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Xenia struggling

Coral reefer

Coral reefer

Past President
BARcard
In a mixed reef everything is doing well except for the xenia. Any ideas? I think ph is really important for them, they are shrunken and definitely not pulsing anymore. Temp is constant 77-79, ca is 440, all used to be low, like 7, now it is up to 11-12 over a few weeks. Po4 is really low, running gfo. Haven't tested mg but all else is good and I'm up on water changes with seachem reef crystals. Ph looks to be 8.2-8.3... Any ideas?
 
Plenty of light, 3x150 hqi medium to high in the tank. Lots of flow, too much more likely than not enough. They like quite a bit right?
 
I've found that they like lower flow and lots of light. I've also had new frags just melt away on me for seemingly no reason
 
Well... I just installed a ca reactor myself... and my alk has been 11ish (still tweaking, *sigh*) ... and my pompom xenia is having a tougher time too now. I'm thinking either it didn't like the swing, or it prefers low alk. :-/
 
Xenia can die for no reason IME, grows like gangbusters then dies.

IIRC, in its natural environment large masses die when there's a temperature spike, in most cases I've experienced that has not been the case though.
 
So low nutrients is a problem for them? Huh, that could
be it...what they like some of? Nitrates or phosphates? Should I be trying to fees them somehow? Didn't think they really ate...
 
Yeah. I thought about it, but don't know how much seachem reef salt has to start with, and I don't have a test kit...not a fan of adding blindly...good idea tho
 
So just an update. Today I noticed that when I turn the pumps off the Xenia started to pulse. Little to none with pumps on. Maybe there us too much flow? The only other things that aren't looking great in this tank are star polyps and cloves. Sps lps softies all look really good besides these things. What do they have in common that they are the only things not thriving? Recently setup a refugium in hopes that it will help raise/stabilize ph. Weird that the Xenia pulse right when pumps get turned off...
Any ideas?
 
I know star polyps are pretty hardy but like medium to high flow so you might want to change your flow, also maybe your lights are to strong for them; you should try moving star polyps lower or in a shaded area.
 
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