Xenia Attaching Technique

[griss]

I just wanted to share a technique that I have been using for years to attach Xenia to rocks. This technique would also work for most other soft corals as well.

Once I have a cut piece of Xenia, I place the cutting into my Halimeda forest. The growth of the Halimeda is so dense that the cutting has little chance to move, even in the high current of my tank. Within a couple days the Xenia has attached to the Halimeda. I just break off the piece of Halimeda with the Xenia stuck to it and glue the Halimeda to a rock with Super Glue Gel. From there, the Xenia spreads to the rock.

As I mentioned, I have been using this technique for years with no problems.

Griss

[G_melacara]

I concur. I've used this technique too (albeit accidentally) and its really easy.

[griss]

G_melacara,

[welcome]

Griss

[Wazzel]

Interesting tecnique Gris. I like the rubber band method myself. The trick is to make sure it is tight enough to hold the piece down without cutting through.

[griss]

Originally posted by Wazzel
Interesting tecnique Gris. I like the rubber band method myself. The trick is to make sure it is tight enough to hold the piece down without cutting through.
I was never successful with the rubberband technique. I always seem to get the rubberband too tight or too loose.

Griss

[JerseyReef]

I use the following method for Red Sea Xenia (I'll assume it will work for others)

I allow my Xenia to grow on the front glass only. It will eventualy split using pedal laceration, forming numerous buds. As the new buds are forming they grow over the algae film that builds up on the glass surface. I just take my razor blade and scrape off one of the xenia buds. The bottom of the Xenia now has stable and glue-able surface to directly glue the xenia to a piece of rubble rock.

Works for me every single time...

[griss]

Nice idea Mike :thumbsup:

Griss

[rudij]

I have found that with Xenia if its on my rocks i can just place a piece of rubble next to it and the Xenia will grow onto the rock. I also try and keep the xenia down in one corner of the tank makeing a pulseing forest. As it fills in the area i place more rubble on the edges for it to grow onto. When the Xenia forest gets to a certain size I collect some of it and take it to local reefers or the lfs. I have also collected it off the glass and like griss never had any luck with the rubberbands.

[TinyBubbles]

I had a ton of xenia taking over my tank before the tank cracked. I would need to prune often. :)
I use to run my nail under the xenia and make any cuts if needed to release it from where it was attached to. Get a sewing needle and thread and make a stich into the botton of the frag. Then just tie the thread around a rock or whatever I want the frag to bond to. Once the frag has bonded to whatever I have attached it to, I just snip the thread and pull it away.
It works well on many softies.

Tiny

[OrionN]

I am use tooth pick. The round sharp one. I just stick the toothpick though the stem of the Xenia frag and tie the tooth pick to a concave part of the oyster shell. 2-3 days latter I got a healthy Xenia on the oyster shell. You can use anything with a slight concave surface.

[Zepplin]

Meg and I found that the easiest method (for us anyways) is simply chop the head off with scissors, then using bridal veil (or some other very light netting) we simply place the Xenia cutting on a chunk of liverock and rubberband the net *loosely* over it. Elongata will attach usually within 2-3 days, and pom pom's tend to take from 3-6 days. The only problem is sometimes the Xenias try to attach to the net instead of the rock. When this happens we just rip the net off from the Xenia, and re-net it down. Now if only we could slow down the Xenias growth........
This method also works on mushrooms and some other softies. We use the toothpick method for leather corals though as they mucus so friggen much.

[OrionN]

I usually peel my Xenia off the rock. This is much less traumatic for them. Pierce it with toothpick tied with rubber band and bring them to the LFS. No holding them in my tank, no death, no detachment, and the Xenia start to pulse a few hours after getting in the LFS,s holding tank. I can get 15 frags in 10 minute flat. I have tried multiple methods. This is the absolute best way, IMO, of course.

[ktwalker]

My best method is to wedge the xenia clipping into a small cave in the rockwork. They almost always grab hold of the rock and move up towards in the light within 3 days.

I also have used the rubberband method with mixed success.

I have had no problems using superglue gel with xenia IF I take the clipping out and pad the base dry with a paper towel before adding the gell and attaching underwater to LR. Usually takes 20 or so seconds.

I disagree that peeling from the rock is the least tramatic. Peeling from the glass works great for me, but not from my rock. My rock is too rough, and so the xenia is too firmly attached. As a result, when I go to peel it off the rock, I have to apply much more pressure to prevent it from slipping through my fingers as I pull. When I do this, I feel the internals of the xenia getting spread around, and the xenia will look defored (stretched) once I stop. I think it is less tramatic to make a clipping, after all, that is what it does as it pulls itself apart. Just my opinion.

kris

[darcitananda]

I peel the xenia off the rocks, and then just put it on the substrate with a piece of rubble rock on top. Attaches within hours.

I have found that using a plastic algae scraper is a good way to start peeling the xenia and then rip the rest off slowly.

[bgdiving]

What type of Xenias are we talking about? when people just say Xenia I assume they are referring to elongata??? Do you use different methods for different types of Xenia?

My pink creepers, I just let them spread to ajoining rocks or rubble, Pom Poms I will place a rock near but above them and then cut the stalk off before it has time to move all the way up to the next level. elongata I just let spread and chip off a piece of the rock or ruble they've attached to. The Silver tips are mostly running up the font of the glass and are constantly splitting by pedal laceration and can be pealed off and glued. I have a couple other types that I haven't had much luck with them spreading.

I would very much like to know what type of xenia are being discussed because some of the methods sound interesting and would like to know what type Xenia respond to that method.

[Mako]

I use the same method that Minh speaks of every time I frag heads of my Pom Pom xenia. Works like a champ.

[Frick-n-Frags]

When I was really propagating Xenia(like 30 or 40 at a time) all the labor intensive mounting methods get really old after about a dozen, so I made a special propagator out of a salt bucket and a couple of little flourescent lights.

I put a vertical divider almost to the bottom and put an eggcrate plate and gravel on one side and siphoned water into that side. I put a drain on the other side so that water always goes down through the gravel like an undergravel filter and up and out the other side. This flow sucks the cuttings down onto the gravel. Then, I would cut the whole top off of 30 colonies and put the tops in the propagator. Every top would land upside down. I learned to just leave them alone and they re-orient their polyps. In 2 days they are stuck to the gravel.
Then I would line up my 30 pieces of rubble or plugs and put the superglue on them (I timed the dry rates of all of the superglues and the thin stuff worked the best for this technique believe it or not). I made a special spoon on a stick to scoop xenia/gravel's and put them into my hand just so, a quick daub with the kleenex to dry the gravel and then attach the plug. Just a few seconds per Xenia, bada-bing!

[Satchmo]

I've fragged my xenia several times now, and have had success with the bridal veil material. I cut 'em, then place it on a piece of rubble. If the stem is long enough, I try to wrap that only and leave the polyps free. But on a little piece, I've bridal veiled the whole thing down and had the same results. I loosely wrap a strip of the stuff around the rock, and just stick the rock in the sand. The weight of the rock holds the bridal veil in place, so I don't even need rubberbands. Everytime I've done this, the xenia has attached and is back to its pulsing ways by the next day. I'm not exactly sure as to the species of xenia I have, but it looks like the Red Sea variety, only mine seems bushier and more purple than what is typical.

[GroYurOwn]

i use the bridal veil netting, but i cover the entire cutting and rubberband it tightly, so the cutting is smashed to the rock, usualy within a few hours the polyps will wriggle through the netting and pulse while the base is still stuck. just make sure you keep them in good flow so that the netting does not trap any bubbles, this could cause infection. i have used this method on three types of xenia, and never lost a single polyp.