Fragging LPS?

[Rovert]

Can anyone point me to reference works online that talk about the best way to frag LPS corals such as Bubble, open brains and Favias? Obviously, the branching stuff just gets lopped off the way you'd prune a tree, but this seems to be a slightly different situation.

TIA!

[alf3482]

I am only aware of the Open Brains reproducing i have never heard that you could frag one. As for the others I belive the same is true also.

[dendronepthya]

You can frag it with a hammer and chisel. It makes a mess, and it looks like the coral is bashed beyond repair, but they do heal, and reform into the "brain" shape. I have a lobophyllia brain that is now 5 peices. It is not like fragging xenia or mushrooms! It isn't for the faint of heart. When I did it, I thought there was no way anything was going to survive.

[JerseyReef]

I believe A.Thiel has something on his site on how do to this. It isn't easy...

[alf3482]

I guess I have been corrected sorry did mean to mis lead anyone. I could not even think of doing that one myself but good luck.

[johnny]

What I've heard is to brake the skelecton beneath them if you can and slowly seperate it over a few weeks.

Nick

[dendronepthya]

johnny,

That way does work the best. If you can get a nice clean break, you can gently pull the two parts apart over a week or so, and then take some scisors and snip the flesh in the middle. It is a really messy procedure though, and there is a good cahnce that something may die as a result. I should post some pictures when I get home of how my fraggings came out.

[hcs3]

http://www.homestead.com/wetdreams/octobubblecutting.html

the bubble you will find in this article has now been fragged 4 times. i've also cut hammers, frogspawns, galaxy, and most other LPS using this method. if you have questions that i don't answer in my article, please ask.

HTH

henry

[Adrian]

I asked Dr.Mac how he fragged open brain corals and he said its nothing more than chopping them in half and sllowing them to regrow. He also said he wraps the frag in guaze soaked in antibiotics for a few days to speed up the healing process.