Can I (SAFELY) prune my Oversized Finger Leather (Center Piece)

[Wally.B]

So I have read that soft corals, like my leather can easily be pruned and propagated. So they say!

This is my prized center piece finger leather. (LARGE Pink Leather in Upper/ Center of tank)

It's actually bigger at the back (but I'm ok with that).

As much as I have enjoy it getting bigger and nicer over the last year, it's now just doing too well, and shading other corals, and simply the tank is running out of space for this size.

I guess I could just lob off some fingers (with sharp blade), but I worry about damaging it, or losing it's symmetry. I know it will go into shock (stop polyping) for some time as part of recovery.

(Plan B, is I move my kessil which is directly over it (to get more light onto the shaded corals), but that is a canopy challenge with the T5 bulbs pairs at front and back of center kessil)

Has anyone out there successfully trimmed their oversize leather.
If so, please share some sample before/after photos. (or advice).

Thanks.

 

[garygonzales]

yea they are easy to do ..just cut off what you want ...i did mine in display too no probs at all....maybe run some carbon afterwards....

 

[Sk8r]

Definitely carbon. And change it every couple of days until the wound is healed: if a leather ain't happy, ain't nothin' happy.

 

[Wally.B]

LEATHER REMOVED!!

Put in a bucket for Fish Store Credits.

HERE IS THE NEW TANK LOOK (Lights getting everywhere)

Much more ROCK REAL-ESTATE for coral spread growth.
Better circulation with that WATER DAM Gone. I can tell the Acan's like the better flow.

ALSO HAVE A nice FLAT Top Spot High up (Middle under Kessil). Placed my First SPS up there. A "Bird of Paradise" Perfect flowing kind of SPS to match the LPS look.

One Photo with Actinic Lights Only..., the whole reason the Leather is Gone and not missed at all.
(Missed only by the Long Nose Hawkfish since it was one of his Hangouts).

So happy I got rid of Leather. It was a nice center piece, but they just get way too big, and can't be fragged like a Branching Frogspawn.

Plus I heard that they release toxins that not all other corals like. Especially SPS.

 

[VirginiaMarine]

WallyB, I fragged my Devil's Hand Leather a couple of months ago by cutting off a number of fingers. It has nearly totally recovered in just 2-3 months.

 

[Wally.B]

WallyB, I fragged my Devil's Hand Leather a couple of months ago by cutting off a number of fingers. It has nearly totally recovered in just 2-3 months.

Thanks for this information. Since it's removed, I could chop it up and sell recovered pieces. Could consider doing that, but I'm not a store with customers.

A LFS near by has offered to buy it from me. Pretty good Credit offer. I think $200 is pretty fair.

So overall it has become a win/win. Tank has more room, and I have some credits to spend on filling that room with Corals.

 

[VirginiaMarine]

Yeah, $200 of in store credit sounds very fair. I give some of my frags away and get store credit for the rest. I've bought an Ecotech Vortech MP40wqd and a skimmer using store credit. Totally win. Good job.


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[NanoReefWanabe]

Cutting them up is of no concern...last house I got frags from I was admiring this beautiful green with white polyps Devils hand leather...lady said you want a piece I was like would love one...she literally reached in with her hand using her finger nails tore off a big chunk for me...within days it was healed in my tank and attached to the rocks...) $200 is some pretty sweet credit though..

 

[Wally.B]

Got my credit today. So it's legit.

They are a online coral retailer so it will be chopped-up by their skilled hands. They will probably get around 50-60 finger pieces out of it. More with the hand part.
They will make a good profit since they could probably sell each finger mounted for $20-30.

I couldn't get as much selling myself, plus the headaches.

They also told me they would keep a single finger for me. Might be worth taking to grow another credit at the store.

Now what to spend it on? Thinking either supplies since they sell dry goods. Or a few new corals, to have a lasting memory of the Leather's value after home growing it for about 18 months.

And to close this thread on this Leather Journey, here are a couple of pictures of the Leather OUT Of the Tank. In my 10 Gallon QT.

Gives you an Idea how many fingers the hand had, and how big it Grew since that original 2 inch piece I bought.

My theory on why it grew so well, was it was directly under my Kessil in the center of my tank.

The other corals are now doing great since the Leather is no longer stealing all the light.

BTW. I'll be watching the Online Store to see how much the pieces go on sale for, and maybe post a SNAPSHOT of what they price the pieces for.

 

[VirginiaMarine]

My LFS has been selling leather frags for $5 which is too little in my opinion. I imagine they will frag that leather many times and keep the body so they can frag it again. It will be ready to frag again in a few months. Good deal on the store credit.


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[Ritten]

I liked the leather, but it was big! You did a nice job after removing it, tank looks sweet!

 

[Wally.B]

I liked the leather, but it was big! You did a nice job after removing it, tank looks sweet!

Thanks. But I have a new challenge. Colonial Hydroids. Hate the buggers.

 

[Wally.B]

I don't miss the Finger Leather (Photo Update)

The good news is the Store that I sold the Leather to, has decided since it's so symmetrical and unique. They won't chop it up for frag sales.

It will be place in the Show Tank at front of Store.
I can visit it for years to come.

Also the Tank since the leather isn't shading or blocking current is just doing the best ever.

I actually now permanently glued down all corals and frags.

 

[Devaji108]

oh man! that was a beauty! I differently would have bought a frag of that.
do you know the species name by chance?
damn that was a real beauty. to bad your in Canada I would buy a frag from the LFS..
let us know what they go for.

 

[Wally.B]

oh man! that was a beauty! I differently would have bought a frag of that.
do you know the species name by chance?
damn that was a real beauty. to bad your in Canada I would buy a frag from the LFS..
let us know what they go for.

Interesting that you should write this today.
I was at the store Yesterday, and they said they would put it into their display tank last time I spoke with manager.
But I am getting mixed messages, since it was in their sales tank (FOR SALE WHOLE)
That store is online and ships to US(I think). PM me and maybe they will cut you a finger.
I'm not a species naming kind of person. But I'll tell you it was very pink and grew incredibly fast (directly under a Kessil Light). I miss the look but not it's size.

 

[NYCBOB]

nice setup. those brown polyps on the left side can grow like weed.

 

[Wally.B]

nice setup. those brown polyps on the left side can grow like weed.

I know.
I made that mistake years ago. There is no way to TOTALLY get rid of them (Brown/Green Palys) at this point.
However I have one of those Aptasia Zapper devices that vaporize anything fleshy.
So I control them when the start invading rockspace where they are not welcome.
Another thing I did recently is I got a nice "SunnyD" type Paly which is similarily a weed, and if they spread, I'm fine since they look amazing, especially under actnic lighting. They are just as invasive so they keep the green the Brown/Green Palys contained.

 

[NYCBOB]

i may have to looking into that zapper thing too. mine brown polys are growing like crazy and killing any corals nearby.

 

[JDWells]

I don't miss the Finger Leather (Photo Update)

The good news is the Store that I sold the Leather to, has decided since it's so symmetrical and unique. They won't chop it up for frag sales.

It will be place in the Show Tank at front of Store.
I can visit it for years to come.

Also the Tank since the leather isn't shading or blocking current is just doing the best ever.

I actually now permanently glued down all corals and frags.

Beautiful tank man!

 

[Wally.B]

THIS THREAD (Has a GOOD Ending)

So old picture are missing now that PHOTOBUCKET has (STOPPED) and 3rd Party Hosting. (I abandoned PhotoBucket beforehand since it was getting pathetically Slow, and Move over to Flickr. Better, Faster, and feature rich)

But I'll conclude this thread with some Photo's that are gone and CONCLUDE IT with "A Fairy Tale ENDING".

(My Home Grown Leather) has a AWESOME HOME (At Canada Corals)


That Photo is of my Kitchen Mixed/LPS tank is Just after "I removed the" Finger Leather that was getting way to big for my 90 Gallon Tank (Shading a lot of Good Real Estate).

I sold the Leather to Canada Corals. They were either going to chop it up for Frag Sales, or possibly keep it for their Store Front Display Tank.

Here is the Leather back in 2014.

This is 2016 just before I removed it.

Just before packing and taking to Store.

I dropped by the Store today, and they finally put it into their Store Front Lounge Display Tank (It's the CENTER PIECE)

The store past those doors, has an awesome collection of Corals, Frags of all types, Dry Goods, (plus recently they added fish), and Last but Not least run by a very Friendly and Knowledgeable team.

I've been going there for years, and many (if not MOST) of the Corals seen in my 90 Gallon, are from there.

Worth a visit, if your are ever in the Mississauga Area.

At minimum, you can check out the Finger Leather in Person.


THE END