"Invasive"?!?!

[Liquid360]

I read a lot on here about the "dangers" of adding certain species to reef tanks out of concerns claiming they'll take over your tank... seemingly overnight. I keep quite a few of these "invasive" species. For example, pulsing Xenia I've heard it told quite often to newbies that its not recommended. After a year in my tank there are two tiny new colonies, either of which I could kill off in a matter of seconds. These things do not grow over night and are EASILY controlled through the most basic regular maintenance. I just don't understand the term "invasive" being used to describe anything in a home reef.
Mother Colony

New Colonies

 

[ritter6788]

Blue clove polyps, (sansibia) are invasive beyond anything you can add to a reef. No way to control the spread and where they will turn up. They are brooders and release planular larvae that can end up anywhere in your tank including your sump. They are very irritating to other corals and can "nuke" themselves taking out other whole coral colonies with it. Too small and too many to pluck or trim. Knocking them down with a tool like a brush only seems to spread them. This is one coral I consider truly invasive.

 

[Genesis Corals]

+1, I think many species can be controlled through fragging or isolating, but there are some that truely will take over your tank and are very hard to get rid of.

 

[cymaster007]

The problem with xenia is that you can try to pull them off of the rock, any part of the base that is left over will regrow, xenia is also was invasive to me because it would stretch out and latch onto rocks, or shade SPS and then latch onto the sps it had shaded to death. If it didnt have any where to stretch onto, it would just detach a small head that would grow/attach wherever it landed (usually 1-2 times a month) I did not have much trouble with the pink or silver xenia, for me the problem was the blue xenia.

 

[Liquid360]

When you pull them off, using a toothbrush, perhaps some regrow. However the regrowth is slow in the extreme. Once a week at most you remove the undesired growth and it all remains in check. Ignore it for months and I can see it becoming an issue. However if you're ignoring your tank for months on end you'll have bigger issues than spreading Xenia. If you've got a yard, grass could be considered invasive by this definition. I simply believe the term invasive has lost all meaning here. A reef tank is high maintenance by its very nature. Nature made no plans for you to have a reef in your living room. Invasive has come to mean relatively rapid growth which it isn't. Aiptasia are invasive. Pulsing Xenia is just easy to grow. Perhaps it's just semantics but here in this forum it means something. It effects what people allow in their tank.

The problem with xenia is that you can try to pull them off of the rock, any part of the base that is left over will regrow, xenia is also was invasive to me because it would stretch out and latch onto rocks, or shade SPS and then latch onto the sps it had shaded to death. If it didnt have any where to stretch onto, it would just detach a small head that would grow/attach wherever it landed (usually 1-2 times a month) I did not have much trouble with the pink or silver xenia, for me the problem was the blue xenia.

 

[Connie]

Just for the sake of healthy debate, I'd like to point out the following:

You say Xenia is not invasive but Aiptasia is. Aiptasia can be removed with a toothbrush too; and perhaps it will regrow. Removing Aiptasia once a week at most would keep it in check too. What is the difference?.....other than Xenia is pretty.

 

[Liquid360]

Invasive means to spread rapidly and undesirably. Xenia might be higher maintenance but its something we chose to stick in our reef. I'd bet not a one here introduced aiptasia on purpose.... at least I'd like to think so

Just for the sake of healthy debate, I'd like to point out the following:

You say Xenia is not invasive but Aiptasia is. Aiptasia can be removed with a toothbrush too; and perhaps it will regrow. Removing Aiptasia once a week at most would keep in in check too. What is the difference?.....other than Xenia is pretty.

 

[Connie]

Xenia will spread rapidly and undesirably as well.eace:

 

[Liquid360]

Not to be argumentative but you're saying aiptasia and Xenia are the same? I think to fit the definition of invasive it must be something you didn't add to your tank on purpose. I think we're mistaking "high maintenance" for "invasive".

 

[Reefing Madness]

Im going to have to side with Liquid on this one. The Xenia is alot more easily removed and maintained coral, that has the eye catching looks for most everyone out there.
Xenia can overgrow other corals, which i've seen done, but cutting back hadn't happened at that point.
Aiptaisia on the other hand can sting and kill other corals. But I myself like the looks of Ball Anemones and Mojanos (certain colorations) as they do spread some, but if left alone in a system that isn't nutrient rich, will take care of themselves.
Also, on Ritter's point, there are others that are much more dificult to get rid of than the Xenia.
jmo

 

[Planedoc]

Kenya tree and xenia are wonderful.
To me invasive is something you don't want. I give away handfuls of both types of xenia, Kenya tree and as much macro as people want. These are pics of my 75, it's my overgrown tank with a few large anemones

Tapatalk on Galaxy S3

 

[Aquaph8]

Just the thought of blue cloves makes me cringe, I hate those things so much.

 

[cymaster007]

I guess invasive is relative to the person who has the coral. A large group of people in socal consider blue cloves and xenia invasive because we do not want to have to keep pulling it off corals and rock work, it grows quicker than we would like so we label it invasive. brown/mint palys, GSP, zoas and mushrooms also fall into the category of invasive for most SPS keeping people. I loved how the soft coral looked and grew so fast at first, and I slowly transitioned into a more SPS dominate tank I found my self constantly having to remove the soft corals before they snuffed out my SPS. I would break a bunch of branches trying to get to soft corals adjacent to it.

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[Liquid360]

But this is my point. "Invasive" isn't relative. You're describing something that's "high maintenance" not "invasive". Again this might seem like simple semantics but its not.

I guess invasive is relative to the person who has the coral. A large group of people in socal consider blue cloves and xenia invasive because we do not want to have to keep pulling it off corals and rock work, it grows quicker than we would like so we label it invasive. brown/mint palys, GSP, zoas and mushrooms also fall into the category of invasive for most SPS keeping people. I loved how the soft coral looked and grew so fast at first, and I slowly transitioned into a more SPS dominate tank I found my self constantly having to remove the soft corals before they snuffed out my SPS. I would break a bunch of branches trying to get to soft corals adjacent to it.

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[Liquid360]

Really? You sure you want to do that? While I do appreciate the support, doing so could hurt your credibility. Just tryin' to look out for ya.

Im going to have to side with Liquid on this one.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Invasive can be relative. One persons tank could be for pleasure, and a Xenia outbreak that smothers his expensive corals may see them as invasive.

The LFS or any prop center will see Xenia as a supreme cash maker. Everyone buys at least one. Not everyone can afford chalice. The business will see Xenia in a much less invasive manner.

So yeah, it is sort of a matter of maintenance, but then you have to think of aptasia as maintenance and not invasive. To the butterfly fish they are a food source...its all perception.

I can get jabbed with a knife and see the knife as invasive but the stabbed could see it as freeing me, and even a food source. I'm definitely comparing Xenia to a knife in my rib cage, but opinion is a blessed thing. Nobody is ever 100% correct about anything nor 100% wrong. Trial and error my friend, or at least witness others trials and errors and make your own new ones. Someday we will never have a perfect aquarium, but until then we will keep trying.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Really? You sure you want to do that? While I do appreciate the support, doing so could hurt your credibility. Just tryin' to look out for ya. 

I know, I know. But, you've got a point on this one. Just saying. Where you take it is up to you. I've thrown in my 2 cents though.
Invasive could be called to all Corals, as they will all eventually spread and have to be pulled or cut at some point. Zoas will, trust me, will overtake a tank, doesn't matter which one you have. If they are put on the rocks and left to their own. So they to could be called invasive. So, its all in how you want to look at it I guess.

 

[Liquid360]

Heavy sigh. I throw in the towel.

 

[Reefing Madness]

No, I get your point. Im just pointing out the fact that if people are told Xenia is invasive because it will grow and take over a tank, my point is so will Zoas. I don't call Coral invasive. They grow how they grow, people buy them because they like em, thats all that matters.

 

[glb]

Ok can we stop arguing about this? It's getting pointless. : )