Chalice fragging trouble.

jaybk5211 · Aug 15, 2015

So I tried to frag my first chalice, a nice Cornbred Golden Dreams. I cut a decent size chunk with my gryphon with 2 big eyes, and dipped it in iodine reef dip right after.

It looked great for a couple days, but then had slight receding along the cut which I assumed was normal. Then it started receding more and turned grey, then the main piece almost overnight went downhill and started losing flesh, and by the next day was grey and dead as well as the frag. So I lost my main colony and the frag, not cheap!!!

I had them low in the tank and with lower flow, the same place it was before I fragged it for months. I used a gryphon and dipped in iodine dip afterwards, kept in lower flow and moderate light like it had been. Not sure what else I could have done but man it's an expensive loss and now no more colony!

Fish_BowLisha · Aug 16, 2015

So sorry to hear this. I've been scared to try fragging for this very reason. From what I've read, the water conditions need to be stellar after fragging. Maybe back in the tank wasn't good enough??? I don't know, but I am sorry about your little guy

jaybk5211 · Aug 16, 2015

Thanks, I have lots of chalices in there growing well. Have fragged other stuff successfully so at a loss here.

hybridazn · Aug 16, 2015

Sounds like the only issue would be that the iodine dip was too harsh for it. You could have possibly overdosed on the iodine dip

That as stinks man, never easy to lose a nice piece.

BottomCoastReefs · Aug 16, 2015

I was told by a fellow reefer that whenever fragging a chalice it is important to give it good good flow because a chalice's worst enemy is the slime it produces after being fragged. Not sure why or how this reefer came to the conclusion but a chalice expert might be able to give this advice validity or not. Just one thought into why this may have happened to you. Also i'd be cautious when dealing with iodine as well. Had a bad experience once leaving a zoa frag in too long and it never did well.

jaybk5211 · Aug 16, 2015

Yeah maybe the iodine hurt the frag but I didn't dip the main piece in iodine and it died as well. I was told by another reefer use ultra low flow afterwards because the flow can get under the skin of the fresh cut and that's the end of it. Never saw slime on it after cut but who knows.

Bbaz123456 · Aug 21, 2015

I would stick with low flow and lower lighting. I always go to less than half the light is was getting before fragging. I do not dip either.
I have cut hundreds of chalices and still lose 10-20% so don't feel too bad.
another trick I have found with the gryphon is to tighten the tension once you start cutting. If you tighten before cutting, the blade will jump. One thing I hate with that saw is the wobble in the blade. and wobbling blade will do serious damage to a chalice

jaybk5211 · Aug 21, 2015

Thanks for the feedback, I was discouraged to lose the mother so it really hurt

Bbaz123456 · Aug 21, 2015

I know the feeling. I have a rainbow chalice that I have literally set my saw up several times to frag off a few eyes, but have chickened out every time.