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Pulsing Xenia
Xenia spp.
Animalia›Cnidaria›Anthozoa›Xeniidae
📍 Indo-Pacific Reef Systems
Pulsing xenia is one of the most fascinating soft corals, rhythmically opening and closing its feathery polyps in a hypnotic pulse. It grows rapidly and can spread across rockwork quickly, so placement should be deliberate. Thrives in stable reef conditions.
Tank Mates
Reef-safe fish that won't nip at coral polyps and thrive in similar stable reef conditions
Peaceful invertebrate that benefits the reef ecosystem without harming soft corals
Reef-safe and non-aggressive toward soft corals; adds interesting behavior to the tank
Small, peaceful reef fish that won't disturb xenia and helps maintain tank cleanliness
Active reef-safe fish that occupies different tank zones and won't interact negatively with corals
Common Diseases
Polyp Recession
Polyps fail to open or retract permanently; loss of pulsing motion; tissue shrinkage
Check water parameters (especially alkalinity and calcium), improve water flow, reduce lighting intensity temporarily, and perform partial water changes to improve water quality
Bacterial Infection
Tissue discoloration, slime coating, foul odor, rapid tissue loss
Increase water flow and aeration, perform 25% water change, maintain pristine water quality, consider antibacterial treatment if severe
Bleaching
Loss of color, pale or white appearance, weakened polyp extension
Reduce light intensity gradually, check for temperature fluctuations, improve water quality, ensure adequate nutrient levels and dissolved organics
Predation by Nudibranchs
Visible tissue damage, missing polyps, rapid decline despite good conditions
Inspect coral and rockwork for small nudibranch species, manually remove if found, quarantine new additions to prevent introduction
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Quick Facts
- flow
- Moderate
- light
- Medium to high
- feeding
- Primarily photosynthetic; absorbs dissolved organics
- tank size
- 30 gallons minimum
- temperament
- Invasive encrusting growth – monitor spread
Water it likes
- ph
- 8.1–8.3
- calcium
- 380–430 ppm
- salinity
- 1.025–1.026 SG
- alkalinity
- 8–11 dKH
- temperature
- 75–81°F (24–27°C)