How much light and flow does Pulsing xenia need?

Soft coral, low light at roughly 50–80 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Pulsing xenia attack neighbouring corals?

It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.

Does Pulsing xenia need feeding?

No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.

What water parameters does Pulsing xenia need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.023–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Pulsing xenia a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: beginner. Growth: fast. Place it in the midground. Spacing: once attached it spreads on its own, so give it its own rock — otherwise it is almost impossible to clear off the main structure.

G-03 / 21Marine

Pulsing xenia白银珊瑚

Xenia umbellata · Xeniidae

Pulsing xenia: polyps that rhythmically clench and open, and despite looking delicate it can cover a whole rock — one of the fastest growing soft corals.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 21 · Pulsing xenia Xenia umbellata

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 白银珊瑚
Scientific name: Xenia umbellata
Family: Xeniidae
Origin: Reefs of the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef
Type: Soft coral
Light: Low light
PAR: 50–80
Flow: Medium flow
Aggression: No aggression
Feeding: No feeding needed
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.023–1.026 SG
Growth: Fast
Placement: Midground
Level: Beginner

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.023–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: once attached it spreads on its own, so give it its own rock — otherwise it is almost impossible to clear off the main structure.
2Flow: medium; too little and the pulsing slows, too much and the whole colony stays closed.
3Feeding: none needed; photosynthesis and suspended organics support it.
4Water tolerance: tough, but sensitive to sudden change — a careless water change or a salinity shift can stop the pulsing and shrink the colony.
5Growth form: spreads by creeping tissue, and any fragment that lands on rock survives — it advances week by week.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Pulsing xenia need?: Soft coral, low light at roughly 50–80 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Pulsing xenia attack neighbouring corals?: It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.
Does Pulsing xenia need feeding?: No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.
What water parameters does Pulsing xenia need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.023–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Pulsing xenia a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: beginner. Growth: fast. Place it in the midground. Spacing: once attached it spreads on its own, so give it its own rock — otherwise it is almost impossible to clear off the main structure.