splitting colt

[sryder]

I just had my colt coral split into two. It seems like it is fine( both sections) is there anything I need to do to help it recover or insure its success?

 

[NaH2O]

Hey sryder - how are the corals doing? Other than keeping your water quality up, I can't think of anything else you need to do. Perhaps Anthony can add some thoughts...

 

[sryder]

hey nikk, they both look ok, the one section that broke off gets pushed around a little by the current. Will it attach to something or should i attach it somehow? steve

 

[hopper]

My colt has never split into two sections, however it has dropped off a few branches which give instant frags. Completely normal I would assume. I haven't caught the frags after they branched off. Instead, I just let them float around and they seem to attach to my LR wherever they make a landing.

 

[Casperson]

Hi Sryder,
How large is the unattached piece? If it's small enough you can put it in a platic cup (16oz cut in half) with some rock rubble. Place it away from direct water flow and it will attach. If it's big you can try nylon fishing line and sew it to some larger rock rubble. I've used wedding vail to cover frags with rubber bands to hold into place. One more idea? Plastic tooth pick, (the sword type), super glue into rock rubble and then super glue to colt.

Just some things that have worked for me,
The frags you see behind the hawk were done with the plastic cup method



Tom C.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

avoid any change in light (moving the coral, eg) and insure strong water flow for faster healing.

The splitting is sometimes simply natural fission.

But colts are one of the few corals we believe to be rather phyto hungry-heavy. And they will condust a stress-induced fissionary split from long-term stress such as from noxious neighbors (mushroom anemones, star polyps) or from prolonged attrition.