Frag hammer to save head?

[Mr.Z]

I got a hammer 6 weeks ago and it has done fairly well in my 10 gallon with an AI Prime HD.

It started out as a head that was just starting to split and is now two clearly separate heads with additional growth forming. The head closer to the light seems to be shading the bottom head, so a portion of the bottom head is constantly retracted. Additionally, after we got it, I realized it was fragged poorly. The bottom of the skeleton has a chunk missing (shown in second picture below). It looks like it was snapped off rather than cleanly trimmed off.

So, my question is, would the hammer be better off if I trimmed the two heads off? This would separate the one being shaded so it can get more light and I could also possibly cut off high enough to remove that gash in the lower skeleton.

 

[shaggydoo]

Fragging it could be a good idea. All depends how comfortable (and able) you are in making a precise cut. Euphylias are delicate and I personally wouldn't try to frag a piece that small. Though it does look like there is a decent area to get a good cut looking at your pictures.

 

[Mr.Z]

Fragging it could be a good idea. All depends how comfortable (and able) you are in making a precise cut. Euphylias are delicate and I personally wouldn't try to frag a piece that small. Though it does look like there is a decent area to get a good cut looking at your pictures.

Appreciate the response. I’m new to the hobby and have not fragged / cut any coral before, so I’d say I’m not that comfortable with getting a clean cut. Maybe will hold off until the situation worsens.

 

[W1ngz]

I'd leave it. The coral will grow in the direction it needs to, and trying to treat it like a bonsai tree will just stress it and cause more harm than good.

 

[Mr.Z]

Update: a piece of the lower coral that was being shaded was atrophying over the past few days and finally broke off today. It’s a tiny piece but still has polyps that seem to have life in them. Will leave the bit in the tank to see if it can survive.