Xenia

[Germanman]

hey ive noticed that at night when i turn my moon light on or if my fuge lamp shines into the aquarium my Xenia go nuts. they "pulse" much faster and pull in closer to them selves. im always very interested in corals and want to get a phd in coral reef ecology so im always interested in comparing experiences. so has any one else noticed this same thing in there tank?

[jojo22]

Mine always balled up at night like coliflower.

[m007]

MIne open and reach for the sky! Not sure why. Nocturnal feeder perhaps?

[Germanman]

humm well keep the experiences coming maybe well find a common pattern.

[Germanman]

BUMP

[Germanman]

BUMP

anyone? lol is for science!

[mikelush78]

My xenia's are different at night... The ones under the blue moon led's still pump and the ones that are in total dark get totally shrunken up until the light comes back.

Another interesting thing I have noticed is that my devil's hand leather will shrink up about 1 hour or so before the lights go to dusk and then go to moon. Its like they anticipate that the lights will be going off soon and it says its had enough... or my other thought is that when I feed the fish the second time closer to that time a fish keeps bumping it or food and making it shrink lol not sure yet...

[fsn77]

Both of our Xenia (elongata and pom-pom) close up pretty tight at night. The elongata gets a pretty direct hit from a moonlight, but still closes up until morning.

I have several toadstool leather frags that will remain open during the night under the blue LEDs, but it's not every night (maybe 1/2 the time).

[kay-bee]

Some of my xenia 'shrink up' after the lights go out, then after about an hour or so re-expand and pulse at a higher rate than during the day. The one's that don't shrink seem to go directly into 'high pulse' mode a little after the lights are out.

[Germanman]

ok we are seeing a bit of recurrence here keep it coming we might have something here.

[catpicklesdog]

I know this is an older post but i only found it today. I made sure I watched my Xenia tonight. When lights first went out they shrivlled then came out a bit. About an hour later then they shrivlled again and that's how they've been for the last 2 hours - shrivelled.

[gomrjoe]

My Xenia pretty much ball up like cauliflower as well, I have Pom Pom.

Interestingly enough, when we got it home from the LFS, it was pulsing like crazy, now it has slowed down considerably, but still does pulse.

It seems to pulse more frequently later in the evening, closer to when the lights are about to go out.

[Germanman]

lol u brought my research back from the dead lol...ok new question to add to the first...so which of u add iodine?

[USCavalry19d]

I was adding Iodine and my Mushrooms began to spread like crazy so i stopped. However my Xenia is like everyone elses it balls up at night but my clowns have also made the xenia their host so i dont know that could be why mine balls up.

[catpicklesdog]

I've added it in the past but only a couple of times since I've had the Xenia (which certainly doesn't need any help from to grow). Is Iodine something you recommend for corals Germanman?

[Reefscape]

Provided you keep up with water changes, there should not be a need to add iodine to the tank..Am not denying it may help, but dont really see the point in adding something if its already at acceptable levels and present in the water column....

Niko

[Germanman]

Provided you keep up with water changes, there should not be a need to add iodine to the tank..Am not denying it may help, but dont really see the point in adding something if its already at acceptable levels and present in the water column....

Niko
ya it helps with color a bit and growth...certain corals need it to be happy but outer wise its just another extra thing to test for.