Blue pumping Xenia

[salazar]

Hello eveybody i just got back from the fish store and brought home a Blue pumping Xenia. Seems kind of wilted it was OK at the LFS, I aclimated it for about an hour was that to long:confused: .Maybe it was because i didnt turn down the lights?

[FragOutpost]

Xenia can be tricky. Some people can not keep xenia alive at all. Other people can not trim it back fast enough. There usually is not a happy medium. Either it grows like a weed or it doesn't grow at all.

I've never kept the blue kind before but I have kept the pink xenia elongotta years ago when I kept mostly softies and it quickly overtook the tank growing at a phenomenal rate.

I try to keep my acclimation time between 15-30 minutes. I do not think it is beneficial to go any longer than that.

Good luck with your xenia. Xenia usually needs good flow, high PH, elevated nitrates and iodide supplements.

[FragOutpost]

How is the xenia doing? Still a little wilted or is it doing better?

[salazar]

Xenia doesnt seem to be ok, I talked to the LFS and the owner asked the salesman if my Xenia came from the same shipment as another Xenia (made me think) he told me to give it a couple of days if it didnt improve i could get store credit.Ill post a pic

[salazar]

Here source of my worring for the last 3 days

[salazar]

Xenia

[salazar]

What do you think

[FragOutpost]

It looks a little rough but does not look like it is "melting".
I would dose some iodide or do a water change.
Is it in an area of good flow? How about light?
When xenia starts to melt, it usually happens pretty quickly.
If you have had it for three days so far then you might be able to save it.

[FragOutpost]

I notice you have it on the sand bed.
Try raising it higher up and see if that helps.

[salazar]

I just put it down this morning had it up high ithought maybe the lights were to much? It looked exactly the same up high, middle and now low.

[FragOutpost]

During the three days that you have had it, would you say that it has gotten worse or stayed the same?

[salazar]

I dosed Lugo solution Iodide in the whole tank.

[FragOutpost]

What is your PH?

[salazar]

8.2, xenia seems worse

[salazar]

Doesnt seem more wilted just alot less stalks

[FragOutpost]

I would do some small 5-10% water changes over the next few days and continue to dose iodide according to the instructions on the bottle. From there I guess you will just have to wait and see if it pulls through.

[salazar]

Thanks for giving me hope i was ready to give up considering i did about 20% water change and the LFS said i could get credit. Unfortunately i have always wanted a pumping Xenia i finally get one (BLUE!) IT DOESNT PULSE and its wilted:mad:

[FragOutpost]

I wish you the best of luck. Please keep us updated on its progress.

[D12monkey]

I've never been able to keep xenias in my tank... Hopefully doing what Frag state should help out and possibly get it nice. If not in a few days before it dies (again hopefully that doesn't happen) I would take it bake to the LFS to see if they can get it to open up nicely and for store credit. I hate it when stuff dies.

[FragOutpost]

Hey salazar, how is the xenia doing?

[jaydsl]

just wondering if the blue xenia is harder to care for ? because i have a pink/brown one well sorry was 1 now 2months later i have cut back and now i have 4 big stalks bigger then the first and i have 3 small that just started 1-2 hands no bigger then a small pee love the stuff and ounce i cover 2 spots that i want to then i will start selling the weed :) i think the way it is going in about 4 more months
________
F151 (http://www.ferrari-wiki.com/wiki/Ferrari_F151)

[FragOutpost]

Welcome to Frag Outpost jaydsl!
Most xenia is about the same degree of difficulty. But generally speaking, for some people it just grows like a weed while for others it will wither away and die every time.

[salazar]

The Xenia was taken back for store credit, it has gotten worse even at the store.I got a hammer coral with 2 heads i of them is also dying back. This is the same LFS i bought the Clown Tang that died the next day. I know its not my tank, i did all the required tests. A ll this is bad for me being in this hobby as i dont have much money with 3 kids and one on the way (my wife thinks its a waist of money) but she likes the overall tank. I really think that i wont be shopping at that store for a long while it recently changed owners and livestock dont look very healthy i wish i could convince my wife to not lose interest.

[jaydsl]

thanks nice to be here

i have a frogspawn that had a crack but looked ok and lfs told me to bring it back or if it died i can have a credit but i said i will see what happens a piece broke off so i cut the tissue and so far i have 2 fspawns the little one is not the best shape but he said a frogspawn that splits and gets cut or tares 90% will die within 2-4 days well it has been about a month now i will put up some pics of the tank in a bit , i think i will cut back my xenia again next weekend
________
Marijuana trichomes (http://trichomes.org)

[FragOutpost]

salazar - Sorry to hear about your string of bad luck. Are there any other reputable stores in your area? Hammers will require high levels of alk and calcium to thrive. If the heads are receding then I would keep my eye on the alk. Congrats on your wife having one on the way. :)

jaydsl - When you get the chance please start a thread and post some pics of your tank. Can't wait. :)

[D12monkey]

Welcome Jayds... Sorry to hear Salazar... Maybe someother LFS can provide you with better specimens.

[EvilTwin]

Perhaps you can try ordering something online that will ship well, if you don't have any other LFS in your area.

[Teeka01]

I have to order online too. The LFS are terrible in this area. But the good thing about online is that there is actually a wider selection to choose from.

[salazar]

Well i think that ordering online you pay 40-50$ shipping plus 40-50$ for whatever you order(with that kind of money you could get a really nice piece. Thing arent going good in Tucson AZ, there is only 3 saltwater stores 2 have been sold and the same two have been broken into in the last month ( a huge amount of coral were taken). One closed down and the other i shop at.The ex-owner of the store i shop at carried high quality stuff at reasonable prices that could be negotiated, he took all his good stuff with him.The new owner is the one that got robbed, his prices are higher but also negotiable to break even but his stock seems to only be there a couple days and a little stressed three thing i have bought have wilted or died on me. I know it's not my tank i have done all tests ,all good!!I think i will hold off on buying for some time. I would like to trade but i have mostly brown zoo's which are not highly wanted, i also have the zoo's in macro forum.can anybody help me convince my wife this hobby is not a waist!!!

[D12monkey]

You have two ways to get about the high price for shipping...

Way one, get a group order from a few people that live in your area.

Way two... (the Way I usually do it.) if wait untill you have a list of stuff to order and order quite a few items at once. Shipping is usually combine and the total comes out less for all the items. prob is high price in total.

[FragOutpost]

Shipping prices are the downfall to ordering livestock online. You have to order enough to justify the shipping cost which sometimes can be quite high. Maybe you can find vendors near you that will reduce their rates because you are nearby. Luckily in FL there are many vendors that will ship UPS ground or USPS and it will arrive in only one day.

Not sure how to convince your wife. Does any certain aspect of the hobby appeal to her? Maybe a certain type of fish or coral?

[salazar]

I hope to get some stuff to frag so she can see not all purchases are expensive. I have nice star polyps that are groing fast.

[Teeka01]

Try coral and fish in her favorite color.

[FragOutpost]

Tell her that you bought that (insert coral/fish here) because it matches the color of her eyes! :D

[Teeka01]

Now from the female side that one may work.

[FragOutpost]

I guess anything is worth a try! :)

[salazar]

i suppose you dont have anything blue to trade

[FragOutpost]

Of course they would be blue! :D
I don't have a whole lot that is blue.

[D12monkey]

Purple, orange or green on this end.

[salazar]

Well i could try and convince her they are purple or orange

[Teeka01]

For the purple you could try "oh Honey the blue in your eyes is so deep I thought the purple would match better"

[FragOutpost]

Now if you could just convince her that water changes and siphoning detrious are the best part of keeping a reef tank. :D

[Teeka01]

That one I am lost on.

[D12monkey]

LOL hmm... Salazar what do you think?

[EvilTwin]

Ask for her help in building up things in, on around your tank. Have her help you "decorate" your tank with creatures. Women usually have a much better sense of style and what looks nice. Appeal to her on that level and you might see she is willing to help and she may become more interested in the hobby and see it's not a waste. When we bought the 75g tank, I let my wife pick out the stand and canopy set since it was a decorative item.

[Teeka01]

Take her with you when you do your next purchase and let her pick the coral out. Maybe if she gets to pick it out she will show an interest in it. Call it her coral. Talk to her about why it is important to you. also mention you could be doing worse you could be out bar hopping then you wouldn't have anything to show for the money. (That line always worked on me, when I sat down to think on it.)

[FragOutpost]

Good tips! The only time my girlfriend gets involved in the tank is when she's picking stuff out at the LFS. Leaving all the decorative stuff to the wife is a good idea in my opinion. I lack in the style department myself.