What Have You Fragged?

[NaH2O]

What have you fragged? Which corals have you found easy to frag, and which ones do you dread fragging? Also, share any tips or tricks that you've learned along the way to make the process easier....

 

[MtnDewMan]

SPS mostly ...

Very easy to frag, take a wire cutter, small angled cutter, or sometimes larger angled cutter and snip off a piece. Then super glue it to a piece of rubble or to a rock within your tank and you are all set. Not much can be easier than that.

Xenia ...

Take some scissors, cut off a full head of xenia ... the meaty stuff left on the rock will regrow into another xenia colonly. Cut the head into four pieces. Then use some lacey material and rubberband it around the xenia onto a rock holding it in place with a rubber band. After 3 or 4 days the little piece will adhere to the rock and you can remove the lacey material ... has worked great for me in the past.

 

[plumber_bob]

Any leather take a sharp new razor blade and cut it in one slice "if possible" Dry the bottom of the leather with a rag, throw some super glue gel on it and attach to a rock or rubble.

 

[Imaexpat2]

So far I have done Pavona, Bali Xenia, various Acro's, and Purple Frilly Gorgonians. Gorgonians have been the most time consuming and head aches but really pretty easy. Xenias I have just cat and used a lightly wrapped rubber band to hold them to a rock while they attach. Pavona and Acros have been the easiest and hassle free.

 

[Curtswearing]

anthelia, xenia, zoanthids, mushrooms, leather of all types (cabbage, spaghetti leathers, sarcophyton toadstools), acro's, monti's, etc.

Great thread!!! I think everyone should continue posting their favorite way of fragging how they attached the frag. Are there any things to be careful of?

For instance, NEVER frag a leather in your tank. They feel like they are under attack and will put all sorts of nasties into your water which can be harmful to other tank mates.

Zoanthids have their own issues.

 

[Johnny]

I have never really fragged anything. If I want a new xenia I just put a piece of rock near my xenia and next thing you know it has spread onto it. I keep the only one I have on the sand by itself so it will not spread to the main rocks in my tank and get out of control.
That is why I like this site, learning.

 

[Alice]

I've fragged about every type of coral there is I think, except for the solid base LPS. There are people who say it can be done but I was always too chicken. Plucka, plucka LOL Maybe Anthony Calfo can shed some light on that subject when I see his presentation in Seattle (sponsored by the PSAS, I might add!) later this month.

With big softies, I like to cut the pieces that I want to frag *almost* all the way off, let it heal up for a few days and then just cut it off at the base. They seem to do better and attach faster.

I have a heck of a time getting some softies to attach with netting. I like to find a piece of rubble that has a crack or hole in it and then attach the frag in that spot with toothpicks and a rubberband. I tried just using the rubberband but it would often be on too tight and cut through the stalk after several days.

If I have mushrooms that I want to have in a particular spot in my existing rockwork, I cut them off as close to the base of their rock as possible and then use a plastic toothpick to stab them to the desired spot in the live rock until they attach on their own. (My, that sounds brutal :shock: )

Fragging corals is stinky work, lol, with Xenia having to rate at the top of the Stinik-O-Meter. My favorite coral to frag is my Capnella, it does it by itself!

 

[OneOfDaZZZ]

can a open brain be fragged?

just chop the sucker in half and prey?

 

[CarlaW]

Can you frag green hairy mushroom the same way that you frag regular mushrooms? I heard they are a little tougher than plain old discosoma? I've got a hairy mushroom rock that really needs a haircut.

 

[NaH2O]

OneOfDaZZZ - I didn't find much information on fragging Trachyphyllia, but according to Anthony Calfo in Book of Coral Propagation, page 269:

Asexual budding has been reported in Trachyphyllia, but this genus is not yet considered to be significant in mariculture. Successful propagation of this genus is limited to local trade. Direction for the commercial viability of Trachyphyllia is unrealized and hopeful for future developments.

charlie - since I have the book right here, I'll just throw a quote at you (page 320)

Rhodactis ..... Handling and propagation is quite similar to other "beginner" corallimorphs. These are many species and colors in this genus that have great potential in coral propagation.

Reproduction in Corallimorphs
....They will tolerate numerous different propagation techniques to satisfy mariculturists from the overzealous to the squeamish ends of the spectrum. Natural reproduction commonly occurs through budding, pedal laceration (leaving part of the stalk-foot behind that develops a new "head"/oral disc), long or transverse fission. Imposed techniques have been applied to corallimorphs such as bilateral and radial cuts with varying degrees of success (mostly favorable)...

 

[CarlaW]

I have that book!!!! I guess it was just waaaaayyyyyy to early to have a brain and look it up
I know for a fact that they've got the natural part down pat:lol:

 

[NUGIO]

I just fragged my first coral tonight it is toadstool I hope all goes well ! And I didnt kill it .Its a beauty

 

[Alice]

Congrats! Fragging that first one is nerve-wracking. Sarco's are tough though.

 

[NUGIO]

Good news i assume, this morning when i checked on the the leather he was out like if nothing had ever happend.
It was nerve wracking!!

 

[piercho]

I accidentally split a Cycloseris disk coral after Calfo's talk. The coral had been severely damaged coming from the seller's tank, and never re-grown over all of the recessed skelteton after several months. Algae encrouchment was becomming a problem. I was trying to clip back the back the bare skeleton with dikes and wound up splitting the disk entirely in half, right through the oral disk. Both pieces of coral appear in good shape, and have recovered a limited abiltity to feed. They have also covered over the cut lines so algae enchroachment is no longer a problem. So it looks hopeful.

Montipora, Acropora, Pocillopora are the othe corals I've fragmented. These are easy, IMO.