Pulsing Xenia's in decline : (

[salsipuedes]

ice you are right on track. i dose b-ionic 2 part calcium and alk and i use kent superbuffer to keep my ph up. 4 factors to keeping xenia. 1. water flow. 2. high lighting 3. ph, calcium, alk. 4. temperature- 78 degrees +/- 3 degrees roughly.

[icepick5587]

righto, sounds like i need to fix my alk and calcium

[bderos]

I have xenia, it dies off and has come back a couple time but this time it melted to a lump and grew back but very small with only one stalk. I don't know what the problem is. ITs been like this for 3 months. My water is fine. Does anyone have any ideas.

[lildraken]

I by no means have the experience that a lot of you guys have, but it is to my understanding that you must go through this checklist if your xenia is in decline.
1) water parameters especially alk and calcium. i read somewhere that xenia tend to stop pulsing below pH of 8.0 -- lower temperatures 75-82 degrees upper 70's being ideal
2) water flow, medium to high
3) lighting, they grow best near the top closer to the light
4) contraversial- supplimentation of iodine.

feel free to add to the checklist

[Cuby2k]

Well, my pH has dropped below 8.0, albeit for a short period. AND my alk is usually right on 9 to 11, but calcium routinely drops below 200 and in the winter my tank temps have been as low as 72 for several hours. I know all of that indicates my poor husbandry skills but the xenia thrives.

Go figure. Honestly I am not trying to kill it, I just have to travel MUCH with work lately and after my family, my dog, and my church, the tank gets my top attention.

[salsipuedes]

bderos: i've had a simmilar occrence in the past with all my paramteres being spot on. and the same thing happened in my other friends tanks at the same time. all the xenia came from cuttings i gave them. anyone know of any diseases that xenia might have?

[doomicon]

Almost forgot, I did find the pics of the Xenia Tank Takeover.

[Cuby2k]

doomicon, those are a great set of pics. I love all the xenia!

[lildraken]

Heck I just don't know what to think anymore. Maybe growing xenia's is like a hit or miss sorta thing. BTW after a couple of days exposed to nothing but blue actinics, my xenia stopped pulsing. They are back to normal and pulsing again after a half-day of regular lighting of blue actinic and 10,000 k PC's.