fragging blastos

[sryder]

can anyone tell me what is the best way to frag blastos?

 

[MCSInc]

I vote for a hammer and a chisel on a sturdy table. Study it to see what you want out of it... place chisel exactly where you want it and tap lightly. Don't be surprised if what you get is not exactly what you planned. It may follow its own path.

I just fragged (rescued) a fist sized piece of merletti that had majano anemones embedded in amoungst it. The majano's were destroying everything they touched. I ended up with 9 multi faced pieces and 2 single faced pieces but that was only because I had to do some really major chopping. They are georgeous frags.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Would love to see pics of your blastos!

I have found that a cheap sharp 1"+ wood chisel works better on coral rock better than a masonry chisel. Less surprises on the cut lines.

 

[spongebob lover]

Would love to see pics of your blastos

me too !!!

 

[dnjan]

Merleti breaks apart easily. But for B. wellsi, I would recommend the "dremel with cutoff wheel" approach.

 

[sryder]

do you cut around the polyps or can you cut through them like mushrooms?

 

[Forestal]

another great way is to use a tile saw and cut into slivers, will give you multiple pieces

 

[dnjan]

do you cut around the polyps or can you cut through them like mushrooms?

For B. wellsi, you will probably have to cut through the polyps. I'm not sure if those polyps would survive or not. But the frag should eventually grow over them.

By the way, Anthony, with a dremel tool in his hand, is strangely reminiscent of that scene in Rocky Horror Picture Show involving Meatloaf ...
A sight to see! (but either stand back or wear your goggles!)

 

[sryder]

so for merlettis you should cut the rock and not the polyp?

 

[JasonD]

Blastomussa Merleti's can be pulled apart with your fingers or pried apart with a nail file. The polyps should go unharmed.

 

[eastonreef]

hi,
sryder was actually asking how to frag the blasto for me. i "rescued" a dying blasto frag from the rock rubble tank at my lfs. i fed it like crazy and it came back very nicely. in april i mounted it to a larger rock with epoxy. this is what it looked like in april.

by now it has over 20 heads. it is like a golfball covered with large fleshy heads.

i dont want to hurt the blasto ,, but would like to share it and give it more room to grow on a flatter surface. i was thinking about using a dremel to cut the rock.

 

[dnjan]

As soon as you take it out of the tank, the polyps will retract considerably, so you should be able to make a cut with a dremel tool in a way that goes through the fewest polyps.

 

[eastonreef]

how can i tell what kind of blasto it is?

 

[MCSInc]

Nice....It looks like it has been very happy in your care.

 

[JasonD]

It looks like B. wellsi. Merleti polyps are small, like the size of zoanthid polyps.

 

[sryder]

that blasto is amazing. you cant even see the centers its so fleshy. nice job lisa.

 

[dnjan]

how can i tell what kind of blasto it is?

B. merleti's look like miniature candy cane corals, with each polyp on a skeleton "stem". And, as mentioned earlier, the polyps are smaller. Mine are a bit over 1/4" diameter retracted and about 1/2" open.

B. wellsi's grow from a massive skeleton like the typical closed brains. (pineapple brain, etc.) And the polyps can be larger when fully grown - mine are 3/4" or so. But, I also have some tiny polyps on my B. wellsi.