Coral & Anemone fragging - techniques

[delta]

well Anthony could probably explain it better but it is pretty simple

tools- Exacto knife (scalpels shaped)boiled to sterilize
Gloves
Goggles (you never know)
Gladware disposable container


It was not attached so it was easy to remove from my fuge.
Then I placed it on a clean piece of acrylic.
Now for the fun I took the exacto knife stabbed it directly into the middle of the mouth of the anemone then cut towards the outer edge.

Next I rotated the specimen 180 degrees and started from the same point of the mouth to the opposite outer edge to finish.

The two halves then took a bath in the gladware container while took a photo then I rinse them a bit and returned them to the Fuge.

It only took about five minutes once I had all tools and things ready.

[Anthony Calfo]

Delta... your use of pics, topically timely thread and the good direction this can go with updates led me to add it to the "fragging" technique sticky that I'm presently keeping atop my forum for this subject. It has been merged

Another chap from Boston e-mailed me saying he was inspired after our BRS meeting to cut his Carpet anemone in half. Reporting that both halves are doing fine I've requested photos of course.

Indeed... the successful bilateral cutting of such cnidarians is no more mysterious than the same with corallamorpharians, etc. It's just less common with anemones to date.

I'm hopnig we can change that And I'm doing my part through the years/lectures, etc to do so too

[Kreeger1]

I'd love to hear the speech, whats the chances in you making it to a c-sea club meeting this year? Our calendar seems to be pretty open lately.
Erik

[Anthony Calfo]

I'm presently scheduled into 2007, my friend.

I think its because I'm free and easy

2006 is too heavy at present for me to say if we can fit anything in yet. But C-Sea is a fab club. I'd really enjoy a return visit.

Yet I do need to make time for family and paying work

http://www.readingtrees.com/meet_the_authors.htm

[Kreeger1]

I hear ya there!!!
I saw you over the summer with Kelly, and Steven Pro in Michigan. you got cut short due to time but it was informative and entertaining.
See ya then,
Erik

[causeofhim]

I suppose i would need to get my RBTA off of its rock to do this?

[Anthony Calfo]

nope... you can cut the anemone with a sharp single-edged blade while on the rock... then simply use a sharp woodworkers chisel to skin one half of the anemone off the rock without touching tissue by taking a fraction of an inch of rock with it by sliding underneath.

It's important to separate the halves, of course, because of the need for water flow, better light, etc to improve healing and recovery on the cut sides.

[ALTI]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone,

ive been wanting to do that with my carpet for a long time but i have not built up the nerve to do it. this guys is about 16 inches across and its scary enough just handling it. it seems more like id need butchering tools than fragging tools. i do have a couple of small green BTA's i wouldnt mind practicing on, but they are really small (2"). Does the size matter at all? can the anemone be too big or too small?

rob

[Anthony Calfo]

no worries on the size of the anemone so much... one of the first/biggest conditions to heed instead is that the anemone (coral, etc) ideally should have been held captive and fed well, conditioned for at least 4 months prior. In a phrase: don't frag stressed, new anemones/corals (unless its damage control and you are trying to salvage an otherwise doomed specimen - thus excising the dying or infected tissue).

The chap I chatted with in Boston last weekend that was going to cut his carpet started a thread here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...ighlight=calfo

will look forward to seeing pics of their success

[ALTI]

Thanks Anthony,
Ive had this anemone for almost a year now, so i think its ready. The mouth seems somewhat elliptical. Does it make any difference cutting it perpendicular or parallel across the mouth?

The NJRC meeting is at my place in January. Maybe i can muster up the courage to do a demonstration. Reminds me of when i fragged my first mushroom. I was so nervous .

[Anthony Calfo]

any bilateral split through the mouth is likely fine... but do hedge your bets by minimizing "damage." In this case... I'd make the cut across the shortest distance of mouth (as opposed to between the long sides of the elipse). Thus... when the anemone pinches closed, it can heal a fully formed mouth faster.

A matter of good habit/technique more than necessarily improving rates of success much.

[maxvan1]

Leishman, how is the Efflo comming?

[GTR]

Anthony...
In your book you talk about making frag mounting plugs with portland cement and aragonite. Any coral health reason that normal mortar mix can't be used? We have a product at our HD called Spec Mix which uses portland cement and common builders sand. It's different than common mortar mixes since it uses portland and not plastic cement.
I know many will say that the common silica based sand with lead to algae issues but I've read some of your posts saying it would be OK for a DSB if you did'nt want/need the additional buffering.

Also... how long do they need to be cured? The system is 350g + and I might use 20-30 1.5" OD x 3/4" thick plugs per week. My thinking is they won't need but a couple days in a bucket of SW changed daily?

Thanks
SteveU

[Anthony Calfo]

we are both speaking in generalities here: "mortar" and even "portland" cement

You will find that different brands if not batches have different cure times.

And you are mistaken my friend about the cure time for many... it is weeks if not months (hence the prefences of some folks for very specific types of cement)

Case in point... have you even noticed how a new cement block under water by a dock or pier takes maaaaaaany months before anything will grow on it? Heehee... there a reason for that

And you will also see that some mfgs recommend leaving unused plugs in water indefinitely before being used (changing water periodically).

I stopped making my own plugs a long time ago. Several mfgs have developed fab recipes for very lightweight fast cure products.

My current fav is Boston Aqua Farms discs and posts. They have been staggeringly generous too to hobby clubs doing workshops. Really... donations exceeding any reasonable amount really needed for simple PR purposes. FWIW... I do like them very much and find them to be quite deserving of our support (by hobyist for hobbyist sort of thing). Check them out. You may find that your time is better spent not making plugs like me

[GTR]

Thanks Anthony. I'll order a few of their plugs for acropora since they are small and have the "stem" to keep them in place. I'm currently using minature plastic champagne glasses for molds with a plastic drywall fastener imbedded in the bottom.
I've also used 7/8" ceramic tile for acropora gluing a minimum of four small frags horizontal. These tiles come in sheets 12 x 12 tiles held together with a flexible adhesive. I use them in 1 x 3 tile strips. I've found they work well and encrusting times are good. Development of a marketable colony is slow due to the horizontal mount but given time they seem to command a higher retail price since they are larger colonies. Also with the tiles there will be no doubt they are in fact AC corals.

Thanks again...
SteveU

[Anthony Calfo]

yes... agreed my friend. Ceramic tiles and marble are generally very good too. Much better in fact (coral settlement/no curing) than poorly made cement plugs... but indeed, a lot more expensive too. Heehee... I'll preach to folks to use marble, but I use the cement plugs myself moreoften at present Just more affordable, lighter weight and easier/accessible.

[puter]

Hi Anthony -

Figured I'd better practice a bit before propagating the Aiptasia.

[Anthony Calfo]

heehee... always outstanding to see

Some folks/friends have heard me say this before... but anemones are some of the only trade species I'd like to see (voluntarily) limited in wild collections. Their shipping rates are dismal... and their sustainability/recovery in the wild is sobering. Just sobering (extremely slow).

Far and away... this group of animals needs to have priority IMO for fragging and other propagation efforts if we (the hobby) wants to continue to keep these animals in aquaria.

It's this/that sort of self-policing that will allow us to continue to use sustainable wild species as well.

Responsible reef-keeping

[puter]

Agreed completely. And for the record, this particular E. Quad speciman is one of 10+ clones of one I have had a long time, and has been in captivity more than five years. I don't want to leave the impression with any, by my tone, that this was done without the conditioning you mention above, when actually it was more.

[NicoleC]

Is your anemone really that purple, or is that the photo? It looks gorgeous. Mine is a very intense bright rose, and I've seen bright orange, but I haven't seen one that has a burgundy shade to it before.

[puter]

No, that's an artifact of the incandescent light it was under or the ineptitude of the photographer. Mine's the bright orange with emerald green variety. Here's a better representation:

[NicoleC]

Ah well, too bad. I was hoping there was an unusual color morph -- and all the more reason to propagate!

The green/orange is interesting as well. Yours seems to have a very clear difference in colors; some get a little muddy where the colors mix.

[Anthony Calfo]

sigh... I don't think I can stay awake long enough to see Nicole's post count break 6K

Kudos to you again Nicole for your contributions here at RC and beyond for the hobby.

Kindly,

Ant-

[Anthony Calfo]

and may I add:

"The suspense is terrible... I hope it will last."

Oscar Wilde

Ha! So close....

[NicoleC]

LOL! You know, I didn't even notice the 6k post count until you mentioned it. Do I get a prize?

Logging off for the night, so it'll be stuck at 5999 for today Come back tomorrow.