Xenia Problem

[bitfishy]

Hi - can anyone help?

I'm just setting up a reef tank, the shop tested my water & said everything was very good - its been maturing for a few weeks, and I've just introduced a Xenia coral. Trouble is whilst 3 of them have opened up & are pulsing nicely, the other three are just not happy. They keep closed, with a very occasional half hearted opening, which lasts only a minute or so. I have moved them to stronger currents, which none of them liked and weaker currents equate to poor lighting in my tank - so I figure that's not a good idea. Are they OK? will they settle down? Its their third day in the tank. Oh I must mention that when I was placing the rock at first, it fell off its perch and clonked the glass. I'm wondering if the unhappy side is the one that hit the glass. Could it be a coral version of post traumatic stress disorder? If so what kind of therapy works best?

Any advice gratefully received
Thanks

 

[N1z]

I wouldnt worry too much, give it time soft corals like xenia are very forgiving and will come back. Just keep an eye on it.

 

[SkiFletch]

How well can you trust your LFS? Xenia usually only close when pH, calc/alk balance, and or salinity is out of whack.

 

[bitfishy]

LFS has got a good reputation but I'll test the water myself, if all is OK then I'll assume I can relax. Thanks for posting!

 

[-Nemo-]

I had a similar problem recently about 5 days after putting mine in the tank. It was all dead looking and shrinking, well the day after a water change (coincidence or not), the front half came back to life, while the back still remained bad. Then a couple days after the back started to perk back to itself. I don't know what was wrong, besides the water change (and i tested my levels beforehand and they were all normal), I had changed nothing.

If everything seems to be normal, i'd say wait 2 or 3 more days (or maybe do a water change ) and see if it starts getting any better. One thing i've kinda discovered, is that coral just seems to do what it wants.