Coral fragging

[JohnG123]

Hi
I have a green coral that seems to be taking over the tank, although it looks great it is now touching another coral (which is sulking)
Both corals are about 3 years old.
As you can tell I am new to Corals.
Question is can I trim the green coral?

 

[LeftyReefer]

If it's taking over your tank, you might want to think about removing the whole rock?
Unless you want it to take over your tank.

Are those anemones?

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

To me those look like a type of hairy mushroom. You would have to remove either the whole rock or take a chuck of the rock they are attached to in order to frag them. If you try to cut them mushrooms will typically just grow back.

 

[JohnG123]

If it's taking over your tank, you might want to think about removing the whole rock?
Unless you want it to take over your tank.

Are those anemones?

I don’t want to lose the coral just cut it back. No anemones.

 

[JohnG123]

To me those look like a type of hairy mushroom. You would have to remove either the whole rock or take a chuck of the rock they are attached to in order to frag them. If you try to cut them mushrooms will typically just grow back.

Hi Kristopher,
I don’t want to lose any corals, just cut them back, but don’t know how?

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Looks like 'hairy mushroom',
Following for tips on fragging mushroom

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Hi Kristopher,
I don’t want to lose any corals, just cut them back, but don’t know how?

They are not quite like a leather where you can just cut a section back. Mushrooms are related to anemones and behave in a similar way. Say you tried to trim back the part that is touching your leather. It would shrink up while it hopefully healed then form back to its original shape but slightly smaller. Within a month or two it will grow back to its original size.

A lot of people choose to put mushrooms on isolated islands in the sand rather then the main rock for this very reason. They are very hard to control and spread quickly once they are established.

Your best bet is to either scrape the mushroom off where it's foot connects to the rock and toss is in a basket with rubble rock for it to attach to.(I attached an example picture) you could sell these or relocate them. Or take the rock out and use bone cutters to break off the rock where they are attached. This can be difficult depending on your rocks shape and where the foot is attached(if it's deep in a crevice for instance)

 

[mdb_talon]

If you can get bone cutters to where the mushroom foot is attached to the rock u can often just cut a small chunk of the rock itself off. There are likely babies underneath you will want to cut off as well as when the big one is gone they will rapidly grow. I know you don't want to remove coral but you have quite a few hairy shoots there and removing one or more of them is your best bet.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hi
I have a green coral that seems to be taking over the tank, although it looks great it is now touching another coral (which is sulking)
Both corals are about 3 years old.
As you can tell I am new to Corals.
Question is can I trim the green coral?

They look like a light colored elephant ear mushrooms. They do grow quick.
I razor blade can lop the heads off. It will grow back tho.

 

[JohnG123]

Looks like 'hairy mushroom',
Following for tips on fragging mushroom

They are not quite like a leather where you can just cut a section back. Mushrooms are related to anemones and behave in a similar way. Say you tried to trim back the part that is touching your leather. It would shrink up while it hopefully healed then form back to its original shape but slightly smaller. Within a month or two it will grow back to its original size.

A lot of people choose to put mushrooms on isolated islands in the sand rather then the main rock for this very reason. They are very hard to control and spread quickly once they are established.

Your best bet is to either scrape the mushroom off where it's foot connects to the rock and toss is in a basket with rubble rock for it to attach to.(I attached an example picture) you could sell these or relocate them. Or take the rock out and use bone cutters to break off the rock where they are attached. This can be difficult depending on your rocks shape and where the foot is attached(if it's deep in a crevice for instance)

Thanks Kristopher for the advice. I will try and scrape the mushroom off and try to relocate.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

They are not quite like a leather where you can just cut a section back. Mushrooms are related to anemones and behave in a similar way. Say you tried to trim back the part that is touching your leather. It would shrink up while it hopefully healed then form back to its original shape but slightly smaller. Within a month or two it will grow back to its original size.

A lot of people choose to put mushrooms on isolated islands in the sand rather then the main rock for this very reason. They are very hard to control and spread quickly once they are established.

Your best bet is to either scrape the mushroom off where it's foot connects to the rock and toss is in a basket with rubble rock for it to attach to.(I attached an example picture) you could sell these or relocate them. Or take the rock out and use bone cutters to break off the rock where they are attached. This can be difficult depending on your rocks shape and where the foot is attached(if it's deep in a crevice for instance)

Thank you for great advice, when you say scrape foot off, what tool would be ideal for this meaning (I'm assuming not razor blade) so something like a cuticle scraper/ something rounded but stiff, does this come with bone cutter sets... (I'm going to purchase next),

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

So I have used an aquavitro scalpel. It's a lot sturdier then the ones with replaceable blades I have seen in fragging kits. (see the picture) I really dig into the rock to try my best to not damage the foot too much

Just remember that the scraping isn't gentle I wouldn't do it to any expensive mushrooms. Just the very hardy quick spreaders.

With more sensitive shrooms I would use the bone cutter to break the rock they are attached to.