Does anyone frag down their colony's to get a bigger base

[Drcook]

I am wondering if anyone frags their SPS colony's to gain a larger base. My thoughts are that this would give a more full bushier colony. Any one currently using this method with success?

Thanks

 

[returnofsid]

It sounds like you're thinking about your corals, as if they work like plants, which is actually a really common thought process. Corals don't behave the same way. With most plants, if you snip off new growth, the growing energy is forced into growing a larger base. Corals don't work in the same fashion since each individual polyp is also an individual animal. It's similar to thinking that if you cut a branch, it will split at the point of the cut. That's how it works with plants so it should work this way with corals, but it doesn't.

 

[Drcook]

So is it better to allow them to grow out then? My thoughts on keeping them shorter is that more light would reach the lower polyps allowing them to expand at a faster rate. Or does a full colony blockimg the light force a larger base?

 

[returnofsid]

I honestly think it has more to do with flow and species of coral, than anything else. Some corals will never really develop a large base, no matter what, it's just now how that particular species grows. With other corals, I think flow plays a large role. Corals that are in much higher, more chaotic flow, naturally develop more of a base, before they start growing up, in order to anchor themselves, in the higher flow.

I suppose there is some logic in thinking that the more light the base gets, the larger the base might grow, but I just don't know how accurate this is.

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

Correct, sps in high flow will generally have a stronger, thicker base with a larger area of encrustment.

 

[reefhead]

I am wondering if anyone frags their SPS colony's to gain a larger base. My thoughts are that this would give a more full bushier colony. Any one currently using this method with success?

Thanks

I did something similar to that. I acquired a large 8" 3 branch frag of tyree pink lemonade. It looked kinda funny with the three long branches. Sorta like a stag horn. So i fragged each branch twice giving me a total of 9 equal size branches. I then attatched them all at the base to look more natural. You could def tell what I had done but after a couple weeks it looked much better then what i started with.

 

[Big E]

Correct, sps in high flow will generally have a stronger, thicker base with a larger area of encrustment.

Yep.........if you want a big wide base don't use alternating flow on the coral. If it's hit with same flow 24/7 the base will get huge.

Another thing that helps with frags is laying them down instead of pointing them up like a stick in the ground.