Pulsing Xenia--a Weed or Mesmerizing Delight?

[PacificEastAquaculture]

Pulsing Xenia

Considered a beginner coral by most, I must confess it's one of my personal favorites. The pulsing is mesmerizing and it's one of our most popular corals. Some folks hate it and others can't seem to keep it alive. What's your experience and opinion?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I personally love it. I keep it isolated and trim as needed. Never had it go crazy doing this. Sadly I do not have any right now as my haddoni moved and nuked it in the process.

The best it ever looks is when you turn all the flow off to feed the fish. Everything gets still, but it keeps going. The random movement from it is just awesome to watch.

 

[PacificEastAquaculture]

I personally love it. I keep it isolated and trim as needed. Never had it go crazy doing this. Sadly I do not have any right now as my haddoni moved and nuked it in the process.

The best it ever looks is when you turn all the flow off to feed the fish. Everything gets still, but it keeps going. The random movement from it is just awesome to watch.

I agree, I love it too. I have several varieties, a Bali with larger tan short polyps, long polyp, silver, deep red, and a non-pulsing variety.

 

[JoshH]

What's the trick to keeping it contained? Or is there one? You hear horror stories of it taking over everything. I've always though of doing a fuge area dedicated to it to keep it out of the display.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

What's the trick to keeping it contained? Or is there one? You hear horror stories of it taking over everything. I've always though of doing a fuge area dedicated to it to keep it out of the display.

I never had an issue with keeping it contained to a rock, but I am meticulous about making sure when it reached the sand it was removed. It never dropped “floaters”, as I call them, like a Kenya tree either. It’s rock was only 2” or so from the main structure and it never made it to it. Maybe I was lucky with it, not sure. I have never had it on a main rock structure, and that could be it too.

 

[revhtree]

I’m with you! Always lived Xenia but now just keep it contained in Iran own tank!

 

[JoshH]

That's always good to know, makes me a little more comfortable thinking about having them. They are wonderful and the pulsing is mesmerizing. I'm still envisioning an entire fuge with a carpet of them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine really never run wild either. Very ornamental and fills spaces nicely

 

[PacificEastAquaculture]

What's the trick to keeping it contained? Or is there one? You hear horror stories of it taking over everything. I've always though of doing a fuge area dedicated to it to keep it out of the display.

Since we're propagating and selling it we try to get it to grow as much as possible. It is amazing that we cut individual stalks and within a couple of weeks they are multiple stalks, for sure fast growers. In a display tank the only thing I found to contain it is to aggressively trim it including cutting off chunks of rock if it gets out of hand. However, in some of my customer's tanks that are all softie tanks with lots of leathers, the Xenia never seems to get too out of control. Another customer with a mixed reef has Cespitularia and Xenia, the Xenia doesn't grow much but the Cespitularia is the weed.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I forgot add, I think nutrients play a big role also. The tanks it has always been in stayed at about 5 no3 and .03 po4. Being as I know someone who uses it as their primary source of nutrient export and their sump is 100% Xenia, I could see how it could thrive if it had a good food source. They used to have about 30-40 no3 and around .8 or so po4. The Xenia was pure accident in his sump but once there and established it grew fast and his numbers went down.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I’m a big “yes” to it. I think even if a person had a tank full of $200 coral pieces, it would still fit in and add something.

 

[Katrina71]

I agree, I love it too. I have several varieties, a Bali with larger tan short polyps, long polyp, silver, deep red, and a non-pulsing variety.

You have red? Been trying to get some for years!

 

[PacificEastAquaculture]

You have red? Been trying to get some for years!

Yes, will take a pic tomorrow

 

[Katrina71]

I absolutely love Xenia and GSP!

 

[tenten900]

I always wanted a xenia crab with the xenia but never seen any for sale.

 

[PacificEastAquaculture]

I absolutely love Xenia and GSP!

Oh no, GSP? That needs a whole different thread!

 

[Katrina71]

Oh no, GSP? That needs a whole different thread!

Yes. Yes it does.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[PacificEastAquaculture]

I confess that I'm a big time softie lover! Leathers are my number 1 corals followed closely by Xenia and the treasure trove of others such as shrooms and polyps. Lots of movement in the flow, tons of diversity, don't die for some silly reason, and when mature they all look amazing. I feel like I need to keep it a secret since most folks feel they are too easy beginner corals, but to me they are stunning. Who else feels an all softie tank is the best it gets for pure reef enjoyment without the worries?

 

[Katrina71]

Look at Mike C's Softy tank...there is no way you can't love it.