Cosmetic surgery on a strawberry shortcake

watchguy123

New member
Have you ever been frustrated by the growth of a coral such that you can't see the best colored part of the colony. Well, I have a bunch of times. This time I did a little plastic surgery to correct the cosmetic failure.

My strawberry shortcake has great color and great growth. Except its growth pattern results in me seeing most of its "underbelly" instead of the top of the tips. The best view of it is top down and that is not easy to share. Don't know why it has grown this way but I decided to correct it with surgery.


The first picture is a front on view and the strawberry shortcake is centered in the pic.



Here is the intended incision (clip) line.




Cut has been completed and you can see the colony remaining minus the surgically removed portion.




Here is the sectioned portion of the strawberry shortcake




Sectioned portion is now super glued in place



Close up of the section portion super glued into place



And the "after" picture which you should compare to the first or "before" picture




I'll wait an hour or so to let the glue set up before I remove the cup. I already like the cosmetic improvement. In a month or so, I'll update the result. It will take a while before everything fuses together and I expect some potential residual weakness in the strength of the attachment. Time will tell how successful this turned out. Just like with people.

If the sectioned portion is too weak ultimately, I will then have a very large sale thread of strawberry shortcake frags.

I hope no one objects but I am duplicating this thread in my other sps thread because I thought this was interesting enough to share in its own thread
 
Nice job Dr. Mark!! I've had corals grow like that but never thought to do this. How's the tank been doing for you?? Looks like your running out of room.

Bryan
 
Nice job Dr. Mark!! I've had corals grow like that but never thought to do this. How's the tank been doing for you?? Looks like your running out of room.

Bryan

The tank is happy and most definitely running out of room. And the patient seems happy and for sure is better looking
 
Looks much better mate good work, i like the cup idea, i usually end up sticking all manner of things in the tank to prop newly glued branches - basically whatever is nearby at the time lol.
 
Those California corals always getting the latest and greatest plastic surgery.

lol. Don't you think the coral needs a little enhancement? maybe upsize by 2-3" :)

Great idea with the cup. I always end up just holding the branches in place for about 15 minutes but this would work a lot better :)
 
Well, I thought I would give a one month update of the cosmetic surgery I did on the strawberry shortcake.

Before surgery July 2013:





One month healing, August 2013





Close up glued back together following surgery (you can see paper cup under frag keeping it in place while glue sets), July 2013





Close up, one month healing, August 2013




So now I get to enjoy seeing the colony from the front view. I think it has turned out pretty cool.
 
Wow, great idea snd good work. Im not sure if its just the angle at which you took the pictures or not but it appears the surgery did wonders for the color on the clipped and reglued portion. In this recent update it appears that all of its colors have deepened and become far more vivid!
 
looks great!
im wondering if, with time, it will go back to its original growth pattern..
looks much better, at the moment..
 
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