Toadstool

Mine just simply started "balling up" in one section and a couple of weeks later that balled up section fell off onto the sand and was the beginning of a new Toadstool leather. Actually the same coral did this about 4 times since December now.
 
Mine has been in the process of it's first "split" for about a week. It started as a hole then the hole got longer. It's now almost to the point where the edge will fall off. Colony is about 6-7" across and the frag is probably 2"x1".
 
Mine have never "auto propagated". I have always had to cut mine to reduce the size. The ones I have seen "auto propagate", I have noticed the polyps are not open like a flower at the ends, like in the picture below. They seem like they are "dropping babies" in an effort to just survive, or are not very happy, as leathers are tough to kill. Bigal, got a close up picture of your polyps? I'm curious to see them. I'm not saying if they auto propatate they aren't happy, but I've never seen one do that, that is happy.

Here is what mine usually look like. Many years, never split on it's own. When it's NOT happy, the open "flower" end of the polyp is usually not open well. Below, it is almost open all the way, but they open even more than what my picture shows. The wider the ends open, the happier it seems. Maybe I'm wrong? Mine didn't come with a manual, just what I've observed... :)


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Taylor T i have that huge toadstool from you and i am TERRIFIED to nip a piece off to grow.

:lmao: The picture I posted IS cut from the one you have! That thing is bullet proof!!! I wouldn't be afraid to cut it, very tough coral. Been cut many times, I still have a piece, but small.
 
:lmao: The picture I posted IS cut from the one you have! That thing is bullet proof!!! I wouldn't be afraid to cut it, very tough coral. Been cut many times, I still have a piece, but small.

may need to give it a try... i'd love to give some frags of that beauty out.

on a side note it's the ONLY thing in my tank the wife likes so my guess is, if i screw it up and it gets hurt i'll never hear the end of it.:hammer:
 
My green polyped toadstool is in the process of it's first self-propogation but it is quite happy. I'm sure that they can and do split from stress but I don't find that to always be the case (in my limited experience). :)

Edit: My polyps also "flower" at the end like shown in the picture. The polyps just aren't quite that long.
 
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All I have at the moment (that I can find) is one of the "baby" toadstool that "Dropped" from the main one

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You can see good PE from this baby and they all show great PE all the time (unless they are sloughing off). I hope to find some more pictures of this Neon Green Toadie and when I do I'll post them up here.

My toadstool have done this in both of my tanks and done it for years. My coral actively spawn (as of last week) and my anemone split often (from 1 to 9 in 2 years). I know all about "polyp bail out" and other "survival" methods for coral to try and keep the species alive but I have to think that if they are stressed enough to go through this they probably wouldn't live for years in the same tank and continue the same practice.

Also keep in mind that coral can vary greatly in their "actions" from one variation of the animal to another. We have a strain of RBTA here local that splits almost to the point of being a pest and another strain that "looks" identical doesn't seem to want to split nearly as often.

YMMV :)
 
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