xenia question

[hisc1ay]

I'm not sure where else in the forum to post this question, so I figured I'd just ask my local folks. :)

I'm having trouble with my xenia. On Saturday I added a few new snails, and by Saturday night one of my xenia stalks was bent (and I haven't seen the turbo snail up there at all). Then Sunday morning the other one was bending, and tonight they're both hanging down pretty low. They had been doing awesome for about 3 weeks, almost doubling in size since I got them. Now they look like crap. I did a 10% water change 4 days ago. It gets slightly-off-of-direct water flow from a MaxiJet400 in a 10 gallon tank.

Parameters:
Temp: 77-78
KH: 5.1
Alk: 1.83
Am, NO2, NO3: 0
salinity: ~1.024
pH: 8

Just in case it's related, I'm having a bout with cyano. I haven't added any external medicines or treatments though.

Any thoughts?

-j

[SunDragon]

you could try a little lugols solution, that usualy makes my xenia perk up a bit. But with the water changes, your iodine should be fine.

[hisc1ay]

I'll check it out. Thanks. I read somewhere else that xenia, like clowns, sometimes look crappy, and then look fine after a little while. I have another water change due around Thursday, but it seems like the water quality is fine.

They haven't shrivelled up and died, so I guess that's a good thing. :)

-j

[morphx]

From what I understand Xenia is pretty hardy, check out Garf's propogation method:

http://www.garf.org/MPegs/XeniaPropagation.html

From just looking at a stalk of Xenia in a tank you would think it's so delicate it might die if you sneeze next to it.

[SunDragon]

it is very hardy, but at the same time sometimes it just wont survive. Im a good example. The xenia I have came from a tank that was overgrown with the stuff, and still growing, but I have had very little luck getting the stuff to grow very much at all. Ive heard it refered to as liking "dirty" water tanks, which mine is definitly not.

[hisc1ay]

Yeah, I have that clip at home. It's pretty cool. And about xenia being delicate, it sure seems like it. When I got the frag from...crap...Kevin? (sorry :o)...it was pretty small and thin, and after three weeks it doubled in size at least, and I'm sure the main stalk tripled (and even split into 2 more stalks since), but that stuff is flimsy outside of water. :)

I feel like i need to do something about my KH and alk.

-j

[mr294]

Jason-

That xenia looking better yet?

[hisc1ay]

Yeah, it kinda surprises me a little. It's starting to straighten out again. I just did a water change yesterday, so we'll see what happens.

Which brings me to my next point...are there small packages of salt I can get? I checked the salinity of the water I got yesterday and it was 1.019. Mixed with my tank brings it down to 1.021 (it's been around 1.024). I don't top off because I hope to raise the salinity by the evaporation. But I don't need to buy giant buckets o' salt. I have a box of salt from when I had mollies, but I don't think that's the same kind of salt...

-j

[hisc1ay]

I should add that even though it was bendy, the new stalks that had started to grow just prior to the bendiness are still getting bigger. In a few months I think I'll have some frags for people. :)

[mr294]

Glad to hear that it's still doing well. Most salt brands offer 5g and 10g packages.

[Bullredchaser]

Things that will kill Xenia or slow them down is carbon and Rowaphos or phosban.

[hisc1ay]

Hmm...I do have activated carbon running in the filter...maybe I should take that out. That's the only external thing I've added, and come to think of it...I think I changed the filter either the same day I noticed the problem or shortly before. Thanks for that tip.

-j