Need advice fragging very established leather

[Lures and Jigs]

The subject:

This Coral is growing like a weed. A year ago it was about 3" tall and only had a few branches. I want to frag it for a number of reasons, mostly to prevent it from taking over the tank. I understand the basics of fragging a soft coral like this, fresh sharp blade, lots of water flow, secure the frag to substrait, etc... The problem is this, it is my understanding that the best thing to do is move the parent and the offspring to a QT or prop tank to prevent infection, but the parent is firmly secured to three very large pieces of live rock that make up the core of our rockwork structure. This would either require breaking down our well established tank or creating three large sores in our prize coral.

Will I be ok fragging the coral in the display? I don't want to hurt anything but I fear this creature will hurt itself and all of it's neighbors if it keeps growing like it has been.

 

[graveyardworm]

I have fragged mine purposefully and accidentaly in the display with no ill effects.

 

[Cody Ray]

As long as both the parent and frag colonies recieve good flow than it shouldn't be a problem. When you mount the frag don't mount it by the cut end, let it attach by the healthy tissue. If the cut end doesn't get good flow than there is a good chance it will become infected.

 

[DesertBandits]

fragging a leather is no big deal, its actually very easy. just start cutting off whatever branches you want to. Then take the clippings and put them in an area or another tank with gentler flow and they should attach in a day or two (some of mine have attached overnight).

 

[jpfelix]

sharp scissor or knife. snip snip!

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I frag my leathers in the tank, not possible to take them out
I just don't do a lot at once

 

[parothead22]

Leather's are evry easy to frag as you can perform pretty much any type of cut with no ill effect. They will heal quickly and the frags will grow fast as well. Leather's are notorious for dropping daughter buds as well after a few years as maturity takes place, I believe, after 6 years.

 

[graveyardworm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7403264#post7403264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by parothead22
Leather's are evry easy to frag as you can perform pretty much any type of cut with no ill effect. They will heal quickly and the frags will grow fast as well. Leather's are notorious for dropping daughter buds as well after a few years as maturity takes place, I believe, after 6 years.

Mine started off as a 2 inch frag and at about a year and a half dropped its first baby, and then at about 2 years dropped a second.