Xenia feeding

Henry22 · #1 07/18/2006, 05:20 PM

I have a fifteen gallon tall tank that has been running for a year and has a 96 watt pc light. Would I need any additional feeding for a pumping or pulsing xenia? Do they have sweeper tentacles because i thought they were LPS? Thanks

skylsdale · #2 07/18/2006, 07:15 PM

You should be fine. I have the same over a standard 15 gal (only 12" tall) and my xenia does great.

ek9vboi · #3 07/18/2006, 07:17 PM

No need to feed, but they love iodine.

sammy33 · #4 07/18/2006, 08:43 PM

Mine have responded well to a little dosing of Purple Up. I actually started dosing the Purple up for calcium but found out it also has some Iodine in it. The Xenia do seem to grow more quickly with Iodine additions. Note that Carib Seas suggested dose is way too much (calcium for my tank) and I only use about a 1/3 of the recommended.

Xenia also will feed on phyto. I use phyto and the polyps typically ball up and stop pulsing shortly after I add some. It is my understanding that this is a feeding response.

lilprincess · #5 07/18/2006, 08:46 PM

Mine are supplemented w/ phyto (b/c of my other corals). They're not lps nd they don't have sweepers.

Henry22 · #6 07/18/2006, 11:35 PM

Sweetness. Thanks, are their any specific type of xenia, my lfs has a pretty white xenia that is always pulsing or pumping.

armagedon48 · #7 07/22/2006, 09:26 PM

i think of my xenia as plants. they obsorb nutrients and use the light and thats about it. i dont think they have the ability to consume particle food though.

i read that the xenia pulses to give itself water flow and its kind of like a fish pumping water over its gills. helps release waist and gain nutrients and oxegen.

scarter · #8 07/22/2006, 09:35 PM

I dont think anyone really knows why xenia pulses

Henry22 · #9 07/23/2006, 10:20 AM

Is one kind of xenia better over the other?

scarter · #10 07/25/2006, 10:11 AM

all about the same, but some grow faster than others

iamquockie · #11 07/28/2006, 06:53 PM

I used to feed it to make it grow...but now I wish some of them would die. I don't feed it and they still grow out of control and attach to everything it touches.

armagedon48 · #12 07/28/2006, 08:22 PM

what did you feed it? or did you mean suplement it?

iamquockie · #13 08/03/2006, 09:49 AM

I used to put a 20 oz bottle with the bottom cut out of it over the xenias and just squirt DT's phyto in it but that got real costly, and i figured that they don't eat it all. So after a while I just spot fed them cytopleez--It was just cool watching them ball up and take the food. They grew too fast so I stopped. Now I want them to stop growing. My sump is full of xenia frags that I trimmed. Been meaning to take it back the LFS but never do.

I think they pulse to kind of fan away the wastes. sorry for the lack of huge words.

returnofsid · #14 08/08/2006, 05:49 PM

I agree with Scarter. It would seem that even the scientists who study Xenia don't know why they pulse. I've read that they've at least ruled feeding out as a reason. The most common explanation or theory is that it's a means of respiration.

meklo_h2o · #15 08/13/2006, 07:50 PM

I couldn't tell you why they pulse, but when I added mine I ignored everyones advice that they would spread like a weed. Well, iamquockie is right, they have attached to literally every rock near them and split several times. They sat dorment for 3 months almost. But in the last month and a half it has split 4 times, attached to 3 different rocks and is showing no signs of stopping.

chrisbenavides · #16 08/20/2006, 01:04 AM

Do Pom Pom Xenias feed on Phytoplan (dead phyto)?

Just got some and survived the trip back home, which is 200 miles distance. Last time I tried it, they did not do well in a bag for 3 hours. This though, for some reason they acclimated much better to the tank. Atleast I think so, since they started pumping right away. I bought a little frag about 6-7 polyps. How long does it take to spread to say, double that 12-14 polyps? Also does Iodine make them grow faster or just heal faster.

Did not mean to hijack the thread. I was about to post the question on feeding when I read this, and figured I could get some to answer the other questions in short.

THANKS!!!

Voltekker · #17 08/20/2006, 11:11 AM

That should be fine

damitchsta · #18 08/20/2006, 07:08 PM

scence we are talking about xenia. i have a question is it normal for xenia to have some not pulsing and some pulsing after the lights go out?

lilprincess · #19 08/20/2006, 07:47 PM

yes it's normal

benf · #20 08/21/2006, 04:59 AM

I just picked up some Blue Xenia from Sea in the City in Orlando...I like the contrast in color from my pink xenia. Not cheap coral though...really pay for having that blue.

damitchsta · #21 08/21/2006, 08:53 PM

but the blue looks alsome when did you get it from marcie

damitchsta · #22 08/21/2006, 08:55 PM

also my xenia is not completely fanning out there feathers could this be not enogh nutrients or not enough light still pupmping though

benf · #23 08/22/2006, 05:11 AM

Yes, from Marcie! Long ride...took 1hr/40min to get there.

fantastic4 · #24 09/08/2006, 11:58 PM

Do blue anthelia and blue xenia like slow, medium or strong current? Any other tips on placement?

Thnx

drbronx · #25 09/16/2006, 08:52 PM

All xeniidsare autotrophic, i.e., they produce their own food and do not capture food from the water column. In fact, they don't contain any digestive capacity. As far as pulsing, there is as yet no generally accepted theory on why they exhert energy to pulse. Pulsing has ben most closely associated with Ph levels and they appear to respond the best tp ph over 8.3. Iodide can help but should only be added if one is prepared to test since toxicity can develop. Xenids can do well in almost any flow condition but too much direct flow may diminish pulsing.