Pulsating xenia hasn't opened

[Tigerbarb]

The whole day, my pulsating xenia hasn't opened up. It's swaying with the current, but the tentacle like things aren't opening. Yesterday, when I got it, it opened up.

I am currently running 65 watts of 50/50 power compact light on a 20g tank.
Here are my water paremeters:
ph:8.2
nitrite:0
nitrate:20
ammonia:0
specific gravity:1.030


I know the nitrates are kinda high, but I've heard that they're really not very dangerous compared to nitrite and ammonia. And as for the salinity, it's been like that for a long time, and when I tried to lower it, my shrimp died, so I've decided to just keep it at 1.030.

Any information about this type of coral would be appreciated

Thank you,
Tigerbarb

[kaybee]

...It's swaying with the current, but the tentacle like things aren't opening...

I'm having a hard time imagining what that looks like, do you have pics? An indication that a xenia isn't doing good is that it goes limp. I'm not sure if your xenia's are limp yet the current is causing them to sway.

Is it that the stalk is extended but the polyps (resembling 'petals') are clentched closed? Do you have one xenia or is it a small group of xenia's? If the latter, are all affected?

20ppm shouldn't adversely affect this soft coral.

I suspect the high salinity may be a factor. What was the salinity of the water it was transported in and how long was the xenia acclimated?

Any other corals in the tank? I'm interested in how they've faired in 1.030 SG saltwater.

EDIT: I just saw your other thread which has the photo of the xenia. The stalk is extended and the polyps aren't fully extended, it's still acclimating.

[Tigerbarb]

Okay, thanks.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Many corals actually will puff up in water with that SG. I suspect it is partially due to relocation. On occasion, my Xenia will do the same thing but will then open up the next day or even later that same day. As Kaybee stated, the nitrates shouldn't bother Xenia; this coral is used by a number of hobbyists in refugiums. Xenia is a great nitrate and phophate reducing coral. In large quantities it is as efficient as some species of macro algae.

[Tigerbarb]

Okay, thanks.

Now, half of the xenia is limp, and is hanging from the rock. The hands are still moving though. I don't know what happened.