Description
Xenia is mostly found in the Indo-Pacific, however it grows in other regions of the world as well. This Silver Xenia from ORA is aquacultured. Instead of being collected from the ocean, this coral is grown in aquariums and then fragged to be sold to hobbyists such as yourself.
Silver Xenia has a purple-pink coloration with silver highlights that make it more aesthetically pleasing than normal Xenia. This a soft coral that grows thick tree like stocks with smaller branches extending off the base and ending in polyps with long tentacles. Xenia is a fast growing coral that is about as easy as it gets. However, there are some things you should know.
Xenia can be put under low or high light. They aren’t picky. Also, the kind of light you provide isn’t important other than what looks best visually.
Sometimes Xenia is called “pulsing Xenia” because of the pulsing motion the polyps sometimes do. This is not something that happens all of the time or even most of the time. It has something to do with increasing the photosynthesis rate by creating more flow. The pattern appears to be that more flow results in little to no pulsing while less flow results in more pulsing. Checkout this article for more information. That being said, water movement is, unsurprisingly, not something Xenia are picky about. If you don’t provide enough water flow, it will essentially make water flow on its own. If you provide a lot of water flow, it will have more nutrients to grow faster. As for what is best, moderate flow is best, but again it’s not something to stress about.
Xenia prefer water with plenty of nutrients. For this reason, this coral does best with other soft corals that also prefer high nutrient levels. While more nutrients are preferred, it is, again, not something the coral is particularly sensitive about. Lower nutrient levels may slow the growth rate, but that’s it. As for nutrient levels that are too high, other tank inhabitants will be affected before this coral is.
Xenia are considered photosynthetic and they are also capable of filter feeding. For this reason, they don’t need to be fed. If you have low nutrient levels and want this already fast growing coral to grow faster, you can feed it, but it is unnecessary.
Speaking of growth rate, let’s talk about why many hobbyists avoid this coral. It would be easier to tell you that this is a fast growing coral that is perfect for any aquarium, but we don’t benefit from you being unhappy with what you get. Xenia is extremely fast growing, we’ve established that, but it is so fast growing that it can outgrow certain kinds of macroalgae. It can easily take over a whole aquarium if not maintained. For new hobbyists, this is a good thing, but it becomes annoying if you no longer want the coral, but can’t remove it completely. It can even detach and spread to several other areas of the aquarium. It’s just something to keep in mind.
Care requirements
Purchase Size: 1 – 2″
Placement: You can place this coral anywhere.
Lighting: Low to high.
Flow: Moderate.
Parameters: 72-78° F, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 32-35 ppt
More Information
Purchasing aquacultured corals such as this Silver Xenia from ORA helps support the aquaculture and captive-bred industry, making our hobby as a whole more sustainable and environmentally friendly. On top of that, aquacultured corals are far less likely to carry pests and disease, though you should still dip and/or quarantine them to be safe.
