How difficult is it to keep Heteroxenia?

Beginner. This is a beginner-friendly species. No special equipment or experience is required, and it can be kept successfully with basic care setup.

What is the ideal temperature for Heteroxenia?

The ideal temperature for Heteroxenia is 24〜26℃. Avoid sudden temperature changes and maintain a stable environment.

What is the typical price for Heteroxenia?

The price of Heteroxenia varies significantly depending on variety, size, and individual quality. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Heteroxenia

Q: What should I feed Heteroxenia?

Heteroxenia feeds on: Mainly nutrition from its zooxanthellae, supplemented by dissolved organics and micro-plankton.. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

Beginner

Heteroxenia fuscescens

A xeniid soft coral known for the pulsing of its polyps, whose tentacles open and close continuously. It occurs from the Red Sea across the Indo-West Pacific, with dense tufts of polyps on a short stalk.

Difficulty

Beginner

Temperature

24〜26℃

Diet

Mainly nutrition from its zooxanthellae, supplemented by dissolved organics and micro-plankton.

About

Heteroxenia fuscescens is an octocoral soft coral in the family Xeniidae, order Malacalcyonacea, found on shallow reefs across the Indo-West Pacific including the Red Sea. Dense tufts of polyps, each with eight pinnate tentacles, sit on a short stalk, and the polyps are known for pulsing, opening and closing continuously. The purpose of that pulsing was long debated until Kremien and colleagues reported in PNAS in 2013 that it stirs the water around the polyps, clears the build-up of oxygen and markedly raises the photosynthetic efficiency of the zooxanthellae. The species is zooxanthellate and draws most of its nutrition from photosynthesis. It grows fast and, when conditions suit, creeps from the base to spread across the rockwork. It is among the easier soft corals to keep, though an abrupt change in water chemistry or lighting can stop the pulsing, after which the colony may melt away. As a soft coral with no stony skeleton it is not covered by the CITES coral listings.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)