Pruning Kenya tree in my tank...?

[einsteins]

Hi all

I have some kenya tree that was a hitch hiker on a piece of rock I got from the LFS.

I know have multiple stalks of it in my SPS tank and the rock it is attached to is at the bottom so I cant remove it.

Is it safe to just go in and cut some of the stalks off close to the rock?

I am sure some slime or something similar will be released into the water column...can that be damaging to my other corals or turn them brown?

Anyone have a good technic for cutting them in the tank?

Thanks

eins

[einsteins]

Bump for the nite crew...

eins

[Blown 346]

You can cut it without problems. It will also spread on its own by relasing branches of itself off.

[woodycb]

No matter where you cut it, it will grow back. If you want to eliminate it cut it off at the base and mix up some kalk paste and inject it into the base. It is a nice looking coral but if you do not maintain it, it will get out of control.

[Fiziksgeek]

I tear it off all the time with no ill effects. I find it almost impossible to keep up with though. There are new branches appearing everywhere. I am coming up on a tank change, and hope keep it from making the transfer...

[reefsponge]

I agree with woodycb on the cut and kalk method. I had done this with some xenia in a a situation similar to yours, I advise using a siphon to suck the kenya in while you cut, anything released while be siphoned. This also helps in eliminating the chance for the cut stalk to get away from you and start growing in another undesirable area. Kalking the cut area will better the chances of it not reappearing.

[Frick-n-Frags]

according to EB's coral book, the kenya tree is one of the least alleopathic softies on his list.

also, they don't spew a bunch of funk as bad as other ones do.

the EZ way is to go in with sharp scissors (I bought some cheapie haircut ones that are like half-sized for maneuverability) and make quick clean cuts. the coral will not be stressed much at all(read: won't ooze yuck all over)

then attach them to rubble with a few wraps of loose rubberbands and swap/sell them (I like rubberbanding them into a small depression in the piece of rubble if possible, then even if the band cuts into them, it stops before going all the way through, and it can't get loose at that point with a rubberband half through it)

[bc explore reef]

I agree with Fiziks geek, I hate this weed, it self frags and even grows in shaded areas I can't get to. Was a nice coral at first but now I don't care for it...I gave my main colonies away for free...Now when I see a branch appearing and I can get to it, I just pluck it off...I never had any chem warfare from breaking it, but like the kalk idea...

[einsteins]

WOW

Thanks everyone....I will be weeding Kenya tonight!!

I am much relieved that the Kenya wont release anything harmful to my SPS.

Will Joes Juice work better than Kalk paste? I have a bottle of that sitting around on my seldom used self.

eins