cayman isl
Member
I think it is time to frag this monster! Never done this before so need some help as to how to do it. Here is the whole thing:
Time to Frag The Beast!
- Thread starter cayman isl
- Start date
cayman isl
Member
And here is the trunk. My question is how do I slice this thing up?
It has 3 large branches off the main trunk. I could get 3 pretty good sized frags off of it. How should I slice it? Straight across each branch so they are all flat on the bottom, or cut down thru the entire main trunk?
Thanks
It has 3 large branches off the main trunk. I could get 3 pretty good sized frags off of it. How should I slice it? Straight across each branch so they are all flat on the bottom, or cut down thru the entire main trunk?
Thanks
nm reef
Active Member
I've never intentionally fragged one myself...but my understanding is to cut away from the main stalk then loosely attach the piece to a small rock until it attaches. Some people seem to have problems using glue or epoxys to attach them and prefer to use a rubber band or bridal veil to secure them in place until they attach. Some of the members here have actually fragged them with reported success...maybe somebody thats done it will offer experiences...best of luck...yours looks healthy and if fragged I hope it turns out for the best. :thinking:
yosemite sam
Active Member
Colts are pretty easy to frag. When I had one, I cut down, in most cases, just to make bigger frags, but you can cut across at the base as well.
Make sure to take it out of your tank before you cut it. Colts are really slimey, and when cut will send a lot of slime out.
IME, the bigger the frag, the better, and more likely the procedure will be a success. After the frag is cut, you can attach it to some rock using a plastic toothpick and two rubberbands. I have attached an illustration to show what I am talking about. Basically, poke the toothpick through the base of the frag, and secure each end with the rubberbands. The frag will usually attach itself to the rock in a week or two.
Good Luck!
Make sure to take it out of your tank before you cut it. Colts are really slimey, and when cut will send a lot of slime out.
IME, the bigger the frag, the better, and more likely the procedure will be a success. After the frag is cut, you can attach it to some rock using a plastic toothpick and two rubberbands. I have attached an illustration to show what I am talking about. Basically, poke the toothpick through the base of the frag, and secure each end with the rubberbands. The frag will usually attach itself to the rock in a week or two.
Good Luck!
yosemite sam
Active Member
Oops, I forgot to attach the illustration!
cayman isl
Member
Great!!! Thanks for the replies....
I think I will cut it into 3 frags, attach each with the plastic toothpicks and hope for the best. Will have to disgard the current base trunk, but this thing is so huge I think they will all be fine.
I will take photos of the step-by-step process for future reference. If everything turns out OK then it will be good for others to learn from. If it fails, then it would be a great example of what not to do!!!
Thanks again....
I think I will cut it into 3 frags, attach each with the plastic toothpicks and hope for the best. Will have to disgard the current base trunk, but this thing is so huge I think they will all be fine.
I will take photos of the step-by-step process for future reference. If everything turns out OK then it will be good for others to learn from. If it fails, then it would be a great example of what not to do!!!
Thanks again....
krishj39
Active Member
I tried the toothpick method and it never worked. I'm not saying don't try it, just that it didn't work for me. I had a colt that mostly died in shipping. When I got it, the base had completely disintegrated and was detached from the rock into 3 branches. I tried many methods for at least a month. What finally worked for me was that I literally sewed it to the rock with fishing line. I just threaded fishing line through a needle, stuck the needle through the base of the colt, then tied the fishing line around the rock. I did that several times to give it a good contact with the rock. Of significant importance regardless of how you try to secure it is to be sure you don't do it too tightly because the toothpick or the fishing line will just cut right through the colt within a few days. My colt took several months before I felt it was firmly attached to the rock on it's own, and I then clipped and removed the fishing line (rather like a Dr removing stitches). This finally worked for me, but I must say, I loath the day I have to re-attach a colt coral again.
bdhough
Active Member
i have fragged a kenya tree coral before which is a soft coral somewhat similar to what you have. i've found the key is to place the cut end near a piece of rock. it somehow attached itself within 24-72 hours and took off. the methods above are about as fool proof as they get. good luck.
krishj39
Active Member
Capnella or "Kenya Tree" is similar to colt, but does not produce the slime that colts do. Also, capnella is much more frag happy as it will actually frag itself when it is happy. Branches will break off and float away where they will then re-attach very quickly. I have capnella throughout my tank by this natural self-fragging. I think it unlikely that simply placing a colt next to a rock, or even wedging it between rocks will produce the same results as if you did that with a capnella.