# Pom Pom xenia looks to be melting away.



## GetITCdot

Parameters:
Gallons: 150
LR: 210lbs
Specific Gravity: 1.022
PH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Day Temp: 76-78
Night Temp: 73-75

Lighting:
2x 400Watt 20,000K Metal Halide

Inhabitants:

Coral:
Large leather coral (Doing well)
Kenya Tree (molting)
Devils Hand (Doing Well)
Green Zoas (Thriving)
Pom Pom xenia (not doing so well  )


Inverts:
2x Coral Banded Shrimp
Condy Pink Tip Anemone
Green BTA
4 Hawaiian Feather Dusters
Coco Worm
2 large pencil urchins
2 horseshoe crabs
assorted snails/crabs

Fish:
2 True percs
false perc
maroon clown
bi-color angel
coral beauty
yellow tang
kole tang
4 damsels
2 scooter blennys


I figured i would list everything there is to list in case anyone has any ideas.

And of course my camera is broken ATM so i cannot get any pics up.


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## MediaHound

All of it? How big is the colony? Do you have more than one colony in the tank? 
Is it on rubble rock or on your base rock itself? Have you moved it recently? How long have you had the coral?


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## GetITCdot

MediaHound said:


> All of it? How big is the colony? Do you have more than one colony in the tank?
> Is it on rubble rock or on your base rock itself? Have you moved it recently? How long have you had the coral?


1.) Yes all of it
2.) Its about 3-4 inches long 1-2 inched wide
3.) Yes I have 3 colonies all right around the same size.
4.) it is on the base rock.
5.) I moved it once since i put it in to get it a bit further away from the power head.
6.) I have had the pompom for about 2 months.


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## ladyonyx

My only thought is the potential for temperature fluctuation. The difference between the low end of the night time temp and the high end of the day time temp is fairly large. If the temp were actually to swing 5 degrees within say 12 hours, that could very well bring about the meltdown. Xenia typically grows like a weed until some random water parameter changes abruptly, and then it melts. I've seen xenia melt from large swings in temperature, sudden ammonia, nitrite or nitrate spikes, being moved to a spot it doesn't like, a pH spike, and high levels of certain elements. How long has it been in its current spot for?
There is unfortunately not much that can be done once it starts melting other than keep water parameters as stable as possible. Good news is, even if the whole thing melts, it's very likely to come back in a couple months. If there is even a thin layer of tissue left after the meltdown, it'll likely regenerate.


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## Imaexpat2

As posted above this is a coral that can sometimes be tempermental. Its a coral that will also do better usually in tanks with somewhat less than pristine water conditions and moderate nutrient levels, all with in reason of course. There usually aint a lot of middle ground with this coral. It will usually thrive and grow to plauge proportions or it will slowly wither away and die. There have been many cases in the wild where vast colonies of this particular coral have suddenly "melted away" for reasons Biologist cant explain. I have often kept this coral myself. Sometimes it has done very well and other times it just wasnt in the cards or ment to be I guess. ladyonyx does point out some good possibilities on why it may not be thriving.


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