My Blue Xenia?

[scouncil]

Well, I had a colony from Donny's and it was growing like mad and was very happy until the other day I noticed that at least half of it was gone. I know that some of those things sometimes "volunteer" and it sends out a fat finger to attach to something and then grows another patch, but this morning there is NOTHING. Not a hint that a blue Xenia was ever there. Gone. Nada.

I had looked around to see if I could find the patch of other Xenia, thought it was rather big to just have disappeared, but didn't ever find any of it.

I even moved it so that it would be close to the clown pair (who chase some of the fish) in case something was bothering it. They are still fairly small though and wouldn't really be good protection.

I checked my water parameters and they are fine, though the kH could be a little better (measures at 7-8 on the German scale with 6-10 being normal on that scale). It always tends to run low, so I'm adding something called "reef builder" that helps keep the kH/pH better. pH is consistently 8.2 and Nitrates are more than 1, but less than 2 (ok, I'm probably feeding too much, I need advice). I didn't check calcium, but it's always been 460 or better. Guess I could check that.

So, could something have eaten it? If it had died, I would have expected at least some decayed something there. What do you all think? I bought a digital thermometer, but it was dead. I'll get another one today, but with my lights I've always been borderline too hot. I know it's winter, but I would only expect that to make my tank borderline low since house temp is kept at 68 and it's in the middle of the room, not on an outside wall.

And please don't be mean. I'm not feeling overly well and just can't handle any meaness. So far, this has been a bad month. Don't make it worse.
Susan

 

[gflat65]

Xenia just die sometimes. I've had colonies of several different types (primarily pom poms since they don't spread out as much) just die over a couple of days. I've also watched my Purple Tang munch on my Cespitularia, so it would likely do the same to Xenia. It was ripping chunks off before i got them out of there...

 

[scouncil]

It could be the tangs. They do get rather testy when I don't put their greenery in to munch on after feeding. They seem to be able to eat anytime, anywhere and anything. I would think that if it had died that there would be at least some remains, wouldn't there? I don't have any crabs and my shrimp only come out at night due to the real threat of the clown wrasse (I was told before I knew any better that it was reef safe....). The xenia was growing like a weed. Well, not that bad, but growing very well. I was almost impressed that something was growing that well in MY tank.... Then gone. Heart broken. Might have well have been a powder blue tang......

 

[ironman]

I would bet eatin, typically zenia will die fast, but you should see it wilting or melting away one day and then over the period of a few days gone. to have it disapear without a trace leads me to believe your tangs got a taste of it. as big as your tangs are they could devour it very fast if they got in a feeding frenzy. its a tough call. I know several people in the club have alot of it. Im sure someone can cut you a small piece just to see if the tangs will leave it alone. sorry to hear about it. When we gonna meet and get glueing?

 

[jules11vb]

Susan, are you talking about the blue clove polyps?? They look like xenia, but they are really short. I had some too and mine just disappeared like you are describing. One day they were great, the next day...gone.

 

[scouncil]

No, my blue clove polyps are still there. They are shorter and darker. These looked like Tommy's Xenia, just with a pale blue tint. And they are GONE. I think something must have munched them.

Bryan, we need to talk about that fish trap thing you were catching your wrasses in..... Maybe I need to get rid of that clown wrasse and the coral beauty? I don't want to get rid of my tangs.....

 

[scouncil]

Oh, and the glueing, after the holidays anyway. I'll be working at home for a couple of months at least anyway.
Susan

 

[ironman]

I would be glad to bring it when we get together to glue stuff. the key is to put it in the tank and put the fishes food for that day in the trap with the door open, let the fish get used to going in and out with no stress, then the next day feed again and close the door. my wrasse went in mine within a minute of putting the food in, but you may have a hard time catching the angel? we will set a date though