Blue Xenia missing

pulik · #1 05-01-2008, 02:55 PM

This morning when I checked my tank, I found 1/2 my Blue Xenia missing. It's only a little frag, with a few sprouts on it; now there's even less.... I had it in one location, but then moved it; seemed to like the new location better. Should I try moving the frag again before it's ALL gone? Any ideas what could have made it vanish into thin air?

Drock169 · #2 05-01-2008, 03:13 PM

what are your parameters? Is there any possible xenia eaters in your tank, i.e. copperband butterfly, angels, peppermint shrimp?

pulik · #3 05-01-2008, 03:40 PM

Water parameters are acceptable, other than nitrates are a bit high at ~10, and kH a bit low at 161.

It's basically a Nano reef (~41 gallons), with only a Coral Beauty in the Angel family; could she be a problem? Haven't noticed her picking on anything though - and this did happen during the night... I have a Peppermint shrimp and a Pompom crab besides a few Blue Legged Hermits (along with a swack of hitchhikers); so you think the Peppermint shrimp could be the guilty party? Also have some Waving Hand Xenia at the opposite end of the tank, which appears intact.

Drock169 · #4 05-01-2008, 07:32 PM

High Nitrates affects cespitularia, but 10 is fine. Peppermint shrimp might be doing it, I used to have one that would tear xenias apart including my blue. But its hard to figure out its if livestock doing it without actually catching them. How long have you had the blue xenia?

pulik · #5 05-01-2008, 08:40 PM

Brought the frags home last Sunday. Had the blue Xenia at the top left of the tank (waving hand is bottom left, on a ledge at the back of the rocks), then moved them yesterday to the top right side, hoping it'll eventually spread over the rocks on that side. Peppermint's been in the tank for a month or longer, along with some other Xenia. Could it be the local hitchhiker crab wreaking havoc? One that stays close to home and doesn't cruise around eating stuff on the other side?