goldrush: colt propagation questions

flyinbrian

Member
My colt has gotten huge, and I was wondering if you could tell me how to frag a colt. I read another post that said you have done it several times. What are the steps? any useful websites???
 

goldrush

Member
Haven't forgotten you,I will reply soon with my own experience as well as the best site ever regarding colt coral prop. Stay tuned.
 

flyinbrian

Member
I think I understand the method, just I dont have "plugs"
will any small piece of rock do?
how about where to cut the piece for prop.?
and does the open wound on the coral that has been cut need to be treated or somehow sealed???
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I know what you mean about the colt. I got mine about a month ago and it is about 4x larger now.
That site points out how to take frags [niping small pieces off] to make several more corals, which I'm not sure that is what you want to do. I have never fragged, but I believe with the colt, if you see a column completely spliting off, you can simply divide the specimen using a sharp razor where the 2 columns branch off. You can mount using superglue gel onto a fragment of live rock, or, if you know exactly where you're going to put the split pieces, then just glue it there.
Keep in mind, as I said, I have never fragged before.
 

dfimble

Member
When I fragged my colt, I just used small pieces of rock or large shells.
I also tried the glue thing, but found that needle & thread were easier to handle. I just poked the thread through the base of the new cutting, and tied it onto the rock.
Best of luck
David
 

flyinbrian

Member
butr i cant glue the original piece of coral to something if i only took one branch off of it!
The "branch" till be attatched to some sort of pug , but this still leaves the original coral with a damaged part.
My question is can this be left as an open wound?
I am not going to frag the whole coral!!
 

jonthefb

Active Member
you can cut from anywhere and just keep your eye on the cut site of the parent colony. make sure it is in a light current area, and keep your eye out for any discoloration, or brown slimy buildup. if you see these it has developed a bacterial infection, and needs to be cared for. ususally siphoning the slime off the wound works fine, and the placign the wound in current. with softies, you can cut anywhere adn both sites will grow into new colonies!
good luck
jon
 

flyinbrian

Member
will the cuttings be fine in my main tank as they attatch to their new base?
do the cuttings need plenty of circulation?
 
Just a couple of things I have found useful.
First, if possible DO NOT CUT SOFTIES INSIDE THE MAIN TANK. Some can release toxins when cut that can be harmfull to many LPS and SPS corals. Remove the parent to a bowl (or bucket) of tank water to do the cutting. Afterwards rinse as much of the initial slime off the coral before replacing it in the main tank.
I believe that most cuttings do better in moderate to strong current, at least for the first few days. It seems to cut down on the bacterial infections mentioned above and aid in the healing process for the mother colony. The trouble is that most cuttings can not withstand higher current unless well anchored. I use a fine mess netting (about 1/4" wide) to tie or cover the cutting after I glue it until it fully attaches. Otherwise you will have to be careful with the amount of current until it attaches.
Remember to replace the cutiings in as close to the same conditions as the mother colony (if not right next to it) as this is what it the coral has been used to. After a week or so treat it as any other new addition to your tank.
HTH
SiF
 
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