Favia Trimming?

BitReef · May 22, 2022

I have a spicy lemonade favia that is growing really well but encroaching on a birdsnest coral. Is it possible to cut/frag the favia that is near the birdsnest? Maybe with a scalpel?

blaxsun · May 22, 2022

Dang, that's so nice and symmetrical I'd hate to frag it. Can either be moved?

BitReef · May 22, 2022

Yeah, I am worried about butchering it. I’ve thought about trying to move the whole birdsnest over (not 100% sure it’s birdsnest). I’m not sure if I can do that without breaking it to pieces.

Anemone_Fanatic · May 22, 2022

That favia is so beautiful, I'd hate to cut it. If I were you, I'd move the birdsnest. It shouldn't break as long as you are careful.

JGT · May 22, 2022

I have the same favia. Grows like a weed. Tried cutting with a scalpel which worked. But then I couldn’t remove the cut piece, so just left it. Will see what happens. It’s in a favia garden but I know they all don’t play nice. Encrusters are really on there.

encrustingacro · May 22, 2022

If it is encrusted on the rock, I don’t know how you could cut it, but if it is not, you could probably cut it with a bandsaw. Also, that’s a favites, not a favia.

JGT · May 22, 2022

encrustingacro said:
If it is encrusted on the rock, I don’t know how you could cut it, but if it is not, you could probably cut it with a bandsaw. Also, that’s a favites, not a favia.

Cut the flesh down to the rock. Then tried using tweezers to pull off the cut piece, no joy. Favites, OK. Will see how it plays with the others I have.

doubleshot00 · May 22, 2022

A dremel took with a diamond blade will cut it like a hot knife through butter.
Bone cutter will cut it easily.

JGT · May 22, 2022

doubleshot00 said:
A dremel took with a diamond blade will cut it like a hot knife through butter.
Bone cutter will cut it easily.

If I could take the rock it’s on out of the tank would not be a problem. But rock can’t come out so that’s the issue.

BitReef · May 22, 2022

encrustingacro said:
If it is encrusted on the rock, I don’t know how you could cut it, but if it is not, you could probably cut it with a bandsaw. Also, that’s a favites, not a favia.

Thanks. I wasn’t aware of the difference between a favia and favites.

encrustingacro · May 22, 2022

BitReef said:
Thanks. I wasn’t aware of the difference between a favia and favites.

Favias actually don’t exist in the hobby. There was a recent reclassification that limited to the Atlantic, where no stony corals are collected. Most favias are either in the genera dipsastraea, favites, goniastrea, and coelastrea.

BitReef · Jun 6, 2022

I successfully moved the birdsnest instead of cutting the favites.

Thanks everyone!

BitReef · Dec 8, 2022

Just thought it would be fun to update this thread with coral growth since June. I traded the birdsnest that was growing on the right side because it was getting too big.