Fragging SPS

[davelin315]

OK, so I can frag sps without a problem, but I have some questions as to what is the "right" way to do this. Much of the information I am listing below, by the way, is based upon my experience, which I must admit is limited despite my years of experience with this hobby - knowledge which I am playing catch up on by using the group knowledge of WAMAS.

 

First, I'll start off with a few coral basics so that everyone understands that I am asking if there is a different methodology to fragging different types of sps corals. To begin with, there is a list of the basic species that we deal with most often in the hobby - Acropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Seriatopora, Stylophora, Hydnophora, and Anacropora (to a much lesser extent). I am sure that I am leaving at least one or two significant species off of this list, but this covers most of them I think.

 

For most of these, the structure is similar enough that fragging is very simple and straight forward. For these purposes, I am going to group Montipora, Pocillopora, Stylophora, and Seritopora into the same category. In order to loosely group these together, I will refer to two types of corallites that will be encountered during fragging. These specific corals are sps that appear to have only radial corallites (a corallite is the individual calcium based structure that is built by a single coral polyp). A radial corallite is one that grows on the sides of a coral colony, or along the sides of the branches. The other type of corallite is an axial corallite, or one which appears at the point of growth, or the tip of the coral. It follows the general "axis" that the coral branches are growing along. There is only one axial corallite per branch as when a new one forms, a new branch is forming as well.

 

Getting back to these corals, it is easy to snip off enough of a branch in order to create a frag. In my experience with these species, it doesn't really matter what you snip off. These corals will be fine whether you get one single polyp or ten. Well, OK, that's an exaggeration as if you cut off a single polyp you'll most likely kill it, but the point is that these corals will typically do fine if cut it off from just about anywhere and I have never noticed that there was a difference in success if you cut it off from the base or from the tip of a branch or the middle of a branch. Any of these ways seem to enjoy about the same success rate. Also, when you mount these corals, it is not unusual to mount them sideways in order to encourage them to grow new branches. These corals do not have axial corallites and they will grow in whatever direction they want to without regard to what direction the original colony was growing in.

 

For the Hydnophora, I have no idea what these fit into. My experiences with them has never been good, whether due to unhealthy frags to begin with or poor husbandry, I have never gotten to the point of fragging one of these. They are different than the other corals, as well, as I don't see a uniform way to figure out where corallites are. In fact, to me, they seem to be more of an lps instead of an sps. So, due to my lack of expertise here, feel free to tell me I'm way off base!

 

For the remaining two, Acropora and Anacropora, I will once again ignore a species, Anacropora, due to my total lack of knowledge of these (I couldn't tell you if I've ever seen one since I've only seen them online). So, the main question I have is regarding Acropora species. Acropora is generally characterized by the presence of the axial corallite. This corallite develops along the axis of growth for the coral colony. As it grows, the axial corallite is the one that shows which direction it is growing in. Acropora also have radial corallites (there are some that don't seem to have either of these in regularity) along their branches. In my fragging experience, I have always simply snapped branches off and mounted them facing up, with the axial corallite going up towards the light source, or in that general direction.

 

My questions on fragging begin with my desire to get into nicer corals, specifically Acropora. I have seen what people call "tiny" frags, that seem to include only an axial corallite. Is this an effective way to frag a coral? If you do frag just the tips, should you include an radial corallites with it? What is the success rate of fragging an Acropora without an axial corallite?

 

This thread is mostly to generate some discussion as I have basic fragging techniques down where I just snap off as big a chunk as I can, but I really would like to know more and am hoping that the fragging gurus here will chime in with their experiences and create a very educational thread.

[jnguyen4007]

As we get more information provided, this would provide a great source of information for future references. Would it be possible to have this pinned? Just a thought.

 

James

Edited November 17, 2007 by jnguyen4007

[davelin315]

Let's see where this goes first. If it goes nowhere, there's no reason to pin it, but if it does go somewhere, then we can do something with it.

[rioreef]

Mike Paletta wrote an article in Advance Aquarists Online Magazine in 2006. It talks about your questions and more. Looks like a good reference for anyone.

[kngfisher]

thanks for the link to the article. great info.

[lanman]

On the question of fragging just the 'tips' of an acro. I have actually had very good success with the 'tips' of acro's that have broken off in transport. Being a 'frag-nut' - I will glue anything that even looks like it might grow to a frag plug. The 'bits' seems to encrust and grow very nicely - but it takes a long time for them to become a decent frag.

 

On the question of how small is too small - you're correct. I have a 1" diameter monti cap, which started as two separate glitter-sized 'flakes' of a monti cap that each had ONE polyp on it. I don't recommend it, because it has taken 6 months to get to 1" in diameter. I mean - consider, even if it doubles in size every month; I started with two pieces that in total would have fit inside this O.

 

bob

[zotzer]

I thought it was particularly interesting that frags mounted on their sides grow faster than those that we "stand up" from the cut end. I've been doing it wrong 100% of the time. LOL

 

Tracy

[lanman]

I thought it was particularly interesting that frags mounted on their sides grow faster than those that we "stand up" from the cut end. I've been doing it wrong 100% of the time. LOL

 

Tracy

I don't know if they grow faster - but they tend to grow more branches. So 5 branches each growing at the same rate as 2 branches will make more coral faster!

 

bob