Fragging Cyphastrea

brianjfinn

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Anyone have experience with this? I have two frags of Cyphastrea and was just wondering how one would frag this type of coral.
 
Dremel with a diamond cutoff wheel is great. If you can get a pair of wire snips to do the job that would work as well. IME cyphastrea is tough, and almost as invasive as GSP. It is hard to kill. I would't worry about killing a bit on the edges of the frag you make. It will grow back quickly.
 
Acroholic;532637 wrote: Dremel with a diamond cutoff wheel is great. If you can get a pair of wire snips to do the job that would work as well. IME cyphastrea is tough, and almost as invasive as GSP. It is hard to kill. I would't worry about killing a bit on the edges of the frag you make. It will grow back quickly.

So I would need to cut up the rock it's on? the flesh itself seems really thin, and I haven't tried to figure out if it's hard or soft.
 
brianjfinn;532652 wrote: So I would need to cut up the rock it's on? the flesh itself seems really thin, and I haven't tried to figure out if it's hard or soft.

I think it is a calcium depositing coral, so yes you'd have to cut the rock. If I am wrong here someone please correct me. A good way to frag this type of coral is to place something next to it or on it (frag disc) so it spreads onto the object, then remove it.
 
Acroholic;532662 wrote: I think it is a calcium depositing coral, so yes you'd have to cut the rock. If I am wrong here someone please correct me. A good way to frag this type of coral is to place something next to it or on it (frag disc) so it spreads onto the object, then remove it.

That's what I was guessing. Thanks Dave!
 
If you want it fragged now, the cleanest way would be with a fragging bandsaw and the next best a dremel. If you aren't in any hurry and just want to propagate it then do as Dave said.
 
Would you use a bandsaw on a piece of live rock? I would have thought LR was too dense for one of those. I've seen them used for fragging acans, etc when they just went thru the coral skeleton. Guess it depends on the density of the rock?
 
Acroholic;532971 wrote: Would you use a bandsaw on a piece of live rock? I would have thought LR was too dense for one of those. I've seen them used for fragging acans, etc when they just went thru the coral skeleton. Guess it depends on the density of the rock?

Yes, the band saw will go through live rock easily unles as you said it is really dense. In that case, I use the cirular saw.
 
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