Fragging A Bubble Coral

[derrick orosz]

Anyone ever done it? I bought mine about a year and a half a go....it was the size of a tennis ball and now is the size of a basketball!! it takes up the entire right side of my tank and ive had to move most of the other corals away leaving just the bubble on that side.

 

[saltyair]

You would need a band saw, but bubbles are very delicate and sustainable to tearing.
Try to get a hold of a coral vendor and see what they can do. I will contact crazy4corals to see if they have done it.

 

[Kman]

A coral saw is best. They are very prone to bacterial infection and the tissue tears very easy. Sometimes you can cut the base from the bottom and let the tissue naturally detach at its own rate. But it all depends on how dense the base is.

 

[Seggsy]

I had the same problem, and I did this a couple of years ago, and it worked great.

I actually fragged mine into 3. I used a dremel to cut into the skeleton at the back - there were natural spots where it was slightly less thick, so I used those. Then I used a chisel in those cuts to gently break the skeleton - the goal is to break the skeleton, but not tear all the flesh (I had some tearing, but not too bad). I did a dip in tank water dosed with iodine, then into the tank in a low-flow area. I put a wedge in each split (I used broken bamboo skewers) so that the flesh would pull at the break.

Over a couple of weeks, I would expand the wedge and gradually get the flesh to pull/grow apart until I had 3 bubbles. Actually, I am overdue to split it again - it killed some duncans recently as it is getting too big again.

Good luck!

 

[yveterinarian]

Excellent description Seggsy.

 

[Jewel]

I've heard of this, If you do it Yvette, why not take some pics of the process.

 

[Seggsy]

Trying it again. Took a couple of pictures - can you believe I forgot the before pic??? Will try and upload them soon (no data on my phone, so it's a process).

 

[Jewel]

looking forward to them

 

[Seggsy]

Successful frag! I will get pics up soon. May do one of the pieces a second time, but for now, 2 healthy looking smaller bubbles. WHEW

 

[Kjay]

Sent you message

 

[Seggsy]

Ya, bubbles seem pretty rare in the Windsor market for some reason. Good thing I didn't kill one of the few that are kicking around. I will try and keep growing it out (maybe try and frag my elegance someday soon too)

 

[heath]

elegance are soo beautiful and soo very hard to keep, I would be afraid that I would kill it.. I'm afraid that I will kill my mushrooms if I frag them, I'm a chicken...

 

[Seggsy]

Bah, my elegance was a bit of flesh on a chip of skeleton when I got it. And it's kind of at the back of a cave. And I don't test my water parameters. If it can live in my tank, it's HARDY. Or I got lucky.

 

[TORX]

I would love a bubble coral at some point. Hard to come by at a reasonable price

 

[Seggsy]

OK - here's a few pics. Bubble chilling til I am ready to cut. My advanced sterile work station. Through to splitting, to splitted.

 

[Seggsy]

 

[heath]

OMG, you are brave.. when did you split it ? keep us posted on the outcome and good luck..

 

[Seggsy]

Spent about a week splitting the flesh after I had cracked the skeleton. Been about a week split - seems all good. I think the trick is soaking it in a bucket with tank water and iodine after working on it. I should probably have repeated that once I split it too, but I did not this time. They are looking healthier and bigger each day - I don't expect issues

 

[scubasteve]

always do a dip after fragging it will fight off any infection and give you almost 100% success rate if fragged correctly.... great job the hardest part about fragging is mustering up the courage to do it lol

 

[Seggsy]

Fully healed, mouths fully formed, and getting big again. Calling this one a success!