates, and co2 while returning oxygen and fish food. As long as they live those are not returned to the system. To export you harvest regularly. Just like macro and other algae. Just that the algae is more effective that xenia or other corals.
 

Riqaq

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We could never get the nitrates down in the small softee tank. We put the Xenia stone from the reefer in and now We have zero nitrates, occasionally have to remove the odd bit of Xenia which has wandered, but it isn't a problem. The current softee tank doesn't have a refugium, a bigger softee tank is needed anyway so we'll buy another Red Sea Reefer with a sump.
 

ca1ore

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Curious if anyone that has tried a Xenia refugium has experimented with using a red/purple hued refugium light?
 

jeffnsa

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One of my favorite topics.

Absolutely it will work as a primary filter for your reef. I've been using it for almost 20 years. As a result of its efficiency my system is stable, skimmerless, and virtually maintenance free. I only do water changes once ever 6 months or so. It has been this way for many years without a hiccup. When I switched to my current system in 2016 I lost my entire Xenia population, only because I had to take it off line while I waited for my new tanks to be made/delivered from Planet Aquarium, and so I went with a Vertex 250 skimmer while I was waiting for the Xenia to regrow to a size that could handle the new 550+ gallons. Once it they did I was back to "skimmerless" again. It is truly amazing how well it has worked for me, and it isn't accidental it is deliberate. I have always kept it in a separate tank far enough from the display so that a floater wont accidentally find its way up. Because it does have the potential to take over your DT if it makes it way to a power head.

Everyone has a different definition of a "successful tank". We each create our own living artwork.

For me a successful system is one that is stable and deliberate so my inhabitants can live a long and health life.


This was my old system a 240 (8x2x2) that was skimmerless. Unfortunately I had to upgrade because the clam was getting too big to fit through the center braces, and it would frequently blow water out of the tank or on the light fixtures. I lost several MH bulbs because of it.
Aug.2004-Aug.2016
P1140669_zpsa9ucovej.jpg


Current Setup
20180728_130739.jpg

20190808_182512.jpg

2019051895193414.jpg


Xenia Refugium: I don't have a video of the new Xenia fuge but it is identical to this one on my old system.

I remember going to a MAAST meeting back in early 2000's and seeing your display and refugium tanks. Since then I believe refugiums to be just as beautiful and interesting as the displays. Right now I have a 50gl frag tank and a 90 gl tall fuge that I will put a couple of seahorses in with grape and feather calurpa and xenia with a ton of rock.
 

ca1ore

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I had wondered the same, but looking around it looks like most are using white/blue lights

Agreed. I am cultivating a crop of xenia in one area of my sump using a standard Kessil 160 light, but it's on the fritz. I have a refugium light on hand thus my question. Perhaps I shall just experiment and see.
 

fragman2

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If your or anybody knows of the variety of xenia that's easily controllable in a display I would like to know ?
I have a “Single Stalked” variety of Pumping Xenia that I have kept for 20 years. I purchased it from GARF in 2000. This Xenia will grow in a display tank or anywhere without spreading IF it is placed correctly in the system. It’s simple, locate it at the highest point of the rock work Where there is no opportunity for it to “walk” up the side Walls of other rocks, corals or the tank Itself. I’ve growth colonies with Single Heads 8 tp10 inches across with stalks 3 inches in diameter. Standing as much as 14 inches tall. This specimen was kept in a 500 gallon mixed reef. If you want to propagate this variety of Xenia you need to cut it deliberately or let it lean onto rocks where it will crawl and spread.
 

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Dan Watson

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My biggest questions and curiousity is how would it stack up against other macros specifically chaeto? what would be the pros and cons (other than the obvious for both)? Other than lighting, would there be other cost heavy needs? Grow time is long so how would you convert in an established tank? and back to the first question, what exactly is it filtering? I assume not nitrates and phosphates.
Pic of a back wall covered in xenia for attention:
C42D912B-4C67-469B-B946-B5D959C623E9.jpeg
 

cnseekatz

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It will be outperformed by chaeto, but it's so much cooler. It will not spread from your fuge to your display unless you try to trim it and little pieces start flying around. Those WILL root wherever they land. They are very effective filter feeders and absolutely help control organics. Be very careful though, they will nuke your tank if there's ever a mass die off. I had an electrical problem zap my xenia fuge, and that nuked everything. Here's a video for reference.

 

Still_human

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We have a little 5gal xenia tank at my store, and it regularly gets individual fully formed polyps here and there in the sand. They definitely were dropped by the main masses. Like maybe 2-3 per month. If the tank was connected to another tank, I guess it’s very likely a tiny released polyp would make its way over. As far as function, it might be much nicer to look at than a tank stuffed with chaeto, but it wouldnt do anywhere NEAR as much work for the system, as far as removing nastiness, and would even drain good stuff from the water that the other corals need, so I wouldn’t do it for the sake of functionality, but it’s hypnotic and relaxing to stare at huge masses of pulsing Xenia, so I’d consider it for the sake of beauty, but I might just have it separate from other tanks.
 

CoralFragZ

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I used to have xenia in my frag tank but when my nitrate was low I started dosing Potassium Nitrate. The xenia slowly melted away and it's completely gone now. Also a few Montipora frags started dieing back.
What did you bring it up to? It is very evasive in my 1200 system and only way to get rid of it is manual extraction which is impossible.
 

Tom Giddens

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I just removed all my macro about a week ago and put a softball size colony of Xenia isn’t the fuge. After doing some reading I decided to give it a go. Wanted to try something different for the sake of it.
Do you have light over the xenia?
 

Tom Giddens

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One of my favorite topics.

Absolutely it will work as a primary filter for your reef. I've been using it for almost 20 years. As a result of its efficiency my system is stable, skimmerless, and virtually maintenance free. I only do water changes once ever 6 months or so. It has been this way for many years without a hiccup. When I switched to my current system in 2016 I lost my entire Xenia population, only because I had to take it off line while I waited for my new tanks to be made/delivered from Planet Aquarium, and so I went with a Vertex 250 skimmer while I was waiting for the Xenia to regrow to a size that could handle the new 550+ gallons. Once it they did I was back to "skimmerless" again. It is truly amazing how well it has worked for me, and it isn't accidental it is deliberate. I have always kept it in a separate tank far enough from the display so that a floater wont accidentally find its way up. Because it does have the potential to take over your DT if it makes it way to a power head.

Everyone has a different definition of a "successful tank". We each create our own living artwork.

For me a successful system is one that is stable and deliberate so my inhabitants can live a long and health life.


This was my old system a 240 (8x2x2) that was skimmerless. Unfortunately I had to upgrade because the clam was getting too big to fit through the center braces, and it would frequently blow water out of the tank or on the light fixtures. I lost several MH bulbs because of it.
Aug.2004-Aug.2016
P1140669_zpsa9ucovej.jpg


Current Setup
20180728_130739.jpg

20190808_182512.jpg

2019051895193414.jpg


Xenia Refugium: I don't have a video of the new Xenia fuge but it is identical to this one on my old system.

That is an awesome clam! What is your secret? I have always loved clams but everytime I get one they do well for the 1st year or so and then die over a few day period. I have sent water test in and they came back revealing nothing. I always had 250 watt MH and no signs of pests so I dont know what I am doing wrong? Any tips would be appreciated, and once again a beautiful set up. Any chance you have a top down pic of that Gigas?
 

Tom Giddens

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I’ve been running a Xenia fuge ever since vibrant killed off my chaeto and it’s been working well. Actually too well on the phosphates anyway. I’ve been holding steady at 10ppm nitrates but my phosphates have bottomed out and I’ve started to get some cyano because of it. Also I’ve had a couple pieces let go and try to migrate but the hard Matt of mesh in between my fuge and return has caught everything. No unwanted travel...

45D46194-2599-4C5B-A33F-58613EB9671A.jpeg
Try adding phyto to raise Phosphate
 

Tom Giddens

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Agreed. I am cultivating a crop of xenia in one area of my sump using a standard Kessil 160 light, but it's on the fritz. I have a refugium light on hand thus my question. Perhaps I shall just experiment and see.
How is the red light working out ?
 

Tom Giddens

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It will be outperformed by chaeto, but it's so much cooler. It will not spread from your fuge to your display unless you try to trim it and little pieces start flying around. Those WILL root wherever they land. They are very effective filter feeders and absolutely help control organics. Be very careful though, they will nuke your tank if there's ever a mass die off. I had an electrical problem zap my xenia fuge, and that nuked everything. Here's a video for reference.


Would that be because when it died it released all those nutrients back into the water all at once?
 

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    Votes: 79 38.2%
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    Votes: 69 33.3%
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