Melting Xenia

[lil_clownfish13]

Just recently ive noticed that my once healthy plump xenia's have begun to shrivel up and melt.

I'm wondering what would cause them to do that? Heat maybe? thats the only thing that's changed in my tank-- the house temp has been high lately.... would that do it?

[TheReefGeek]

What is your tank temperature at right now?
What is it normally at?

Xenia being very hardy, how are the rest of your corals doing?

[Bill]

Possibly temp if over 80F. Could also be irritation from another nearby coral. Mine do that sometimes but they're fine after I move them to a different spot.

[Xtasia]

I've kept Xenia for months.. even multiply, then one day they melted. Ever since, I haven't been able to keep Xenia.

My temps have been stable... but I suspect it has somethign to do with my parameters.. in particular my iodine, etc.. check yours and see if it helps?

I've heard they might like it cooler than most fish.

Some things I learned might irritated it are the usual suspects.. flow, light, other corals, annoying clowns agitating it... etc

[reeferaddict]

I would say all of the above BUT...

My LFS has heat issues... 87 degree tanks, never supplements with iodine and his are going crazy! I took my last shrivelled up colony there this last weekend and the next time I went in I asked if it died because nothing that was there looked like my colony... lo and behold one of the pulsing waving colonies was actually mine... in a much happier place obviously... I tried moving it, dosing with iodine and on and on... I love Xenia... but have never been able to keep it... Anthelia on the other hand grows like a weed in my tanks... go figure...

[TheReefGeek]

Soft corals seem to do better in more nutrient-rich waters, opposite of hard corals.

When my tank crashed, my soft corals all survives and grew more rapidly than before. Perhaps a lack of nutrients could be the cause??? (just seems weird typing that though!)

Or some form of chemical warefare with other corals, probably lps or sps in your tank?

[fresh]

Reeferaddict... I think your problem is that you have anthelia with the xenia... A long time ago, I was told that these two cannot survive together as they both give out chemicals that kill the other one, and usually Anthelia wins!!!

You might want to think about that... I can be totally wrong, but that is what I was told.

[Midknight]

Reeferaddict... I think your problem is that you have anthelia with the xenia... A long time ago, I was told that these two cannot survive together as they both give out chemicals that kill the other one, and usually Anthelia wins!!!

You might want to think about that... I can be totally wrong, but that is what I was told.

Strange I have some nice Xenia's growing in the shadow of a huge Anthelia.They don't seem to bother each other. But I will more the xenia to see if the growth pattern changes at all.

Dan

[lil_clownfish13]

hmmm....all interesting comments... all the other corals are fine... maybe it is the colt after all... its been spreading like crazy recently... the xenia is what my clownfish have hosted in for months and they have been completely open and fine with it... never disturbed... so maybe this is the incentive i need to rip that nasty colt out of there!!

anyone want a big one? haha

thanks again guys
tina

[Midknight]

Would love to take it, want to pop on over with it? :wink:

[TheReefGeek]

My XL colt doesn't bother my xenia....

But mine are not that close together either.