Xenia Trouble- Dying/Dead?

[mbrock4141]

Got a frag of Pom pom Xenia shipped 4 days ago and it is completely shriveled.

Is this a lost cause? Can it recover? What can I do?

I am new to the hobby and need some help. Thanks :)

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

What are your parameters?

 

[mbrock4141]

Temp- 77
Salinity- 1.026
Nitrate- 20ppm
Nitrite- 0
Ammonia- 0
PH- 8.0

I have Duncan, zoa, gsp and hammer and they appear to be just fine.

 

[Submerge]

Normally Xenia is the last one to show problems and the first to recover from big changes. I’ll bet this is shipping stress more than anything in your otherwise healthy system.

 

[mbrock4141]

Normally Xenia is the last one to show problems and the first to recover from big changes. I’ll bet this is shipping stress more than anything in your otherwise healthy system.

It is completely retracted and showing 0 polyps, is it fully dead? Can it come back?

 

[Submerge]

It is completely retracted and showing 0 polyps, is it fully dead? Can it come back?

Unless it is a stinky ball of slime I’d give it a little more time. Baby it with lower light lower flow and see what happens. Did you dip it or shock it in some way?

 

[mbrock4141]

Unless it is a stinky ball of slime I’d give it a little more time. Baby it with lower light lower flow and see what happens. Did you dip it or shock it in some way?

It certainly still has a fleshy mound left and don’t really smell anything awful, didn’t dip it or shock before. Should I have? I don’t have anything to do that.

 

[Submerge]

Hard to say. Dipping is good if you are trying to avoid bad stuff from coming in. Also kills the good stuff tho like micro brittle stars and pods. So many factors like your source and what’s going on in your reef already. But since you didn’t dip that’s obviously not the problem.

 

[Pistondog]

It certainly still has a fleshy mound left and don’t really smell anything awful, didn’t dip it or shock before. Should I have? I don’t have anything to do that.

Do not toss. Xenia will come back if the environment is suitable.
If other corals are surviving, the xenia is not lost.

 

[gkaminski]

Don't give up on it yet! Xenia is actually quite resilient and shipping stress is one of the most common reasons for this exact behavior - fully retracted, no visible polyps, but still with a fleshy base.

The fact that it still has a fleshy mound and doesn't smell bad are both very positive signs. A dead xenia will usually melt into a slimy mess within a day or two and the smell is unmistakable.

Your parameters look solid - salinity at 1.026, zero ammonia/nitrite, and the fact that your Duncan, zoas, GSP and hammer are all doing fine tells me your tank is not the problem.

A few tips to help it recover:
- Place it in a low-medium flow area - xenia doesn't like being blasted directly
- Mid-level lighting is fine, no need to go super low
- Give it time - it can take 1-2 weeks post-shipping for xenia to fully open up again
- Don't move it around too much once placed, xenia hates being relocated repeatedly
- Keep up with stability - consistent salinity and temp are key

One thing worth checking: xenia can be sensitive to high nitrates over time. At 20ppm you're at the upper acceptable range - it won't kill it now but keeping it a bit lower longer term will benefit your whole system.

Patience is the best medicine here. Good luck - once xenia establishes it tends to take off and become a pulsing centerpiece of the tank!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I would put it into lower light, but in the pic it looks like its completely in the shade, it won't improve in the shade.

 

[mbrock4141]

Don't give up on it yet! Xenia is actually quite resilient and shipping stress is one of the most common reasons for this exact behavior - fully retracted, no visible polyps, but still with a fleshy base.

The fact that it still has a fleshy mound and doesn't smell bad are both very positive signs. A dead xenia will usually melt into a slimy mess within a day or two and the smell is unmistakable.

Your parameters look solid - salinity at 1.026, zero ammonia/nitrite, and the fact that your Duncan, zoas, GSP and hammer are all doing fine tells me your tank is not the problem.

A few tips to help it recover:
- Place it in a low-medium flow area - xenia doesn't like being blasted directly
- Mid-level lighting is fine, no need to go super low
- Give it time - it can take 1-2 weeks post-shipping for xenia to fully open up again
- Don't move it around too much once placed, xenia hates being relocated repeatedly
- Keep up with stability - consistent salinity and temp are key

One thing worth checking: xenia can be sensitive to high nitrates over time. At 20ppm you're at the upper acceptable range - it won't kill it now but keeping it a bit lower longer term will benefit your whole system.

Patience is the best medicine here. Good luck - once xenia establishes it tends to take off and become a pulsing centerpiece of the tank!

Thank you, very helpful info.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Got a frag of Pom pom Xenia shipped 4 days ago and it is completely shriveled.

Is this a lost cause? Can it recover? What can I do?

I am new to the hobby and need some help. Thanks :)

In new tanks , they can be unwilling to take to tank. Often it does not matter if tank is old or new bout moreso if balanced .... ammonia below .025 and flow is not too aggressive as they do best with moderate flow