Stabbing SPS corals for coral growth?!?

[project1004]

Has anyone done this?!?

If so, can some give me an idea as what I should do?

Back story: These corals been in my tank for almost 1.5yrs and despite starting the tank with dry rock and dry sand, they were doing good until about half year ago when I made too many changes to the “NANO” tank and killed off every corals that were infected with STN. I mean every single one. Last one (vivid confetti few weeks ago).

These corals did survive but STOPPED growing.
For last 6 months these corals stopped growing and lost most of its colors as well in case of pink Cadillac but gaining back the color atm.

These corals are on the spots with most flow and I don’t think I can remove them. So make damages to the disk!? Cut off the tips?

Circled ones the ones stop growing.
Tort, Milli, and Acro

 

[enderg60]

Ive done it. Many have noticed after you frag a coal the broken area seems to grow faster. So when a coral is encrusting or not branching ill jab it. Sometimes it just heals, others it starts a new branch.

 

[project1004]

Could you elaborate how to jab it?!?

Like use shape knife and cut thru the disk?
Or maybe make jagged edges?

 

[enderg60]

Something pokey..... I usually use my trusty rusty tweezers. Anything to damage the flesh and skeleton a bit.

I never experimented with different cutting methods.

 

[project1004]

Make sense. I’m gonna get shape pointy tool and stab it a little. lol

 

[Rainblood]

I'll be interested to see the results. I've tried "micro-fragging" to spur growth and it did nothing for me

 

[project1004]

never heard micro fragging but that seems to be the idea behind it from the research. I will definitely update as how it goes. Nothing to loose at this point. Unfortunately I shifted the rocks a bit while moving few frags around so there will be some minor changes to light and flow I assume.

 

[york1]

 

[msporleder]

 

[project1004]

I am seeing white specks of damages which are visible. Most micro fragging I research were done by cutting the nubs. If this stabbing isn’t enough~. I’m going to stab more. lol

 

[Cook]

Are you sure your nutrients aren’t too low?

 

[project1004]

Currently my nitrate is around 10 and phosphate is around 0.05-0.03... I’ve noticed color lost due to high nutrients in the past. And some still not recovered. It was due to quick elevation of additives in conjunction with changing too much other things like changing the flow pattern (I turned it down), while adding glass top which made temperature rise while changing the light output without modification to par of the spectrum while dosing full strength kalk solution. All above were done on the same day and that caused lots of issues. Like killing most of my SPS frags about 6 month ago. Since then I been more careful to make adjustment to the tank.

 

[enderg60]

are you seeing any new nubs growing yet?

 

[project1004]

Am I suppose to see the result that fast?! My tank is just now back to normal and tank in general seems to be doing well!


Not sure but I’ll check when I get home this evening. I guess I should be looking to see if those white damaged parts are doing something.

I’ll check back~

 

[enderg60]

You should be able to see it healing a bit by now, might take a week or two to actually start growing.

Or at least it would be good to check if you triggered some STN.

 

[project1004]

The spots I stabbed are still white in all three corals. I may need to stab em harder and more places. Lol

I’ve cropped the photo. You can’t really see much but corals are doing good so far.


You can see stabbed spot near the center



I am seeing blue color coming in on the tips



Colors are coming back so looks promising.

 

[project1004]

The spot that I’ve stabbed seems to be healing.

So, I made deeper stabs going thru the tissue completely in a few more spots again.

 

[msporleder]

Time for updates

 

[project1004]

Not much to report, all the spots that I stabbed has just healed over but no new growth where damaged.

BUT, I am seeing colors coming back and some growth. I got me some more frags

 

[wantsummora acropora]

That Gyer flowing over the top of your corals or is it a direct blast?