Fragging candy cane coral?

MrSpiffy · 02/16/2007, 02:46 PM

I have a candy cane coral that I'm interested in fragging. It's actually quite small, right now, only having 5-6 polyps. The problem is that one large polyp always overhangs another, not allowing it any light. There's a Y-shaped spot where I could split it up into two frags, but there's some soft tissue connecting the two sides together. Can I simply slice through the tissue and allow it to heal up? Or is that a bad idea? And if I can frag it apart that way, what's the best way to cut through the hard base? I've heard dremel tools are good, but what do you recommend?

Thanks!

someguynamedG · 02/16/2007, 02:57 PM

personally I think they are a no brainer to frag. I had a fairly large colony(30-50 heads) that had a rock dropped on it (after my maroon bit my hand while I was holding the rock). The colony broke into three pieces and now I have 3 colonies. IMO just breaking off the stems as for down as you can seems to work. I couldnt imagien that not working.

rustybucket145 · 02/16/2007, 03:14 PM

Break it like you would a twig. If it's to hard you can use some heavy duty wire cutters, also kown as 'dikes'

DSMpunk · 02/16/2007, 05:44 PM

Candy canes are pretty hardy and you probably could cut throught the flesh and it would probably recover. When you cut through the flesh that way there is always the possibility of infection though.

Is there any way you can postition it so the big polyp isnt shading anything?

MrSpiffy · 02/17/2007, 03:52 PM

Well, I can give it a shot. It doesn't have much for a base, though, so it tends to roll off the rock and I have to put it back. I'm tempted to glue it down, but I don't want to permanently attach it. I could always glue it to a smaller rock to keep it in place.

02/16/2007, 02:46 PM	#1
MrSpiffy Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,300	Fragging candy cane coral? I have a candy cane coral that I'm interested in fragging. It's actually quite small, right now, only having 5-6 polyps. The problem is that one large polyp always overhangs another, not allowing it any light. There's a Y-shaped spot where I could split it up into two frags, but there's some soft tissue connecting the two sides together. Can I simply slice through the tissue and allow it to heal up? Or is that a bad idea? And if I can frag it apart that way, what's the best way to cut through the hard base? I've heard dremel tools are good, but what do you recommend? Thanks!

02/16/2007, 03:14 PM	#3
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	Break it like you would a twig. If it's to hard you can use some heavy duty wire cutters, also kown as 'dikes' __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

02/16/2007, 05:44 PM	#4
DSMpunk Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Des Moines IA Posts: 1,064	Candy canes are pretty hardy and you probably could cut throught the flesh and it would probably recover. When you cut through the flesh that way there is always the possibility of infection though. Is there any way you can postition it so the big polyp isnt shading anything? __________________ -Sean Current Tank Info: SPS Dominated 150

02/16/2007, 02:57 PM	#2
someguynamedG Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: SB, CA Posts: 49	personally I think they are a no brainer to frag. I had a fairly large colony(30-50 heads) that had a rock dropped on it (after my maroon bit my hand while I was holding the rock). The colony broke into three pieces and now I have 3 colonies. IMO just breaking off the stems as for down as you can seems to work. I couldnt imagien that not working.

02/17/2007, 03:52 PM	#5
MrSpiffy Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,300	Well, I can give it a shot. It doesn't have much for a base, though, so it tends to roll off the rock and I have to put it back. I'm tempted to glue it down, but I don't want to permanently attach it. I could always glue it to a smaller rock to keep it in place.