What do Xenia do? Never heard that strategy. Do they take nitrates/phosphates out of the water column efficiently? said:
Same as macro, and you can sell the frags or trade it for credit and local fish store for more than trading in macro plus you don't have to worry about macro going asexual
The xenia doesn't provide a safe haven for the micro organisms to strive and multiply. I would think that the xenia would eventually deplete your pods with its polyps. Just my thoughts.
A friend of mine ran Xenia in his refugium years ago. He ended up with a tank crash. The skimmer pump's magnet split open, polluting the water with metals. The flatworms in his system died, which cause the xenia to die, which caused all the corals and fish to die. It was an awful domino effect. I like Xenia, but wouldn't want that much in my system at any given time.
That brownish type of xenia seems to grow upwards more than outwards with no real plague-like situation (at least in my tank), but be VERY careful if you throw any other kind in your fuge. One Xenia 'hand' up the return pipe and you could have an epic blanket of xenia in your display eventually. Especially with very porous rock.
