How to frag a shroom/and keep it.

[dragonboy]

My star polyp stick on the rock pretty quick I just lay them on top and within a day or so they start sticking on as long as you place them away from the flow they will stick. For the shrooms I have recently frag them myself they are doing great they are pretty easy to frag, but I haven't got them on to any rocks yet so probably might have to use the glue method.
Originally Posted by tthemadd1
So I just cut up a star polyp colony. I shoved toothpicks thru them and wedged between rocks. I noticed that it takes a lont time for them to attach to rock therefore using this method. Has anyone tried another method for attaching these?

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Radiolotek
ok dumb question probably but what kind of glue are you guys using to attach? I'm new to reefs

regular super glue GEL. with GEL being the key word

 

[jayc]

Thanks so much for making this thread Oceana. It sure has helped me alot. I cant wait to get some shroomes and try this.
Josh

 

[agoutihead]

my questoin is... how do you get the shrooms off the live rock in your tank to frag them... i dont want to rip them... they seem to stick pretty well.
thanks!

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by agoutihead
my questoin is... how do you get the shrooms off the live rock in your tank to frag them... i dont want to rip them... they seem to stick pretty well.
thanks!

I have done this several way which includes ripping them but thats is a last and very lazy choice.
1. The fasted way it to wait until they are all streched out and simply take a new and sharp razor and and slice them off right at the base as close to the rock as you can. the best part about this way is that in most cases any flesh that is left on the rock will grow into a new shroom.
2. You can also flip the rock they are on over into the sand and the shroom will in a day or two become very easy to remove. somtiems when you lift the rock they wont be attached anymore at all. so lift slow.
3. You can point a power head right at them but sometimes this will not work at all or if it does it can take a while. in many cases when it does come lose the power head then blows it away neevr to be found so its not the best of choices.
4. You can also take something like a butter knife and slowly work them off the rock.
this way work very well.
IMO choices 1 and 4 are the best. they are the methods i use on a weekly basis
dont worry non of these methods will kill them. soft corals are ALOT hardier them some people think.

 

[aelene]

Okay I have a silly question. I brought home some green light mushroom today and when we got him set up in the tank I noticed about three pieces came loose and are in the bag. I would like to get them in the tank and see if they grow.
If I set up a little cup like you have in this example, can I use pantyhose material for the netting on the top?

It's about the closet thing I have right now.. and I figure there's no way they can escape. Would that work?

 

[oceana]

yep that will work just fins with the one side effect that light will not pass through it as well
but yes it will still work out just fine.

 

[aelene]

Okay, one more question then... hehe. Should I glue them to one of the pieces of small rock or will they attach on their own? There are a few tiny pieces of rock and a couple pieces of crushed coral (was in the bag that came from the LFS). They're three little .. umm I guess you'd call them polyps?! They are a little smaller than a dime...
Thanks for the help!

 

[oceana]

if they are polyps you should glue them. if its shrooms then they will attach on there own.
both will do it on there own but polyps respond very well to being glued and they will take a long time there own

 

[reefman22]

sorry this is a dumb questions but how long does it take for a frag to grow back to a full coral?

 

[darknes]

Great info Oceana!
I just tried this method today since they always come loose when I glue them.
I just had one question: A few of the mushroom frags I cut and put in the cup have floated to the top of the net. I tried to push them back down, but they keep floating up. Will they sink to the rubble on their own? Or do I need to glue them?

 

[smoney]

Hey Oceana,
I just did my first frags today, I tried to cut two frags of mushroom off my rock, Im not sure if I got them good, but I bought a free floater yuma or hairy mushroom today and I added it in the frag cut, i followed your steps and I hope it turns out well, thanks for the info. I will be posting a pic on here soon. How long does it take to attach to a rock(about)?

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by SMoney
Hey Oceana,
I just did my first frags today, I tried to cut two frags of mushroom off my rock, Im not sure if I got them good, but I bought a free floater yuma or hairy mushroom today and I added it in the frag cut, i followed your steps and I hope it turns out well, thanks for the info. I will be posting a pic on here soon. How long does it take to attach to a rock(about)?

its up to the quality of your tank and lighting but in my tank at the end of a few days to week they are attached

 

[smoney]

cool, i will keep you posted.

 

[bronco300]

hey oceana, another GREAT post, this is very helpful....have you made a thread yet on how to frag zoos? since i know you do it alot i'm sure you have great methods

Luke P

 

[kindbuds2k]

I have a green mushroom, and was wondering if this would be where i would cut to make 4 peices. I just don't want to kill it, I just got it not to long ago. Thanks

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by kindbuds2k
I have a green mushroom, and was wondering if this would be where i would cut to make 4 peices. I just don't want to kill it, I just got it not to long ago. Thanks

yes that will work fine however IMO due to it being small(atleast thats is how it looks in pic i would only cut it in half to start. especially since you only have one

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Bronco300
hey oceana, another GREAT post, this is very helpful....have you made a thread yet on how to frag zoos? since i know you do it alot i'm sure you have great methods

Luke P

nope net yet i will do it this week. i was gonig to do it tonight but then i ended up watching the boob tube lol

 

[hoycetee]

alright my question is what would happen if you sliced your shroom in half in your tank where it is? would it grow into two or would they be to close, what would happen? it something that came to my mind while reading all this :thinking:

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by hoycetee
alright my question is what would happen if you sliced your shroom in half in your tank where it is? would it grow into two or would they be to close, what would happen? it something that came to my mind while reading all this :thinking:

luck of the draw IMO. i have done this several times. somtimes it grew right back together. other times it grew into two.