HOT TIP Submissions -- Topic: Coral Propagation

[liquid]

We want to bring back the HOT TIPS section of Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine ( http://www.advancedaquarist.com/ ) and we need your help. We are asking our members to submit any tips and tricks you've found while working with your aquarium. Your tips and tricks will help new and existing reefkeepers and also helps to bring the hobby to the next level (plus it's just cool to get published in a magazine like Advanced Aquarist).

To bring some organization to our Hot Tips column, we'd like to do a themed Hot Tip of the month. December's theme is "Coral Propagation." Please submit any tips or tricks you have found while fragging / propagating your corals. When published, your hot tip will have your username published (along with your real name if you so desire). Every month we will be running a new HOT TIP thread so stay tuned.

The staff at both Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist want to thank you for your continued interest and support of our online community, magazine, and services.

Let the submissions begin!

Best regards,

Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist staff

 

[howdy]

Mount hard coral frags on plastic golf tees. Using plastic golf tees makes it easy to place coral frags into your rock work. Either drill a small hole in one of your rocks with a mason bit or find a suitable hole that's already in your rock work.

 

[nice1bruva]

Mount hard coral frags on plastic golf tees. Using plastic golf tees makes it easy to place coral frags into your rock work. Either drill a small hole in one of your rocks with a mason bit or find a suitable hole that's already in your rock work.

give this guy an award or something....'cause that really is a killer sugestion!!

wayne

 

[rscotth]

I use a pair of heavy duty kitchen shears to cut frags from LPS. I just find a place where there is no flesh on the skeleton and "brake" it with the shears.

Scott

 

[kanapino]

howdy wrote:
Mount hard coral frags on plastic golf tees. Using plastic golf tees makes it easy to place coral frags into your rock work. Either drill a small hole in one of your rocks with a mason bit or find a suitable hole that's already in your rock work.


give this guy an award or something....'cause that really is a killer sugestion!!

wayne

Dido.

 

[wade1]

For thicker SPS corals, use a pair of tile snips to shear off frags. It keeps your fingers from becoming infected and prevents collateral damage to surrounding polyps.

 

[Anonymous]

Use superglue gel. Put a blob of the gel on the frag where it is going to get attatched to the rock or glass. Dip the frag in the tank and pull it out again - this allows a superior skin to form on the glue and you won't have to hold the frag in place very long before the glue sets. Press the glue against the rock or glass where you want the frag to go, the skin breaks and the glue sets. All done, and it is easy to move the frag in the future.

 

[Paul A. Ifkovits]

When fragging non-branching LPS corals, use a rubber band placed around the fleshy portion of the coral....

After approximately 6 weeks, remove the rubberband (notice the clean white skeleton exposed)

Using a dremel tool, carefully cut the coral into two along the line created by the rubberband

I have used this technique several times with 100% success.

Paul
_________________
Dementia Forum

 

[liquid]

Is the rubber band there specifically to get the tissue to receed so you don't run the risk of tearing the flesh?

Also, could we use your photos as well for publication in Advanced Aquarist?

Shane

 

[Paul A. Ifkovits]

Is the rubber band there specifically to get the tissue to receed so you don't run the risk of tearing the flesh?

Yes. It allows the tissue to recess slowly to minimize any damage and lower the risk of infection. It should be watched carefully. If the rubberband is left in place too long, the tissue begins to encrust back over the rubberband.

The pictures were taken by a friend who came over to watch how I frag LPS corals and before I had a digital camera. I will check to see if he minds if they are published. Regardless, I will be using this technique again tomorrow and will take some new pics.

Paul
_________________
Judaism Forum

 

[Jolieve]

This tip was given to me by KevD. Feed your ricordia. This is good for one of two purposes. Feed a piece of mysis or brine to each polyp a few hours before you intend to photograph the tank. This should convince your ricordia to fully open once it has finished it's meal.

Also if you want to encourage your ricordia to split more frequently feed it this way as often as you remember to do it. Once every week or so should be often enough and you will find that your ricordia splits more frequently than it did before.

 

[Anonymous]

Use superglue gel. Put a blob of the gel on the frag where it is going to get attatched to the rock or glass. Dip the frag in the tank and pull it out again - this allows a superior skin to form on the glue and you won't have to hold the frag in place very long before the glue sets. Press the glue against the rock or glass where you want the frag to go, the skin breaks and the glue sets. All done, and it is easy to move the frag in the future.

So you are saying I don't need to pull out the rock I am going to attach it too and dry it off? duh I am such a knucklehead

Bryan :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

There is still risk of infection using the rubber band method: you still are killing portions of tissue and allowing necrophilic bacteria to invade the area.

Where as Paul Ifkovits uses a rubber band, I use 5% Hydrogen peroxide (store bought molarity/strength) to kill the tissue where I'm going to cut a frag off. This is done quickly before the break. Not only does the peroxide denature the tissue at the spot it is applied, it also disinfects it. Immediately after propagation, cyanoacrylate-based superglue gel is applied to the broken edge of the tissue to provide a seal.

For brain/massive coral, use a dremel grinding/cutting disk to cut the frag. Also a very successful technique.

 

[liquid]

I'm sure some people know this, but I figured I'd list it anyhow.

For LPS or SPS you can use rose/flower holders to hold frags in place. Basically, fill up the holder with sand or tank water, put a couple small slits in the top plastic, and then push your frag into place. The plastic cap will hold the frag just fine and in a couple weeks the frag will base out. The first picture is a picture of a disassembled rose holder with sand. The second picture is a frag of M.digitata in my tank.

If you're having problems finding mounts for your corals, you can go to your local hobby center and buy bags of marine decorator shells. Simply superglue the frags down and you're done.

Shane