Shrinking Xenia - Help?

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I put a small colony of xenia into my tank a few months ago. (I'm not
sure exactly what species, but it's not the pulsing type.) It really
took off- spread out over the rock and grew really tall, almost up to
the water's surface. Color was a light brown, and the fronds were
really long.

Now, over the last month or so, it has been shrinking. It looks more
purplish and the fronds are almost down to stubs.

My first guess is that my xenia are not happy, but I suppose it might
be part of their life cycle. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The tank is a 55g with 220w 10,000K PC and 40w actinic. The lights are
on for 12 hours, but staggered- they don't all come on or go off at
once. I have LR and DSB- nitrates have been zero for a long time. I
did a good-sized water change to no effect.

The weather is warming up, so the water is tending to run a bit warmer-
that's the only change I can think of. We're normally at about 78
degrees F.

Thanks!

--
To reply by email, please edit return address as indicated.

[Marc Levenson]

Any chance something is eating it?

What is your Alkalinity test showing you? High alk can really ruin Xenia.

Marc


Chauncey Gardiner wrote:

> I put a small colony of xenia into my tank a few months ago. (I'm not
> sure exactly what species, but it's not the pulsing type.) It really
> took off- spread out over the rock and grew really tall, almost up to
> the water's surface. Color was a light brown, and the fronds were
> really long.
>
> Now, over the last month or so, it has been shrinking. It looks more
> purplish and the fronds are almost down to stubs.
>
> My first guess is that my xenia are not happy, but I suppose it might
> be part of their life cycle. Does anyone have any suggestions?
>
> The tank is a 55g with 220w 10,000K PC and 40w actinic. The lights are
> on for 12 hours, but staggered- they don't all come on or go off at
> once. I have LR and DSB- nitrates have been zero for a long time. I
> did a good-sized water change to no effect.
>
> The weather is warming up, so the water is tending to run a bit warmer-
> that's the only change I can think of. We're normally at about 78
> degrees F.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> To reply by email, please edit return address as indicated.

--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[JJ Johnson]

I believe 83 degrees is the melting point of Xenia. In the wild, entire
xenia reefs are known to be decimated every year...as soon as the water temp
hits 83. It may sound tragic, but it's the only thing that keep the xenia
from crowding out everything else! In other words...check your midday temps
and see if you're getting a little warm at some point during the day.


Blue Skies
JJ
"Chauncey Gardiner" > wrote in
message
news:120520041045195111%Chauncey_Gardiner@removeth is.myrealbox.com...
>
> I put a small colony of xenia into my tank a few months ago. (I'm not
> sure exactly what species, but it's not the pulsing type.) It really
> took off- spread out over the rock and grew really tall, almost up to
> the water's surface. Color was a light brown, and the fronds were
> really long.
>
> Now, over the last month or so, it has been shrinking. It looks more
> purplish and the fronds are almost down to stubs.
>
> My first guess is that my xenia are not happy, but I suppose it might
> be part of their life cycle. Does anyone have any suggestions?
>
> The tank is a 55g with 220w 10,000K PC and 40w actinic. The lights are
> on for 12 hours, but staggered- they don't all come on or go off at
> once. I have LR and DSB- nitrates have been zero for a long time. I
> did a good-sized water change to no effect.
>
> The weather is warming up, so the water is tending to run a bit warmer-
> that's the only change I can think of. We're normally at about 78
> degrees F.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> To reply by email, please edit return address as indicated.

[Rod]

hmm, I try to keep my tanks at 84, and the xenia does well.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

In article >, Marc Levenson
> wrote:

> Any chance something is eating it?

I don't think so. It doesn't look like it's been nibbled- it's
shrinking proportionally. I do have some fish in the tank- a coral
beauty, an eibli angel, tomato clown and a cleaner shrimp. Also, an
amenone and lots of mushrooms and other polyps. Of course there are
any number of worms etc.


> What is your Alkalinity test showing you? High alk can really ruin Xenia.

pH is about 8.3. KH is low, though, at 4 degrees DH. Maybe I should
be bringing that up. But I'm not sure I should do anything to raise
the pH. Advice?

Thanks...

--
To reply by email, please edit return address as indicated.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

In article <yrToc.1024$65.731@lakeread06>, JJ Johnson
> wrote:

> hits 83. It may sound tragic, but it's the only thing that keep the xenia
> from crowding out everything else! In other words...check your midday temps

Thanks, I will. Right now we're about 78-79 is all, but on the warmer
days- and as summer comes on- it will get into the low 80's.

I can see how Nature would need a die-off. When that stuff is happy,
it grows like crazy!

--
To reply by email, please edit return address as indicated.

[Marc Levenson]

Chauncey Gardiner wrote:

> I don't think so. It doesn't look like it's been nibbled- it's
> shrinking proportionally. I do have some fish in the tank- a coral
> beauty, an eibli angel, tomato clown and a cleaner shrimp. Also, an
> amenone and lots of mushrooms and other polyps. Of course there are
> any number of worms etc.
>

Are the mushrooms rubbing up against the Xenia? Could your lighting be old and
the spectrum has shifted?

> > What is your Alkalinity test showing you? High alk can really ruin Xenia.
>
> pH is about 8.3. KH is low, though, at 4 degrees DH. Maybe I should
> be bringing that up. But I'm not sure I should do anything to raise
> the pH. Advice?

Alkalinity needs to be tested with a kit that will either tell you dKH or
meq/L Natural Sea Water's dKH is 8 - 11 so if you aren't in that zone, you'll
want an alkalinity buffer to raise it up.

pH test kits are notorious for being hard to read. The colors NEVER match,
ime. So 8.3 would mean you are getting a solid green fluid (Salifert kit)? If
not, your pH could be lower, and the Alk buffer will raise your pH somewhat.
That is okay if it doesn't get a lot higher.

Marc



--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[Chauncey Gardiner]

In article >, Marc Levenson
> wrote:

> Are the mushrooms rubbing up against the Xenia? Could your lighting be old
> and the spectrum has shifted?

Shrooms and xenia are well separated, but now that you mention it, it
has been a year since the lights went in, so they are probably due for
replacement. I hadn't realized it was that long.


> Alkalinity needs to be tested with a kit that will either tell you dKH or
> meq/L Natural Sea Water's dKH is 8 - 11 so if you aren't in that zone,
> you'll want an alkalinity buffer to raise it up.

Hm. My kit (Tetra) says it is measuring KH but gives results in DH,
German Hardness. I'll look for a new test and a buffer when I go into
town today.


>
> pH test kits are notorious for being hard to read. The colors NEVER match,
> ime. So 8.3 would mean you are getting a solid green fluid (Salifert kit)?

I was using a Tetra kit- and I agree the colors are hard to match.
Maybe I'll pick up a Salifert kit while I'm at it.

Thanks for all your help!

--
To reply by email, please edit return address as indicated.