Fragged my Elegance Coral

[Sandeep]

I decided to take the bold move and frag one of my Elegance corals. Since I have a 20 gallon tank space is a premium and I have two of these beauties. The one I fragged was an aussie with a cone shaped skeleton like the indo versions. It's been quite healthy and eating well so I decided to give it a try.

Since I don't have a dremmel tool, I used a fine saw to cut the bone and a box cutter knife to cut the flesh. The cone skeleton from it's tip diverged into three cone shaped heads, so I decided to cut along those lines and create three frags.

This is what it looked like a couple of weeks ago before fragging.

After cutting them last night this is what the three major frags look like one day later (the ones on the tank floor).

And here are closeups of each of the three new frags.

Hopefully they can heal up nicely without getting any infection, I will feed them mysis shrimp to build up their strength.

When cutting with the saw, I also inadvertantly ended up with one tiny frag which has a few tenticles on it. I don't think this frag has a mouth, but I'm wondering will it survive and regenerate a mouth like mushrooms do?

 

[nae'sreef]

Wow....you have a lot of guts to try that!!! They look great, congrats! Let me know if you decide to sell one

 

[maxxII]

They look beautiful! Hats off to you for trying it, regardless of the outcome.

Can I ask the specifics of your tank? Liights bioload, filteration etc.
How long have you had the Elegence corals?

If you are interested in selling one of them I'd also be interested in buying one.

Nick

 

[Sandeep]

Details of my 20 gallon nano-reef tank can be found here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265753

I'm going to wait at least 2 to 3 months to make sure the frags are fully recovered and healthy before selling them.

 

[elegance coral]

Re: Fragged my Elegance Coral

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11529520#post11529520 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sandeep

When cutting with the saw, I also inadvertantly ended up with one tiny frag which has a few tenticles on it. I don't think this frag has a mouth, but I'm wondering will it survive and regenerate a mouth like mushrooms do?

I don't know if it will survive or not, but I would sure like to find out. I hope you can keep us posted on this little guys condition.

BTW, that is one incredible nano tank.

 

[zeppelin]

When I fragged my aussie elegance I had a small frag like that chip off one end. Its a little smaller than dime sized. Its still alive after a month. Growing slowly, and hasn't developed a mouth yet, but looks healthy and is developing new tentacles. Just keep it off the sand and somewhere it will not get picked on and it should be fine. Best of luck with the little guy.

 

[Sandeep]

Good to know that the little guy may have a fighting chance.

We shall see, I will keep this thread updated with developments concerning all the frags.

 

[fishyfishy23]

I'd also like to get in line for the final larger frag.

PM me if it is still in good shape when you feel its ready to go!

 

[Sandeep]

Just wanted to provide an update. The frags have expanded nicely and are behaving normally without showing any signs of infection from their cuts.

Here is a group shot of the three happy frags (along with my unfragged other elegance shown in the top right)

Here are images of each frag

The little tiny 4th frag is also doing well and shows some growth. I flipped him over so that his photosynthetic skin points upwards.

Do you think I should put the little guy in a antibiotic dip to ensure that he does not get any infection from his cut, or should I leave him alone?

 

[Shawnts106]

The cut looks relativly clean... you should be fine... thats good PE... so far so good!~ looks like its going to make it!

NICE FRAGS BTW

 

[SteelGluer]

All I can saw is WOW very nice.

 

[Mark Lauzon]

Sandeep what is that red coral in the bottom right bubble coral?

 

[Sandeep]

It looks like a bubble, but it's actually another LPS a Cynarina Coral.

He really likes to puff up like a bubble when he's happy, here is another image of him.

 

[zeppelin]

Glad they are doing good for you. That little guy looks fine. I'd just leave it be.

 

[deepbluesea99]

congrats on the sucessfull fraging .on a side note though you have some red hair alge growing. i had that stuff once it realy took over the tank mex turbo snails were the only thing i found that would eat it.hope this helps before it gets out of control.

 

[Sandeep]

Ok, I'm going to leave the little frag alone and hope for the best.

Thanks for the tip, just picked up a mexican turbo snail, he's a bit large for my 20 gallon nano, but he's going at that pesky red algea like gangbusters.

 

[deepbluesea99]

no problem at all glad to help.hope i can be as sucessfull as you with my elegance it is a monster and i realy dont need 10-12 inches of elegance in my 30 reef lol .

 

[Sandeep]

The tiny little guy is growing surprisingly fast so far and is now slightly smaller than the size of a quarter. Not only is the existing tissue expanding, but he's even grown new tissue and new tentacles that you can see in the photograph on his lower right side. It looks like he is trying to complete the disk, it will be interesting to see if that's a mouth developing in the middle.

I've now sold two of the three larger frags. Here is a updated family photo showing the little guy in the bottom left, the remaining frag in the top middle and my other unfragged elegance at home on the top right.

 

[HKSTurbo28]

Are you Elegance from Indo or Aussie?

Thanks!

 

[Sandeep]

The frags are from an Aussie and the large unfragged one in the top right is of unknown origin