LPS propagation techniques

[blaneperun]

I was wondering if anyone had experiences propagating LPS’s ? Here are a few starting point tips from my experience. Propagating LPS is a bit more complex and risky than SPS. I’d say it’s best to start with less difficult species and work your way up. A good starter may be a colony of Caulastrea. Looking over your colony you will notice the polyps have grown from single branches, and the mature branches then split after the polyp splits through fission. Glancing at the colony like a 3-D puzzle and visualize multiple cuts that will yield you a second colony. You can use a cutting tool like a Dremel, or small hack saw. You could also turn to breaking the branches with two pair of pointy nose pliers.

Blastomussa Merleti is another LPS that welcomes propagation. The colony is a collection of calcareous tubular colonies, a mature specimen can almost be fractured along these vertical tubes as though they were perforations. In this case I have always used a chisel and small hammer, prior to striking I etch the line I wish the colony to separate on with either a dremel or small hacksaw blade.

Blastomussa Wellsi is perhaps a step forward in the more advanced area. Wellsi grows is various sometimes convoluted patterns. Along with the unpredictability of the skeletal structure the Welsi is often grown onto rock. Your first step (like the other LPS) is to gently wave your hand above or to the side of the coral encouraging the polyps to close. Take a look at the underside of the colony analyzing a place where you could cut or fracture the specimen. In some cases you may be able to gently pry a portion of the colony off if it has grown off the rock base. You can make small incisions top side as to outline the polyps with a tiny hammer and jewelers screwdriver this will aid the polyps in a clean break around the perimeter.

In some case no matter how you cut the specimen you will be down to a single polyp then needs to be cut down the middle. This is tricky business and best left to happen naturally. Make certain you cut the underside almost completely then gently set the two pieces down joined by this single polyp in a low flow place in the Aquarium, in a short time the polyp should split on its own.

Blane

[Doug1]

t*f*a*

[blaneperun]

t*f*a* ??

[galleon]

Most non-arborose scleractinians are very simple to propogate. A larger cutting utensil is usually the only provision that differs from arborose coral propogation. I prefer to use dremel tools with a wide cutting disc. Cut the polyps off longitudinally, parallel to the direction the septa/mesenteries run (up/down). Prepare for the room to smell like the dentist's office though.

Chris

[blaneperun]

Chris any tips for cutting through polyps like Wellsi, in situations where I had to cut through one I'd say about 1/2 inch in size I have usually lost one of the half’s. The method I mentioned above worked better for me. Would you think the speed of the cut could have any outcome on the corals healing the polyp.

[mojoreef]

Blaine T*F*A* = Tagged for Archives....



mike

[galleon]

"Would you think the speed of the cut could have any outcome on the corals healing the polyp."

Most definitely. The quicker the cut, the cooler the animal stays, the less cells you destroy, etc. etc.

I too have lost whole halves when cutting slow. But my success rate far outshines my failure rate. The same can be said for arborose corals. Certainly there have been numerous failed propogations, but still a ton of successes.

[blaneperun]

In making cuts to Wellsi, I would typically separate a few polyps, and about half of the time need to cut into a small new forming one, at about ½ inch in size So say I made a cut of 7 polyps, each propagation would receive 3.5 polyps, one of the half polyps would typically die off, but the other 3 would be fine. I have always used a fine steel blade, and was considering moving to ceramic but thought the ceramic might get too hot. When using a dremel what RPM do you use, have you experimented within a range.

[fishinchick]

I have seen Anthony Calfo letcure a couple of times now (Once at MACNA and once at MASLAC). He talked about fragging lps. One of the more interesting to me was his description of fragging fungia. He said take a dremmel and cut the fungia into pie shaped pieces. Right thru the oral disk!! I for one could not bring myself to do that. I am entirely too squeamish to do that.

I did try his trick on the galaxea however, and so far the new colony is doing great!! Better than the original parent colony IMO.

He also talked about fragging corals like favia.

Calfo says that the corals are hardier than we give them credit for and he uses a dremmel, bandsaw etc on them all the time


He has a new book out on fragging techniques etc. you can find it on Wet Web Media I am sure. It looks like a good book to have if you are looking at fragging!!

[galleon]

Blane, no I haven't experimented with RPM ranges. I usually go high. Gets the cut done fastest.