doktorstick Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Howdy. I have blue Xenia on my back wall and it has been spreading nicely. However, I foresee me having to manage it to prevent its spread beyond a certain point. Right now, the feet were seeded on a rock and now have spread to the back wall in several directions. What is the preferred or tried-and-true method for pruning expanding Xenia? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Glass or acrylic tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteorflower Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 If it's on the wall of a glass tank, a razor blade works just fine. I also used to surround my colony with a few small rubble rocks to create a buffer zone. Whenever the xenia spread onto the rocks, I would take them to the LFS and trade them in (for, among other things, a few more rubble rocks!). It's not the neatest method, but it worked very well. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doktorstick Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 Glass tank, but the back wall is textured plastic. (It's the back wall of the Solana.) Methinks me needs some rubble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Glass tank, but the back wall is textured plastic. (It's the back wall of the Solana.) Methinks me needs some rubble. remember my pile of rocks??????????? think Fred Flintstone at the quarry........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 (edited) I used a vacuum siphon tube and a pair of scissors. I started the siphon and drained to a 5 gallon bucket. I put the vacuum directly over the xenia and then chop away! This keeps any floaters from attaching to everything else in the tank. I used a fish net to siphon out the pieces from the bucket and threw them in a critter cage with some rubble rock and replaced back in the tank. I took the pieces that did attach and traded them in at LFS. If you are trying to kill it put that part of the rock out of the water, or if its on the back wall and you can lower the water level for a few hours (without collateral damage to other corals) with the lights on you can dry it out to kill it. I hate that stuff, I'm still trying to get it out of my tank for 6 months now, down to 2 small areas now. I have scraped the rock with a razor blade and it still came back! My best method for small areas is to use epoxy and simply cover over it. GOOD LUCK! Edited February 9, 2010 by Hydro Innovations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 I like the vacuum/scissor method! I just went after mine with a razor blade to trim it away from some other corals. I was not able to get it all off the rocks, thus the little bit lef ton the rocks started sprouting back polyps. It is funny, in my 24g I could not keep xenia alive. In my 75g it is growing, but not a super fast rate (which is fine with me). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooric Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Is it normal for the Xenia to retract their polyps when the lights go out? I see mine do that every night and just assume it is, but I wanted to confirm I am not doing something wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Is it normal for the Xenia to retract their polyps when the lights go out? I see mine do that every night and just assume it is, but I wanted to confirm I am not doing something wrong. Yes, very normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doktorstick Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Am I reading that you can chop off the "hands" with ill effect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Am I reading that you can chop off the "hands" with ill effect? Pretty much. It is a tough coral, espicially if it is spreading a lot in your tank. I have lopped off stalk down to the smallest pieces of base on the rock. And new stalks have grown back from those itty bitty pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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