Pulsing Xenia: who eats it?

[dsmitchell]

I bought some xenia at the LFS the other day, and yesterday morning I come to find that it was gone -- without a shred of it left on the rock it came on.

I can only assume that someone in the tank ate it overnight. Any ideas? My only suspects are one of the 3 emerald crabs, the peppermint shrimp, or the [unwanted] mantis shrimp.

I did see one of the emerald crabs with his arms wrapped around a "stalk" of it the day before...

Thanks,
David

 

[showtime305]

I have had a a stalk of xenia release it self from a rock and re attach in another place. I was not around to witness it but I found in a dark cave area of my tank. I noticed it coming off of the rock a few days before this happened. I can't imaging any of the inverts you mentions eating and entire stalk clean off of the rock.

 

[vettesarebest]

i agree with showtime i think he jus went for a ride in the current. This happend in my old 20 gallon and then when i broke it down OMG it was everywhere on this one rock that wasn't visable.

 

[kevin]

I have seen xenia melt. If it doesn't like you tank, which, amazingly, happens a lot. It may not have moved, it may have just disapeared

 

[kevinc]

If you figure out what eats Xenia, you'd be a hero to a lot of people. And if you can also figure out what eats mushrooms and green star polyps, you might be in line for the Nobel prize for Aquaria.

 

[darren24]

It just melts away. I started with 1 stalk a few months back and it took over 1/4 of my tank. Then over the period of a week all but 1 or 2 stalks melted away. No other corals or fish were affected.

 

[schwaggs]

I have a Blenny that has a taste for it from time to time. One of the people I work with had a Yellow Tang that had a taste for it as well.

 

[vettesarebest]

Darren24 wrote: It just melts away. I started with 1 stalk a few months back and it took over 1/4 of my tank. Then over the period of a week all but 1 or 2 stalks melted away. No other corals or fish were affected.

this happend to me in my old twenty gallon it took over and there was a huge amount and then one day it all melted but nothing was affected. but apparently my blue tang didnt like what was going on because she hid in the rocks for a couple days and i couldnt find her.

 

[ms_ k]

I think my CBA nips on the xenia, and I know it nips my gorgonian. Other than that, I have seen my emerald crab pick from time to time, but I doubt it would pick a stalk clean. BTW, if you can catch that mantis shrimp, I'd be glad to take it off your hands.