Male Hammer Coral Questions

[TIGER SHARK]

The attached pic is my hammer coral. I was told by the LFS it is a male since it has all the 'babies' on it. I really want the babies to grow but they are so small and starting to get shaded by the bigger heads. I also know that with plants, the more tops/heads there are, the more competition there is. So.... how can I go about seperating some of the new heads off? I know that a dremel can be used to cut through the skeleton but is it a good idea to cut off the branches with such small new heads on them? I was thinking that I could cut off the new growth and some of the skeleton around each new head. Since some of the small ones are far from other growth, they could have a decent piece of skeleton to hold on to. When the babies retract into the skeleton, there is only a very small tube that it goes into and I cant imagine it going much further into the skeleton that just below the surface. How much of the whole skeleton does each new head actually need? Does the dead skeleton (non fleshy) provide the new heads with anything except a place to retract? Or is the new, fleshy growth all that is alive? If possible, I would like to carefully cut the shown branch into 6 or more pieces, so that each new head can be given more individual care. What do you think?

[Anthony Calfo]

"I really want the babies to grow but they are so small and starting to get shaded by the bigger heads. "

Indeed... this is a catch-22 situation. In the wild these buds commonly and frequently form. If the large polyp above is ever eaten or otherwised killed, light and water flow will allow the new bud(s) to rise up and replace it. As long as the larger/older polyps ("heads") above remain healthy, the buds along the stalk simply wax and wane.

Do "save" some of these buds by cutting them (V-shaped notch likely best for how small they are) from the parent stalk if you like. Else they will die in the shadow of the older polyps.

"I would like to carefully cut the shown branch into 6 or more pieces, so that each new head can be given more individual care. What do you think?"

Its your call either way. An aggressive prop now (six pieces) will possibly lead to a larger mass of colonies in the long run. But stealing the buds occasionally as they sprout from the stalk is safer if aggressive propagation is not your primary interest here.

Best regards, Anthony

[TIGER SHARK]

Thanks, now I just need to get a dremel and cut this brach up :D

[Anthony Calfo]

yes...very good. And do be sure to buy/use a steel cut-off wheel (not the cheap composite blades) for safety. Protective eyewear too :p

best of luck!