Should I Frag This Monster? If so How to do it?

[Steve2020]

I have had this guy for 1.5yrs. He started out as a frag the size of a silver dollar and is now much bigger than the diameter of a basketball. I believe it is just your normal run of the mill Toadstool Leather. I have had many inquiries from my local reef club about wanting a frag of this guy because they can't seem to find one like it at our local coral vendors. I have been hesitant about fragging this monster because I didn't want to mess him up plus it is one of our favorite softies. The wife calls him Doughboy because occasionally he will retract his polyps for a few hours and curl up a little looking like a clump of grey dough and then when he unfolds and extends his polyps he seems to have grown another 1" in diameter. I believe this is a normal thing.
Anyway, would you leave him alone or would you frag him because of his size? Frags will be given away and not sold. If fragging is recommended how do you do it while in the tank and what size frag is recommended? Any toxins to worry about? Total measured water volume is 255gal.

 

[FUNGI]

cut like pizza........but IMO, I would leave it.....its a nice show piece

 

[JGT]

Pair of sharp scissors. Give my guys a haircut every couple of months.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

leave it

 

[Doctorgori]

Those things will sometimes “self frag” given time .. I couldn’t give them away

 

[Legendary Corals]

It's a beautiful coral, if it's growing quickly there's no harm in giving away frags locally!

 

[Steve2020]

Those things will sometimes “self frag” given time .. I couldn’t give them away

Couldn't give them away because no body would want them? Is that what you meant? If so, I find that strange. I have had multiple inquiries from members at Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society ( TCMAS ) wanting a piece of him.
No self fragging or multiple heads so far.

​

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

If not much experience fragging it’s the perfect type of coral to learn on. Like they said above put on some gloves and cut off a chunk with scissors or razor blade. Now or down the road it should grow quite a bit larger

 

[hyprc]

Couldn't give them away because no body would want them? Is that what you meant? If so, I find that strange. I have had multiple inquiries from members at Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society ( TCMAS ) wanting a piece of him.
No self fragging or multiple heads so far.

​

In my experience they self-frag when they're in tight spaces

 

[Steve2020]

If not much experience fragging it’s the perfect type of coral to learn on. Like they said above put on some gloves and cut off a chunk with scissors or razor blade. Now or down the road it should grow quite a bit larger

Fragging it will make it grow larger than if you leave it alone or are you saying it is going to get quite a bit larger weather I frag or not? How big will this guy get? He has a lot of room to grow in this tank but looks like I will need to move my Candy Cane over some more. I have slid the Candy Cane over a few times already.

 

[Steve2020]

I think I will just leave him alone and see how big he gets in my tank. He has plenty of room but I will need to move the Candy Cane over or to a different location in the tank.
I appreciate all the recommendations.

 

[Tcook]

If you want to go for it. They recover quickly. Pic of mine after I got it. It then fell over on a large echinata and started to necrose. I pulled it out and cut half off with sharp scissors and put it right back in. Second pic is a week or so after the damage.

 

[Doctorgori]

Couldn't give them away because no body would want them? Is that what you meant? If so, I find that strange. I have had multiple inquiries from members at Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society ( TCMAS ) wanting a piece of him.
No self fragging or multiple heads so far.

​

That’s one of the main reason to belong to a club, I don’t (long story) …anyway,
As for selling back to a LFS, their asking price to buy is pretty close to a insult…I usually just donate and save my pride…

 

[Uncle99]

At some point, it may shade other corals, so he will have to be made smaller.
Very nice specimen IMM.

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

when mine was big it would eventually break off pieces from the edges.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I would not because I love them when they get that big and bigger!

 

[Doctorgori]

Couldn't give them away because no body would want them? Is that what you meant? If so, I find that strange. I have had multiple inquiries from members at Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society ( TCMAS ) wanting a piece of him.
No self fragging or multiple heads so far.

​

Trust me, those things get enourmous, and when it does it will send “mini me’s” of itself all over the tank… Especially that type …give it 1-2yrs

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have had this guy for 1.5yrs. He started out as a frag the size of a silver dollar and is now much bigger than the diameter of a basketball. I believe it is just your normal run of the mill Toadstool Leather. I have had many inquiries from my local reef club about wanting a frag of this guy because they can't seem to find one like it at our local coral vendors. I have been hesitant about fragging this monster because I didn't want to mess him up plus it is one of our favorite softies. The wife calls him Doughboy because occasionally he will retract his polyps for a few hours and curl up a little looking like a clump of grey dough and then when he unfolds and extends his polyps he seems to have grown another 1" in diameter. I believe this is a normal thing.
Anyway, would you leave him alone or would you frag him because of his size? Frags will be given away and not sold. If fragging is recommended how do you do it while in the tank and what size frag is recommended? Any toxins to worry about? Total measured water volume is 255gal.

I kind of like how it is!