Fragging a hidden cup coral?

[racingtiger03]

A. Is it possible? B. How can I do it?
I have two that are about 1" at the base.. one of them that I had been feeding mysis once a week has 4 new heads within a few mm's of it's base now. I like the couple I have, but don't want them taking over the tank, or even the rock they are on! Right now I think they are too small to worry about, but for future reference I would like to know.
Thanks!

 

[spanko]

Maybe reefkrpz will chime in here but I think you can take a Dremel or Roto zip tool with a diamond blade and just cut it off as close to the base - where it meets the rest of the colony - as you can. Mount it to a pc. of rock rubble, let it heal a bit in the tank then sell it or trade it into the local fish store for credit.

 

[reefkprz]

By hidden cup coral I am assuming you mean Phyllangia Americana
these are a real bugger to frag. their internal skeleton is so fragile about 90% of fraggings kill them. I have had extremely poor luck attempting to frag these.
the best and most successful method I have found is to come at the rock from behind them, or to cut the rock face off they are attached to with a dremel or diamond jewlers blade. then carefully cut between them without actually touching the coral itself. chip or snip methods with cutters or chisels generally kills them.
if your talking about another coral please show me a picture and I'll do my best to help you out.

 

[spanko]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
http:///forum/post/3180459
By hidden cup coral I am assuming you mean Phyllangia Americana
these are a real bugger to frag. their internal skeleton is so fragile about 90% of fraggings kill them. I have had extremely poor luck attempting to frag these.
the best and most successful method I have found is to come at the rock from behind them, or to cut the rock face off they are attached to with a dremel or diamond jewlers blade. then carefully cut between them without actually touching the coral itself. chip or snip methods with cutters or chisels generally kills them.
if your talking about another coral please show me a picture and I'll do my best to help you out.

Thanx

 

[racingtiger03]

Yes, reefkprz that is it. Thanks! Guess I will deal with it, and just stop feeding. The way the colony is growing I could not remove one without likely killing the others. They are VERY close together. Maybe as they spread some will grow where I can remove them lol.
When it comes to that point, sounds like I should just chisel the rock itself away from behind them and avoid touching the skeleton of the coral at all right?

 

[reefkprz]

that would be the safest way.
once they get large enough you can seperate them at the intersections but you want more than an inch and a half of skeleton to prevent damaging the polyps. dremeling would be the way to go the skeletons are so fragile and prone to verticle splitting that snipping and chiseling the skeleton is a risky proposition.