How do I remove/frag this coral?

[Mr. Brooks]

It's starting to sting and take out it's neighbors. I can't remove the rock it's on so how on earth do I trim it back? Chisel? I don't want to kill it and I'd like to keep enough of it to frag and trade.

<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=IMG_0265.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/IMG_0265.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Sk8r]

That, I believe, is hydnophora, notorious for digesting its neighbors, and you have a Situation going there. Beautiful hydnophora, if I'm right.

My advice is simple, but not nice: get some buckets, fill with saltwater, and start rearranging rock. Contact your lfs or local club and see if there's anybody who might want to buy this pretty-spectacular specimen, which will have to take the rock with it.

Unfortunately, you may have to frag some acropora to get IT moved to a safe rock.

If you want to keep any of the hydnophora, a well-braced table and a hammer and chisel applied modestly to the backside of that piece of rock might break some off for you. But you're right---in time, you'll have one big hydnophora.

It's a shame: it's very pretty. But time-lapse photography of this guy working at night is pretty scary, regarding its neighbors---again, if I'm right in the ID.

Do consult in the coral forums to be sure.

I battle green star polyp, and you can peel that off with a (latex-gloved) thumbnail (I have long nails)--but getting ALL of gsp is a problem, and I perpetually miss some.

 

[cloak]

You could try smothering it with some epoxy. Flatten out a small piece and then lay it down over the coral like a blanket.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Yea I think you're right.

It's sad. I used to have a beautiful Ricordia garden right next to it, all different colors. You can see what's left.. You can also see the whit spot on the acro above it. It's slowly getting closer.

Unfortunately the rock it's on is HUGE. It's also supporting several other rocks with encrusted colonies. I have about 20 acro and monti colonies that would have to be moved around to take that rock out.

This is a problem.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

You could try smothering it with some epoxy. Flatten out a small piece and then lay it down over the coral like a blanket.

If I want to kill it that would work. It'd take a lot of epoxy. It's a lot bigger than it looks.

I might just try hacking at it with a flat head. See what happens.

 

[cloak]

You'll only be killing what you cover. Just mold the coral down to the size you want. Then it will be a race between the coral and the coralline to overgrow the epoxy. It would be real easy to keep that coral at bay. One of those small Aquamend sticks can go a long way IMO.

 

[Fishfish0001]

You'll only be killing what you cover. Just mold the coral down to the size you want. Then it will be a race between the coral and the coralline to overgrow the epoxy. It would be real easy to keep that coral at bay. One of those small Aquamend sticks can go a long way IMO.

As long as you aren't planning on it sticking to anything :crazy1: (might have the wrong brand, but one kind doesn't stick to anything remotely damp)

 

[S13<3]

what brand of epoxy is the absolute best, i wasted $12 on a stick of two little fishes aquastix and think its the biggest piece of SH!# ever, it doesnt stick to anything wet or dry and i make sure to thoroughly mix it

 

[cloak]

Aquamend, the "Marineland" stuff, the JB waterweld, the PC marine. There all the same to me. Maybe you didn't knead it enough? I agree that it might not work 100% of the time, but the odds of those working will always be in your favor IMO. It does take time.

 

[zachfishman]

Could you target pipette boiling water at it? I bet you could "burn" out about a square inch per day without any ill effects to the rest of your system.

 

[JByer323]

A Paul B style zapper?

 

[allsps40]

DD pink colored epoxy worked well for me.

 

[Top Water]

Wonder if joes juice would kill it??

 

[syrinx]

Can you point a powerhead at it, so the sweepers will go away from the other coral? I have had good luck with that trick with hydrophora and galaxy corals.

 

[JAustin]

put a frog spawn coral on the ares you want gone. lol.

 

[Sk8r]

I fear frog would lose to that guy. This stuff is quite hot.

 

[droth335]

That, I believe, is hydnophora, notorious for digesting its neighbors, and you have a Situation going there. Beautiful hydnophora, if I'm right.

I agree with your hydnophora ID, I have one that looks just about like this. The branches are pretty easy to frag but not sure how to keep the encrusting part in check (maybe the epoxy suggestion would work) which looks to be the bigger challenge. If you have enough branching to cut with a bone cutters you could save the frags from that and then remove the rock to get rid of the encrusting part and basically start over with it. You can see mine keeps the purple cap at bay but hasn't affected anything that hasn't gotten quite close.

I also don't think a frogspawn would win in a battle with a hydnophora - they are very aggressive with anything that touches them IME but fortunately don't have the "reach" of an LPS like a frogspawn so haven't done much damage to their neighbors in my tank.