Picking Corals off of Rock

[lil_clownfish13]

Hi All,

So im getting kinda tired of how crowded and messy my tank has been looking these days, so i want to "prune" my corals off the live rock, redesign the tank and then put them back without having to stack the LR dependant on where a coral is situated on the rocks. I have assorted soft corals, colt, xenia, gsp, braerium, mushooms and zoos/protopalys. Anybody tried this with success?? (i realize braerium/gsp are going to be impossible). Technique suggestions would be fabulous!!

Frustrating ordeal as i will have to take the tank apart, and then i will also be replacing the sandbed.

Second question is in regard to sandbed. Has anyone had any experience with black sand? Big als sells a "Marine Sand" that is black-- and i was thinking of giving this a try as a substrate? Any comments?

[demon666]

i have a black sand bed and it is ok...... you will still find white stuff all over the sand from the rock work and that but i dont mind it.

[Beverly]

Tina,

To remove as much sand and detritus from your rock before placing on the black sandbed, rinse it thoroughly in a pail of old tankwater. You should then have minimal white sand on the black sand.

[lil_clownfish13]

thanks guys!

im still wondering about the corals-- any expert fraggers around?

[McNasty]

I was hoping to see more replies here as well hehe, I have some hairy shrooms that have taken over a rather large rock and wondering myself how to remove them

[Willow]

manual removal with your hand or chip them away from the rock with a screwdriver. you can sometimes coax mushrooms away by brushing under them slowly and pulling the foot away. the colt and other softies you will have to gently pull away from the rock, they will rip but should live if they are healthy. gsp.. is a write off. xenia might be able to be pulled off, if not it will move it's self into the light from a behind rock. the zoos i would chip a chunk of the rock away underneath unless they are in a mat, if so you can usually slip your finger beneath and start to pull the sheet away like peeling wallpaper. you will need to have some gel super around after to reattach them to something else or they will float away.

hope that helped.

[Beverly]

Here's garf.org's webpage. Look under Propagation on the left side for lots of fragging info...

http://www.garf.org/

[lil_clownfish13]

thanks bev and willow :)