Fragging a bubble coral

[Vinman]

So my bubble has reached its limit and it needs to be fragged. It's not branching and too big for my lfs bandsaw. I could put the wheel on it but would like to heard some opinions or if you have experience please opine. First pic is when I got it second is now. Three yrs of growth and now burning across around it. Thanks for commenting.

 

[Vinman]

Anyone?

 

[Malifry97]

Bump

 

[Fishingandreefing]

dang that’s huge. No advice but how about offer to see if anyone want it locally first

 

[Vinman]

Bump

 

[Vinman]

Last bump

 

[CindyKz]

That is really beautiful.

 

[Vinman]

That is really beautiful.

Thanks ...but size is a problem

 

[ilyad]

I've seen people use a dremel to start a cut and then a chisel with hammer to finish off the cut. Its messy, but it will get the job done, and it should recover fine. I am not exactly sure how the skeleton of a bubble coral looks, but I cant imagine this cant be applied similarly.

Check this youtube video of what Im talking about.

 

[Vinman]

I've seen people use a dremel to start a cut and then a chisel with hammer to finish off the cut. Its messy, but it will get the job done, and it should recover fine. I am not exactly sure how the skeleton of a bubble coral looks, but I cant imagine this cant be applied similarly.

Check this youtube video of what Im talking about.

Wow thanks for that vid... now I'm really nervous. I have a dremel and a cutoff wheel . I love using a dremel for frags and branching corals but this is a lot bigger. Not as big as that wall hammer wow

 

[ilyad]

Wow thanks for that vid... now I'm really nervous. I have a dremel and a cutoff wheel . I love using a dremel for frags and branching corals but this is a lot bigger. Not as big as that wall hammer wow

What I would also do is get a container big enough to fit the frags when you cut them apart... and mix in a low strength iodine solution to it (Lugol's)... that way after you frag it, you can dip it briefly to make sure any exposed tissue isnt infected. But I would err on the side of caution on the strength and time you dip it.

Between a little iodine disinfecting and if you use clean blades and chisel (use some white vinegar and RO to remove any oils if there are any on the chisel)... you should be ok.

PS. What I also usually like to do is frag colonies into one larger piece (one you would want to keep and grow back out) and then several small ones... (for example, cut it into a third... and the other 2 thirds break into 4 pieces). That way you have a big piece to go back and a few small ones to trade/sell/give away, but not until you are sure that the one you want to keep has healed and living fine. And if something did go wrong and the frags dont fare well, you have 5 pieces of which at least one should live. It would be frustrating, but at least you still have a coral to grow back out.

 

[BornHandy]

WOW on that hammer! My question is - What did it look like 3 months later? I would be way to afraid to risk it, but that's just me.

If you frag that bubble, can you do a thread that shows what you did, and an update a few months later? It would be a huge help to other reefers.

 

[ilyad]

WOW on that hammer! My question is - What did it look like 3 months later? I would be way to afraid to risk it, but that's just me.

If you frag that bubble, can you do a thread that shows what you did, and an update a few months later? It would be a huge help to other reefers.

That's not my video, so I am not too sure how that coral fared afterwards. But I remember seeing it in one of the threads about propagating wall hammers before and it seems to be alright... as long as you get bigger pieces. fragging it too small, and they typically die off.

Of course, the most important is the quality of your tank water. If you tank is rock stable and your corals are all thriving, they should recover no problem, especially if they've been in the same tank conditions for years. If your tank parameters tend to swing, they would likely cause a lot of extra stress on the newly fragged coral which could kill it, even if the coral was living ok before it was fragged.

If OP wants to test it out, Id recommend going to a local LFS and picking up a cheap bubble coral frag... get it with the dremel and a chisel and toss into your tank... if that frag survives, yours should too.

 

[Vinman]

WOW on that hammer! My question is - What did it look like 3 months later? I would be way to afraid to risk it, but that's just me.

If you frag that bubble, can you do a thread that shows what you did, and an update a few months later? It would be a huge help to other reefers.

Sure but the problem is and continues to be is space. When I frag it I won't have space to put all the cuttings . 180 empty and no frag tank. Oh I have this other beast in the middle of my tank

 

[BornHandy]

I have no doubt that there are locals that would love to have a piece of that thing. I know I would...

Amazing tank, by the way.

 

[Vinman]

I have no doubt that there are locals that would love to have a piece of that thing. I know I would...

Amazing tank, by the way.

Thank you

 

[Daniel@R2R]

So my bubble has reached its limit and it needs to be fragged. It's not branching and too big for my lfs bandsaw. I could put the wheel on it but would like to heard some opinions or if you have experience please opine. First pic is when I got it second is now. Three yrs of growth and now burning across around it. Thanks for commenting.

That's a beauty!! Great job!!

 

[reefiniteasy]

I’m tagging along for the ride.. can’t wait to see how you cut this! Get the ax ready, it’ll be like chopping down a tree.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I've seen people use a dremel to start a cut and then a chisel with hammer to finish off the cut. Its messy, but it will get the job done, and it should recover fine. I am not exactly sure how the skeleton of a bubble coral looks, but I cant imagine this cant be applied similarly.

Check this youtube video of what Im talking about.

I wonder if those frags healed and stay alive. We all got the concept of fragging them but do they survive it’s another. I got a wall hammer and it died on me within 2 weeks.

 

[DSEKULA]

Ok here's what I've found works.. it's slow but high chance of success.

First prep the coral by placing rubber bands over the flesh where you plan to cut between heads. The goal here is to make the coral precut the flesh more natural by killing off the area under the band so you don't have to cut through flesh. You then place it back in the tank banded up. After a few days to a week you should see a split starting. Once that's done you can make the coral retract and cut as much as you can with a rotary tool with diamond wheel. I like the extension they make for the auctual Dremel brand tool as I find I have more control but it's not necessary. Once your most of the way through if the bit dosent reach 100% you can usually snap it by hand or carefully tap with a chisel or flathead screwdriver. After everything is fragged I do a quick iodine dip and place in the tank for healing. I personally think by not auctually cutting the flesh and forcing the coral to split itself a bit first there seems to be less of a risk, it makes the process more like fragging a branching coral.