Fragging giant toadstool leather (1 Viewer)

[aqua-nut]

I have a toadstool leather that has been in one tank of mine or another for well over 10 years.

The thing is massive ... at least 15 inches tall and probably 4-5 inches across. Right now, its toadstool top is sitting at the water line.

Instead of moving it to the bottom of the tank and watching it grow to 24 inches tall, I would really like to frag it.

My thought was to just cut the thing in half and jam the top half in between two rocks and watch the bottom half sprout some new finger thingies... but I don't want to a)kill it and b)foul out my tank in the process.

Has anyone fragged a toadstool? Are there do's and don'ts I should follow?

 

[mikebeth16]

This should work just as you suggest. You can just cut off the top wherever you like.

If it were mine, I'd take it out of the tank to cut it. I'd put it in a bucket of tank water, cut it, "swish" it around a little to rinse, and then then put it back in your tank.

I did this with a friend of mine, and it worked great.

I do wonder why it seems to be growing so tall. Most I've seen are perhaps only slight taller than the top is wide or even about the same. Any chance your lights need replacing?

Mike

 

[aqua-nut]

Nope. 250 watt HQI 10k lamps are replaced every 10-12 months max.

I think it's just a light hog!

 

[melev]

It seems odd to me that it is so old and yet it isn't larger. And let me qualify my statement because I had a LFS owner come to my home once and he asked me why the one in my tank wasn't larger! Mine grew from a tiny spec of meaty tissue I brought home from MACNA 4 years ago. It is easily 15" wide, and wider when the pumps are off and it is relaxed.

Taking it out of your tank to frag it is a really good idea because it will slime like crazy. I would suggest a couple of different containers with display water so you can work on the coral, dip it and rinse, then move it to a holding container for a bit before you put it back in the display.

I've observed some cutting, but never what you've described by cutting it in half. Here are pictures from that MACNA:
http://www.melevsreef.com/macna/macnaxv_workshop.html

And here's my Toadstool Leather today.

 

[aqua-nut]

I guess I'll try it.

Geez, this is gonna be scary... I could easily sell the coral to a shop for probably a hundred bucks and I'm taking a razor blad to it!

 

[skeeter76]

Marc, that leather is the same coral as the last frag pictured? How long did it take to mature and grow to that massive size?

 

[melev]

Yes, it was grown from a frag over the past 4 years.

For a good year, it did very little because I had a Powder Blue Tang that would mow down the polyps daily. Nibbles would literally bite off and eat the polyps, so the leather looked smooth around the clock. It was kind of sad.

Once Nibbles died (tragic mistake on my part), the leather improved dramatically and has been growing larger and larger. The different between now and merely 12 months ago is amazing. It has pretty much doubled in size.

That picture is a little bit misleading because it is fully relazed. All the pumps were off during the taking of that picture. Here's another picture of it from 1.5 months ago. Keep in mind the overflow is 12" wide:

 

[sempfi]

that is beautiful

 

[melev]

I can't believe even with proof-reading it prior to submitting, and reading it again after it posted, I still find two mistakes later. Argh.

different - should have been difference.
relazed - should have been relaxed.

 

[Tempset]

Yes, it was grown from a frag over the past 4 years.

For a good year, it did very little because I had a Powder Blue Tang that would mow down the polyps daily. Nibbles would literally bite off and eat the polyps, so the leather looked smooth around the clock. It was kind of sad.

Once Nibbles died (tragic mistake on my part), the leather improved dramatically and has been growing larger and larger. The different between now and merely 12 months ago is amazing. It has pretty much doubled in size.

That picture is a little bit misleading because it is fully relazed. All the pumps were off during the taking of that picture. Here's another picture of it from 1.5 months ago. Keep in mind the overflow is 12" wide:

After reading several of your articles, gazing at your video's and purchasing 1 of your RO/DI units, somehow I've missed what kind of lighting you currently employ.

On your main display, what kind of lighting are you a big believer in?

I've followed your progress over time and have begun to have faith in your methods.

I've learned that T-5 can be superior over VHO and PC lighting stands on the bottom of the scale while MH seems to provide the best of the best.

What combo are you employing these days?

 

[melev]

Here is my lighting described:

 

[Scott]

and you gotta have a chiller on that bad boy...right?

 

[CBBSteve]

My thought was to just cut the thing in half and jam the top half in between two rocks and watch the bottom half sprout some new finger thingies
Has anyone fragged a toadstool? Are there do's and don'ts I should follow?

Hi, aqua-nut.
I've fragged my toadstool several times, most recently at the October Calfo presentation. Your plan seems ok to me with one caution. IMO, if you "jam the top half in between two rocks" then it will attach itself to BOTH rocks. If that's okay with you, go for it.

An alternative might be to tie it to a single rock with string or a rubber band. It'll attach itself after about a week or so, then you can remove whatever you used to tie it down.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[melev]

and you gotta have a chiller on that bad boy...right?

No, I regulate the temperature of the fish room, keeping it around 75F during the summer with a window a/c, and by running IceCap fans in the winter.

 

[melev]

I took a couple pictures of that leather today, and figured I should add them to this thread since we've been talking about it. The first picture shows my medium to large Purple Tang in the coral, which gives you a sense of scale.

And if that wasn't good enough, how about some normal fish like a Blue Damsel and some Lyretail Anthias?

 

[Tempset]

and you gotta have a chiller on that bad boy...right?

No, I regulate the temperature of the fish room, keeping it around 75F during the summer with a window a/c, and by running IceCap fans in the winter.

After viewing the pictures above (enlarged toadstool and blue tang within), I'd like to know what you strive to keep everything at (seeing as how I've considered your tank to be among the elite for some time now).

Calcium:
Salinity:
pH:
Temp (in tank):
Temp (in sump/fuge):

I strive to keep mine at the following:

Calcium: 420 (maintained mostly by water changes)
Salinity: 1.026
pH: 8.2
Temp: 80intank/81insump

Obviously, everyone strives to keep their amm/nitrite/nitrate @ zero ~ so i need not ask that one.

 

[melev]

If my tank ever becomes one of the elite, I'll be very happy. Maybe someday - I personally see flaws in it all the time, and strive to have a tank that looks way better than it is now.

Calcium - over 450ppm
Salinity - 1.026 sg
pH - 8.2 for the peak
Temp - 79 - 80F around the clock
The temperature is measured from the baffles in my sump via the Aqua Controller II, so should be both tank & sump.
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Magnesium - 1300 to 1400 keeps my montipora happy.
Nitrate was very high until a couple of months ago. It was 60ppm, but I got it under 20ppm using AZNO3 for 60 days.
Phosphate - varies quite a bit but I try to keep it under .25ppm. Various products help bring it down when I find it up.

You can see how the numbers meander on this page:
http://www.melevsreef.com/parms.html