moving xenia

[markdadof2]

My new halide has been running for just over a week now - my photo period is only 6 hours right now. One of my xenia's at the top of the tank is starting to look not so happy - some of his 'arms' have shrunk and he just doesn't look well. I'm guessing the new light (had PC's up until last week) is blasting him. How to I pry him off the rock to move him? HELP!

 

Thanks

Mark

[mister crabs]

cant really pry them off. you can cut them off at the base or break off the piece of rock hes stuck on.

 

How many gallons and what wattage of MH? how far from the light is the coral?

 

You could get some window screeing like u use at home and put 2-3 layers over top of tank then jsut remove a layer a week. hows the flow in that part of the tank? my Xenia prefers pretty high flow and it seems the higher the flow the faster he pulses...lol

[Benny503]

you can cut them off at the base

 

When you said cut them off, are you saying use a scissor cut it bottom? Would that kill the root? Anh how can you plan that to the rock? Mister crabs, sorry for too many question at once, but I am trying to learn (scratch)

[markdadof2]

14 gallons and the xenia is probably 8" from the 150w MH light.

Thanks all!

[stylaster]

you can cut it at the bottom of the stalk, it will regrow in a week or so. The tricky part is getting the top part attached to another rock. I usually sew them on with fishing line, since they are so slimy

roy

[Benny503]

So how dow you sew a fishing online on it? Do you actually put the fishing line in the center of the xenia and tie it around the rock?

[andy]

Another approach would be to reduce your photo-period to 4 hours then add an hour every subsequent week or so..

[stylaster]

i run the fishing line right though the middle of the stalk and then around the rock or what ever your trying to attach it to. Set it in a place with low current give it a couple weeks to attach, snip the fishing line and pull out

[ocboat]

Is it the normal brown Xenia or the white pom pom variety. If it is the brown, and it end up melting, I have 180 gallons worth of the stuff that I can give you as much as you want. The stuff spreads like the plague in my tank and it is used to metal halide lighting. I can't get rid of the stuff fast enough. Let me know if you need any.

[CCR]

It may melt down if you don't do something soon. It's a big shock on them to change from PC to MH. If you can't get it covered you need to shorten time and move it down. Also start come carbon and small water changes ASAP. Do this weather you cut it or not.

[dsoz]

Go to www.garf.org and look for their xenia propagation section. Not quite the same as moving it, but close.

 

Yes, cut it, like with scissors or a razor. Yes sew it, like with a needle and thread going through the stalk like it was cloth.

 

It sounds amazing, but it is done.

 

I usually try to pry the foot off the rock (like you would an anemone that you want to move), then put it in a low flow area with a bunch of small rocks, or pieces of crushed coral. After a couple of days it will attach to one of the rocks, then I super-glue the small rock where I want it to be. Then it will grow and spread from there.

 

If it does melt down, you can always get more from someone here.

 

dsoz