# xenia moving



## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

So I picked up a few pulsing xenia from Kevin and from what i've seen in the couple weeks I've had them...they've moved off the frag that they were on and migrated onto the LR. I also had a couple pieces that Explor3r (Alex) gave me and they seem to be moving off their frags also.....

Has anyone heard of this? Is this normal?


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Yes, they will move towards the light or flow or wherever they feel they will grow better. They're like plants but with idiot brains. I would think it shows health in them that they are responding to their environment.

What I've done is as they grow in size and towards where I don't want them to grow, that's when I frag them. Ironically it seems that whenever I peel one off of a rock that's getting too close to my SPS, they usually don't move back into that area.

Melev (Marc) from Melevsreef.com has this to say about pulsing xenia:



> "Pulsing Xenia is my favorite soft coral. Everyone loves to watch the individual polyps open and close independently of each other. Although they can spread to weed-like proportions, I have come to rely on them for indications of the tank's condition. If all is well, they look happy, and conversely when they look droopy or mangled, something is out of whack. They are truly my "Tank Barometer." Since they grow upward toward light, placing them up high will control their spreading."


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## itsmesiva (Apr 3, 2011)

I also got a frag from Kevin and it had grown well and attacged itself to the rock close by leaving the frag plug. So far its doing well and had not moved. I placed it in the mid level water. Very pleased with the coral.


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

my frag from ameekplec is already attaching to the rock and growing.. guess that's a good sign!


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

My xenia has made a mass exodus for the middle of the tank. It used to be on the far left, then shifted to rock that was lower and unattached to the original piece. It used that as a leap stone to hop onto a rock on the other side of that. Who know's where it;ll go now! but if it starts to bother my toadstool, its cut time!


(also, at each landing point, new xenia is beginning to grow)


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## mrobson (Mar 5, 2011)

i got some from carmenh, its been slowly climbing up my rock pile


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

mrobson said:


> i got some from carmenh, its been slowly climbing up my rock pile


must be a mutant xenia, because that's where mine is from


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Lol, I warned y'all


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## mrobson (Mar 5, 2011)

carmenh said:


> Lol, I warned y'all


lol oh im not complaining, im just happy they are thriving 

which reminds me do you have any softies or zoa frags ready yet?


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I know, I was joking 
I haven't had a chance to get anything ready to sell, been crazy with work and dogs, but I'll let you know when I do...



mrobson said:


> lol oh im not complaining, im just happy they are thriving
> 
> which reminds me do you have any softies or zoa frags ready yet?


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