Interest in Fragging LPS.

Grimreaperz

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Okay so I have a Trachy that popped a second mouth. And I also have a fungia/plate coral i want to frag I have watched videos etc on how to do it.

I don't really have access to a tile saw

Could I get some advice on what is good fragging equipment for LPS.

Maybe a range of cost and labor intensity?

Thanks in advance!
 
There will be no single tool or couple of tools that you can use to cut "LPS" due to the vast number of species that are placed in that term. That's like asking what's the best brush to paint with. Well it depends on what you're painting. You've managed to pick two hard ones. For the Lobactis/Cycloseris the Dremel mentioned above would work well and some can be fairly inexpensive. You'd be cutting it into pie wedge shapes and you need to know it's going to take a long time for them to regrow into something resembling their round shape again. If you cut it they're going to produce a lot of mucus at first so make sure you keep the exposed skeleton clean while the flesh heals over it, and once it's healed they will need fed often to recover as quickly as possible.

As for the Trachyphyllia...it is best to not try imposed fragmentation techniques on them. I'd personally only cut one with a diamond band saw and only if the individual being cut was at a size where I'd think it would survive.
Not very helpful with that one I know, but that's my take on it. Good luck with whatever you try, keep us updated and feel free to ask any more questions.
 
I honestly would not frag the plate. The chances of it dying after fragging are high. Not only that, but if you frag a plate let say in half, its going to take a LONG time for them to be full circle plates again.

One piece of advice while fragging i can give you that some one told us and it works well. Is dip the coral BEFORE you frag, and then after as well. Since we have started doing this we haven't lost a single frag.
 
Yeah I understand things take probably 6-8 month to fully heal etc...im mainly interested as I have a 5 yr plan to start a store and learning this stuff on cheap plates and trachys would be the way to go IMO I paid 10 for a lack luster plate. I was planning on just cutting him in half. I heard if you tie an elastic band around the Trachy between the two mouths it will separate the flesh exposing the skeleton for a more clean cut. But I will definitely be waiting on the Trachy if it's going to be that risky as it cost me about 80 lol....i love fragging zoas, gsp, frogspawn/hammers time to move to things more challenging.

Any advice on the elastic band method?
 
And what about fragging this guy when he gets bigger....i was told it was an Acan but I'm not 100% Sure.

You can see the plate in talking about in the background
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I can tell you that fragging a plate and Trachy won't help you learn how to frag. Those are things that owning a store you won't ever frag. IMO start with cheap zoas and acans and LPS. these are going to be things that you will frag daily.


I can tell you from owning a store currently and over the past two years I've never fragged either of those items and will never.

The skill of making precision cuts ( which is what you will need when dealing with high end corals) will come with fragging the above mentioned corals.
 
Just looking for advice....if you personally don't like fragging these that's fine......i am interested and I know it can be done as this plate that I bought was grown from one that was cut in half....but I also want to make sure I have all the information possible to ensure the survivability of the specimens after the fact. Which is why I started this thread.....

I frag zoas all the time as I stated just looking for something more challenging.....mainly for my own curiosity and interest in doing everything possible in this hobby. I highly doubt all trachys and plates in this hobby are wild. There is a way to propagate anything....would I go propagate a 900 Scolly *** no but a 10 dollar plate seems fair game to me lol....the store reference was mainly just stating I am interested in propagating anything that's possible....dont care if I need to hang on to it for a year to heal.....nothing good happens fast in salt water...
 
Just looking for advice....if you personally don't like fragging these that's fine......i am interested and I know it can be done as this plate that I bought was grown from one that was cut in half....but I also want to make sure I have all the information possible to ensure the survivability of the specimens after the fact. Which is why I started this thread.....

I frag zoas all the time as I stated just looking for something more challenging.....mainly for my own curiosity and interest in doing everything possible in this hobby. I highly doubt all trachys and plates in this hobby are wild. There is a way to propagate anything....would I go propagate a 900 Scolly *** no but a 10 dollar plate seems fair game to me lol....the store reference was mainly just stating I am interested in propagating anything that's possible....dont care if I need to hang on to it for a year to heal.....nothing good happens fast in salt water...

Yeah man it's not like they are living animals that were taken from natural habitat that you could easily kill by not knowing what you are doing. I say just cut them in half, only $10!! Just go for it.
 
Seriously. I agree with Oceanparadise and zchauvin. Don't just hack until you "get it right". Cutting those two won't teach you anything more, except that cutting The Trachyphyllia is a bad idea.
This is the kind of thing I hear that makes me want someone to NOT own a store. Right now I have never seen a captive raised Trachyphyllia offered by a seller. I've been doing this for almost 13 years. Up until a few years ago I hadn't attempted any of the harder cuts. Working at a conservation facility, I have done it now, and have raised them but still don't actively cut them. If you aren't 100% on your cutting techniques with the right tools, and husbandry skills to keep everything perfect while healing, then please don't try to cut the Trachyphyllia. The Lobactis/Cycloseris will be hit or miss but will have more of a chance of surviving.
 
Seriously. I agree with Oceanparadise and zchauvin. Don't just hack until you "get it right". Cutting those two won't teach you anything more, except that cutting The Trachyphyllia is a bad idea.
This is the kind of thing I hear that makes me want someone to NOT own a store. Right now I have never seen a captive raised Trachyphyllia offered by a seller. I've been doing this for almost 13 years. Up until a few years ago I hadn't attempted any of the harder cuts. Working at a conservation facility, I have done it now, and have raised them but still don't actively cut them. If you aren't 100% on your cutting techniques with the right tools, and husbandry skills to keep everything perfect while healing, then please don't try to cut the Trachyphyllia. The Lobactis/Cycloseris will be hit or miss but will have more of a chance of surviving.
Yeah as stated probably won't be touching the coral....but perhaps you guys are misunderstanding my meaning if this post and it really makes me not want to be apart of forums like this anymore....as the header says I am interested and looking for proper advice and precautions and looking for methods used by people who have successfully do this so I can teach myself proper husbandry and how to perform proper cuts.....everyone needs to start somewhere.....as I stated the 10 plate was grown from a frag and would probably be my first attempt at "Harder" to frag LPS once I get the necessary equipment which other then a dremel no body has really commented on.....nor has anyone giving me advice on proper methods for healing....so I will be stopping this thread as it seems everyone would rather criticise then actually advise in this thread.....so much for just wanting to learn.....i don't just want to "hack" anything that lives..if that was the case i wouldn't have posted asking for advice and proper methods from people with experience and would have just done it like majority of the newbies I see acting before asking..this is also my way of trying to do my part in preventing wild species from being taken from the ocean....but you know guess you guys didn't think of that either....
 
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Some of us get the wrong idea when it comes across as asking for advice even though the person is going to do it no matter what the answer is. I apologize for any hostility but I stand by what I said about it not being the best idea if you're just learning harder cuts, but i'll lay out how I've done it below.
I'm glad you aren't going to cut the Trachyphyllia, and I mentioned the tool I would use to cut the Lobactis. I'd use a wet diamond band saw, the one by Gryphon. I don't really trust the Dremel too much as one's I've used tend to get too hot. I work at a conservation facility, my career is dedicated to trying to preserve the oceans so of course I've thought about it. Those species just aren't exactly the best ones to be trying. The success rate is so so.

But, If you're going to, then cut the plate in half or into several pie shapes. After cutting you'll need to give it a dip to minimize infection. I'd recommend an iodine dip, regular reef dip should work. After dip have a bath of tank water to rinse them in as they produce a lot of mucus and you want as little of that in your system as possible. Once you've done that place them back in your system in a flow area that isn't too strong but enough to carry mucous away, and where they aren't getting blasted by full light or getting buried by sand. After that you have a waiting game to see if they start healing or if they'll get infected and die of tissue necrosis. If they start that then you can give them another dip to disinfect it again, up to a double dose if needed. Once it looks like the mouth has healed you should start feeding immediately. Mysis, plankton, they like fauna marin LPS pellets too.

That's the way I would cut it and start the healing process. After that it will just be a long wait of regrowth and keeping your system stable. That would be my method, others may chime in with theirs.
 
Some of us get the wrong idea when it comes across as asking for advice even though the person is going to do it no matter what the answer is. I apologize for any hostility but I stand by what I said about it not being the best idea if you're just learning harder cuts, but i'll lay out how I've done it below.
I'm glad you aren't going to cut the Trachyphyllia, and I mentioned the tool I would use to cut the Lobactis. I'd use a wet diamond band saw, the one by Gryphon. I don't really trust the Dremel too much as one's I've used tend to get too hot. I work at a conservation facility, my career is dedicated to trying to preserve the oceans so of course I've thought about it. Those species just aren't exactly the best ones to be trying. The success rate is so so.

But, If you're going to, then cut the plate in half or into several pie shapes. After cutting you'll need to give it a dip to minimize infection. I'd recommend an iodine dip, regular reef dip should work. After dip have a bath of tank water to rinse them in as they produce a lot of mucus and you want as little of that in your system as possible. Once you've done that place them back in your system in a flow area that isn't too strong but enough to carry mucous away, and where they aren't getting blasted by full light or getting buried by sand. After that you have a waiting game to see if they start healing or if they'll get infected and die of tissue necrosis. If they start that then you can give them another dip to disinfect it again, up to a double dose if needed. Once it looks like the mouth has healed you should start feeding immediately. Mysis, plankton, they like fauna marin LPS pellets too.

That's the way I would cut it and start the healing process. After that it will just be a long wait of regrowth and keeping your system stable. That would be my method, others may chime in with theirs.
Awesome thank you for the honest unbiased response. As I stated I don't have any equipment yet and very much still in the research phase. I appreciate the break down. May I ask how you got into your line of work? Did you need to go to school for marine biology or did you just kinda fall into it type thing?

This stuff really is a passion of mine and I would love to get into a learning environment regarding this stuff even if it's just to watch and take notes. I do not act until I am confident I can succeed. And even then I know the risk.

I appreciate the break down and honestly I'm not sure what is so hard about that. Takes precision and patience and the correct amount of care before and after the cuts. My Acropora is an easy snip but I follow all the same precautions when fragging him.

I am sure to some people that is considered hard but I would definitely only be starting by doing half cuts type thing....eventually when I get my equipment and finish my research.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%

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