Xenia spawning? - Steve??

Pasfur

As I have mentioned many time my Xenia is spreading like a weed. This morning I have 4 small stalks of Xenia sticking up out of my sand bed. No doubt it is Xenia... easily big enough to tell.

Obviously I am familiar with how Xenia spread in the aquarium by reaching out and splitting. However, I have not seen Xenia actually spread by by releasing eggs and sperm. I have, however, read an article that it is known to occur.

Given the location of my new Xenia, it appears that I have had a successful spawn. Any tips or ideas on how I might confirm this? What to watch for next time?

Kellsindell

I've had the same with my xenia. i've got 3 spots in tank that have xenia spread to in which they are not close to one another. they're actually about 6in away from original colony. I don't know what to look for, but i did notice that it occured after my tank lighting was changed. have you made any changes?

Pasfur

You're reading my mind on this. I just moved my Xenia and the new growth is about 24'' up stream. I counted 4 separate spots in the aquarium with colonies forming, all upstream.

Kellsindell

That is crazy, mine are all over the place but one of the spawnlings in up stream and the other is downstream and another is just floating in the tank connected to nothing, and yet living well. I don't really understand it and any light on this would be wonderful. I did change the lighting cycle on the tank, that's why i asked about that and hoped it may have given some direction.

SKAustin

It seems more likely that they may have dropped a few heads into the water column. Sometimes stress to the coral will cause it to drop heads, hands, flowers, or whatever you want to call them. These heads will drift away and take up residency elsewhere.

onefish2fish

i dont know if xenia is one of the corals that can reproduce sexually but i know alot of corals can. as common as xenia is, if you want the reproduction to be more successful or any coral that is doing this, turn your protein skimmer off ASAP. i heard a presentation on corals sexually reproducting i believe by eric bournman/borman and i remember him saying to cut of the skimmer. sounds like common sense but im sure its a commonly overlooked factor, and i know xenia is like a weed so if it was reproducing sexually you'd prob want to leave the skimmer on lol. he also did an experiment with different colored tile squares (as his frag disks) and certain colors took corals better/had more growth on them. i want to say it was the green,orange,red tiles that were best something interesting to look into