Can I cut toadstool at the base?

[Keko21]

My buddy just gave me this massive rock full of toadstools. I don’t necessarily want to frag them but I do want them off the existing rock and put them on a rock in my tank- can i cut it at the base and move the whole thing to a new rock? Best way to secure with glue or toothpicks and rubber bands like a small frag?

 

[KrisReef]

These soft corals can be cut and fragged but getting them to attach where you want it can be tricky as the glue doesn't stick to the skin of these corals. They need to be held in place so the coral can grow into the substrate. If you stuff the end into a hole the lack of water circulation in the stump will tend to deteriorate. If you can gently wedge the same stump in a crevice in the rock work the coral may grow into the new situation and be happy ever after.

Some folks use rubberbands to hold them in place until they attach. If the band is to snug it "cuts of circulation?" then you get a dead black ring around a rotting base. If the band is just loosely snug the coral can eventually grow into the spot it will adhere with time. Seems like (it's been awhile) it takes a week or two for the coral to do the attaching. These soft corals have crystal spicules that form inside their soft bodies as they grow. The spicules act like a skeleton to make the coral ridged and allow it to hold onto rocks. The soft flesh around these internal spicules (I sure hope I speeled that right?) follow expansion of the external soft flesh which makes gluing soft corals onto rocks a lot more tricky than a hard coral with a skeleton that can be glued on one end directly to the rock work.

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Hope this helps you attach that coral securely.

 

[OSFF]

You can cut it from the base yeah. Done it before but the coral shrunk quite a bit in size even after it healed. I tried the toothpick method which didn't work and ended up putting some coral glue on the base and shoving it into a hole in the rock which did the trick.

 

[Keko21]

Well we have toadstools 4 ways haha. I took the big one, cut it at the base and put it in a hole with a good dollop of glue. Seems to be holding very well. The second toadstool was looking a bit rough i took what was left of the cap and fragged it two ways- 1 glued right to the rock, 2nd rubber banded very loosely around a rock. The 3rd was a little baby toadstool i found growing and popped the whole thing on a frag plug. I’ll let you all know how they do!!!!

 

[Keko21]

A couple hours later and already opening

 

[kevgib67]

I haven’t done this with a toadstool but a purchased a sinularia that was attached to the plug with a rubber band. It came off 3 times. I tried the toothpick method, it came off. I then put rock rubble in a shallow plastic container and paced it with the sinularia in it on the sand bed. Within 7-10 days it attached to a piece of rock rubble which I the glued to where I wanted it on my scape.

 

[JTP424]

My buddy just gave me this massive rock full of toadstools. I don’t necessarily want to frag them but I do want them off the existing rock and put them on a rock in my tank- can i cut it at the base and move the whole thing to a new rock? Best way to secure with glue or toothpicks and rubber bands like a small frag?

I've had success ripping these toadstools off from the rock at the base and just making sure they are secure to where they will be placed, glue etc doesn't work on them, so make sure they are held in place with rubber bands etc. You can frag the heads of these guys so there shouldn't be an issue. Anyone else care to confirm?

 

[Koh23]

Thin needle and some thread...

All u need for softies....

 

[mdb_talon]

Agree i have best luck with needle and fishing line, but lots of options can work. Even better if you can get a pair of bone cutters the easiest way is cut the rock off around the base and leave the toadstool attached to a bit of rock and then just glue wherever you want.

 

[Keko21]

Exhibit A: Cut at the base and glued into a small hole- doing excellent!

Exhibit B: part of the cap glued to the rock- doing excellent so far

Exhibit C: Part of the cap no glue just rubber band- doing a little too well…when I banded it after fragging the band was loose. It seems to have fleshed up a bit so I’m considering taking the band off and gluing…

 

[Keko21]

UPDATE: I went to take the rubber band off of the third one above- its already attached to the rock by day 3

 

[Keko21]

27 Days later…