How brutal can I get fragging green palys?

[redfishsc]

I have a small colony of beautiful green palythoa that have some bryopsis growing from the base. These are from my "old" system that I'm in the process of bleaching to sterilize the system from bryopsis.

I'm fragging or otherwise saving all the corals I can.


Can I use a fresh razor blade to slice these palys off of the rock they are on, leaving behind the spot where the bryopsis has attached to the base/rock? Essentially cutting the paly in half, saving only the top half of the paly?

If so, how do you recommend I reattach them to rock--- just do like mushrooms and put them on some rubble and let them heal/attach?

I will do the obvious and wear gloves/goggles.

 

[Scott-CapeCoral]

I've done this once and lost the head of the polyp (Not bc it died, it came off the plug and fell through the LR) and the half that was on the plug grew a new head back. I have successfully cut the oral disk into 2, right through the mouth like you would a shroom. Both halves lived and regrew thier other half. Do a trial run on your cheaper polyps and let us know what your outcome is.

Scott.

 

[redfishsc]

Well, these guys are cheap enough, I can usually find them locally for like $10 for 5 heads (from hobbyists at frag swaps).

I think tomorrow I'll put the gloves on and start cutting. I'll try to attach them to some ceramic tiles I have.

Any suggestions (other than glue, which won't work) for getting them to attach? It would be nice to tie a netting over them but I don't know what would work and still allow water flow. Thought about ladies nylon hose, but I'm pretty sure it's too restrictive. Plus my wife is sick of me using her stuff for carbon bags lol.

 

[RonMidtownStomp]

Why won't glue work? I glue polyps down all of the time.

 

[SIR PATRICK]

I would say- they can handle it pretty rough. I have crushed/popped many polyps, while fragging, and had them come back.



Before you go through such drastic methods though...have you tried the tech-m method of bryopsis control?? Raise your mag w/ the kent brand mag suppliment, and bryopsis withers away?? If you need more info, let me know. CXan proble dig up some good links, if its not too late...

 

[redfishsc]

Why won't glue work? I glue polyps down all of the time.

Seems to me that slicing off the base would expose a very slimy raw flesh on the underside that the glue wouldn't stick to.

I'll still give it a shot and see what happens.

 

[redfishsc]

I would say- they can handle it pretty rough. I have crushed/popped many polyps, while fragging, and had them come back.



Before you go through such drastic methods though...have you tried the tech-m method of bryopsis control?? Raise your mag w/ the kent brand mag suppliment, and bryopsis withers away?? If you need more info, let me know. CXan proble dig up some good links, if its not too late...

Thanks for mentioning the Tech M, but I've tried it twice. Both times it would wipe it out except for spots in darker, shaded areas. For some reason, only the stuff in brightly lit areas would totally completely die.

Next thing I know, after 3 weeks of dosing with mag at 2400 (and that's counting after a 40% water change) the bryopsis actually started growing back WHILE dosing.

So I said "to hell with this!" and got out the bleach. I'm not playing with this $h!t anymore.

 

[650-IS350]

Just make sure your mag is constantly high using Tech M for couple weeks....

 

[redfishsc]

Just make sure your mag is constantly high using Tech M for couple weeks....

That doesn't always work. Trust me. I did that. Even with my magnesium at 2400(!!) and dosing daily, after 4 weeks, the bryopsis started growing again-- not dying.

Some people have success, some have failure, and some people only kill some of it (my case).

Whatever in Tech M is killing the bryopsis isn't known (definitely not the magnesium) and it's not all that predictably effective.