Bi weekly disscusion ---Fragging 101

[tims]

Okay it seems that we have a alot of threads asking about how to frag this or that. So lets see and here how you frag yoru corals!
not sure how to Frag a coral ??? then ask away.

[Cosine]

Another good thread idea
Should we start with a certain type/group of coral or just any?

[tims]

Bill,
good to see ya!
i think all types are good to go..
please add a title to it when you post as to the type of coral ( ie. Colt , Bubble,etc...)

[Twitterbait]

For starters I will mention tools. for most i have found that a good pair of surgical bone clippers are sooooo worth it. they are sharp and stainless so they don't rust like wire clippers do. for the mushrooms all you need is a razor blade.

[whatevva]

How about zoos? Is there any other way, other that bustin' off a piece of the rock?

[Cosine]

These are fairly easy to frag

what I have done is simply cut off the crown and a new one will grow from the remaining stalk. Also if you cut the crown into small sections each of these will grow up. You can use a sharp knife or scissors.

Now after they are cut up attaching is the next step. A few ways of doing this is placing the frags on some rubble in a low flow area... they will attach in a few days to a few weeks. Other methods include sewing the frag to a piece of rock with thread or attach with toothpics. Wedding vail is another way that I've never tried but have heard many people recommend.

Oh yeah, also if you can frag in a bowl or another tank than your display it might be for the best since the leather will put off some fluid as a defense mechanism I assume. So by fragging in another tank there's less risk of other corals being harmed by this.

Wear gloves as well... the smell will stay with you if you don't.

Feel free to add or correct me on any of this!

[tims]

Butch which type of Zoa's are you asking about?

[whatevva]

Butch which type of Zoa's are you asking about?

I guess you'd call them Palys. Like this:

[xtopher]

aside from busting up the rock or pulling the zoas off the only solution I can think of is placing a small piece of coral rubble in the middle of the colony and just wait till they move onto it???

[xtopher]

for the xeniids the best way is to cut them at the bottom of the stock and reattach to a rock using an elastic band ( I have been reading quite a bit that superglue doen't really work for this application and I know from experience elastics work). Another way is to place a rock next to the mother colony and wait for them to move onto the rock. GSP are pretty much the same just rip a chunk off and away you go, off to the LFS for a credit

[gwen_o_lyn]

Fragging Xenia video
http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216

[mtfatwork]

Originally Posted by xtopher

aside from busting up the rock or pulling the zoas off the only solution I can think of is placing a small piece of coral rubble in the middle of the colony and just wait till they move onto it???

How do you pull them off? I thought they were toxic?

[three90s&125sump]

You can cut the head off the zoas and attach them like you would the sarcophyton. If you really want to do it like that. Placing a piece of rock in the middle of the bunch will do it much easier but not as fast.

The xenias?... well they are easy, too. They will grow UP very fast even to the point of crawling. Every where they crawl, they will leave a "snail" trail behind them which will turn into new xenias over a short period of time. You can also, chop them up, even if you pluck off a single hand it will grow into a new one very fast.

Almost every LPS that branches is extremely easy to frag. Just bust off a stalk or 2 or 3 or however many you want and its done.

Shrooms are easy as well. One way I have found to propagate them is to piss them off. Spray a PH right into a colony of them and they will break their selves apart and leave nubs behind that will grow into new shrooms very fast. Or, you can chop them up how ever you wish and each little piece will become a new shroom. Use the same method as described for the sarcophyton for attachment.

I have never had any luck what so ever with SPS or non-branching LPS propagation.

[whatevva]

You can also, chop them up,

Ughhhhh

[dobejazz]

I've had the best luck just putting live rock rubble next to them and off they go!! I can't bring myself to cut them My husband would do the cutting but so far I can't bring myself to let him!