what do u do when it gets too big!

traco · #1 03-14-2003, 02:37 AM

So, got your attention. What does a person do when a stony coral gets too big for your tank? I have a large red doughnut coral who is definately cramped on floor space. This poor thing extends every day up the front of the glass and under some rockwork. There is no other place to place this coral in my tank.

What do you do? Anyone interested? I would say that fully extended during the day, is close to a foot around. The hard base is about 3"- 4". Very healthy, eats well. Have no reef tank friends so am kind of stuck on what to do about this.

Hark · #2 03-14-2003, 02:40 AM

Can you frag it?

traco · #3 03-14-2003, 02:43 AM

Never fragged a stony coral. Can it be split safely; as in how?

Would feel better finding a new home while still whole. Thanks for the quick reply, though

smokinreefer · #4 03-14-2003, 02:53 AM

shoot troy an email.
he may be interested...i know he has a fairly large tank and is into LPS, though he may nolonger have room now, as he has a carpet anenome.
worth a try.

HTH

Hark · #5 03-14-2003, 12:23 PM

you can frag it.....

I would take it but I am in ontario so that makes it tough

I will find my info on propogating the stony corals and get back to you if you want

BCOrchidGuy · #6 03-14-2003, 02:46 PM

I've got one to that extends out to about 8 inches across.... never seen or heard of how to frag it... Wendell??

Troy F · #7 03-14-2003, 03:25 PM

Hey Shao, thanks for thinking of me

. Fragging stonies like that can be difficult and it takes time involving wedges used to pull the skeleton apart slowly to enable the tissue to seperate as well. The procedure is discussed in TRA vol I .

BCOrchidGuy · #8 03-14-2003, 07:05 PM

Troy, will it frag on its own or will it just continue to grow?

Troy F · #9 03-14-2003, 09:11 PM

BCOG, I looked briefly for the chapter involving this procedure and couldn't find it. Going by memory of what I read, you split the bottom of the skeleton and insert wedges and then wait. After time you try inserting a larger wedge and keep repeating the procedure until the tissue divides at the mouth of the polyp and seperates on its own. I've never tried this and I think it was described as a tricky procedure.

Traco, what are your tank specs so that someone with a similar lighting scheme could consider it. I'll ask the boss if she's interested but that's a lot of real estate. I assume we're talking about Cynarina sp..

Aquattro · #10 03-14-2003, 09:15 PM

I think Troy describes this well when he says "tricky". I certainly wouldn't try it....you could end up killing it.