Xenia dying?

[jasonrusso]

I got a Xenia about 6 weeks ago. It has been thriving until about 4 days ago.

It started to shrink and some pieces started falling off. The guy I bought it from said that the xenia might have absorb all the iodide. I had some supplement so I put it in.

I noticed this growth on the xenia stalk. I thought it might be a pest so I tried to remove it with tweezers. It was really on there, then I thought it might be a new stalk growing. What do you think?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Looks like the rock is showing to me.

 

[jasonrusso]

Looks like the rock is showing to me.

Huh? It's coming out of the xenia stalk

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I agree with the rock showing. Xenia can split and move

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Huh? It's coming out of the xenia stalk

To me it looks like the Xenia stalk are moving away from a lump in the surface

 

[jasonrusso]

To me it looks like the Xenia stalk are moving away from a lump in the surface

Do they retract when they do that?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Do they retract when they do that?

Not sure if they retract when they move. In my experience they move slow or over night. One day I woke up and I noticed a baby stalk growing in the back on the bottom of the tank 8 inches away from the colony hah

 

[jasonrusso]

Not sure if they retract when they move. In my experience they move slow or over night. One day I woke up and I noticed a baby stalk growing in the back on the bottom of the tank 8 inches away from the colony hah

I did pull a dead chunk out today. It was under my anemone. Maybe it moved and got stung.

I'm still learning this coral thing. They are fascinating. I've been doing fowler for the last 5 years. Just started the reef tank

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I did pull a dead chunk out today. It was under my anemone. Maybe it moved and got stung.

I'm still learning this coral thing. They are fascinating. I've been doing fowler for the last 5 years. Just started the reef tank

I hear you! So many corals and all with there own display of temperaments I’m still learning everyday. In my experience Xenia are pretty hardy. But mine did close up at night like most of my other corals like to do

 

[jasonrusso]

I hear you! So many corals and all with there own display of temperaments I’m still learning everyday. In my experience Xenia are pretty hardy. But mine did close up at night like most of my other corals like to do

If it doesn't recover, I'll cut a living piece off and put it in my fowler. The nitrates are always high in there!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

If it doesn't recover, I'll cut a living piece off and put it in my fowler. The nitrates are always high in there!

How high

 

[jasonrusso]

How high

Maybe 50, the test turns dark pink on some tests, but others read 5. I don't think it's 50 because if it was, all the snails would die and I would have an algae issue which I don't.

I think something in the tank gives a false positive. Maybe the UV?

 

[jasonrusso]

The more I look at this xenia, the more I think it isn't sick, but it is splitting. The stalks look very healthy and if it touch it with tongs it is very much alive.

If that is the case, can I cut off a stalk and put it in my other tank? Can I just snip it off or will that kill the colony?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I agree the animal and stalks look very healthy. You can cut them like a branch off a tree. Just start with one stalk at a time and try a fragging video on xenias to know a little more of what to expect visually

 

[jasonrusso]

and now it looks like this. I will never stop being amazed by these animals.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

and now it looks like this. I will never stop being amazed by these animals.

Looks to be enjoying the conditions and stability. Good job

 

[jasonrusso]

I guess it's repopulated, lol.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

They grow fast!