Can you frag wellso?

[ahiggins]

hey all!

Just as the title says, can you frag wellsophyllia? Here's a pic of mine before the lights come on. Hand for size. Has 4 mouths.
Side note: he puffs up after about 3 hours of daytime lights. So if it is possible, I would have to do it when he's not puffed. Right?

 

[stevo01]

hey all!

Just as the title says, can you frag wellsophyllia? Here's a pic of mine before the lights come on. Hand for size. Has 4 mouths.
Side note: he puffs up after about 3 hours of daytime lights. So if it is possible, I would have to do it when he's not puffed. Right?

I wouldnt try it. You would need a wet band saw, and you would be risking everything by doing it.

 

[ahiggins]

I have heard that it's very difficult to bring one back after an injury. I'm curious if anyone has attempted. It wasn't an expensive piece and I'm all about propagation.

 

[ahiggins]

Ps. It's my first brain coral of any type. I originally wanted a lobo-maybe I'll still get one. Who knows. But this thing is a beast

 

[stevo01]

Ps. It's my first brain coral of any type. I originally wanted a lobo-maybe I'll still get one. Who knows. But this thing is a beast

Its very nice and i would just let it grow out. As far as propagating a complicated LPS i have never tried it.

 

[stevo01]

Good lucky buddy

 

[BMW540]

I successfully fragged one a few years ago. I placed rubber bands around the coral where I wanted the cuts to be and left them for a couple of weeks. It caused the tissue to receed and then heal beside the band. When I took them off, it allowed the skeleton to be cut and almost no tissue.

 

[stevo01]

Wow thats a pretty smart method!

 

[ritter6788]

Best case is that you just end up with 2 half trachys. They can be fragged but they are very prone to death from injury and it's not worth it IMO. It would take years and years for the frags to grow into whole trachys again. Not worth the risk to me but it's not my coral it's yours. ;)

 

[redfishbluefish]

Yes, open brains can be fragged....but I'd only do it with the realization that you might loose both halves. Eric Borneman did a video on fragging HERE, and if you go to about 17:15 minutes, he shows fragging a cynarina (Lobophyllia).

Also, just for clarification, Wellsophyllia don't exist. It was found a number of years ago that they made a mistake with identification, and Wellsophyllia are actually Trachyphyllia. However, I think Wellso sounds cool, and so I still refer to my Trachyphyllia as a Wellso. :D

Good luck.....let us know what you decide.

 

[ahiggins]

lol that's just what it was labeled when I bought it :)
Thanks for all the info guys! I appreciate it

 

[stevo01]

Well lps and sps arent terms used by taxonomists yet its commonly used in the hobby. Welso is to LPS, as Trachyphyllia is to Scleractinia.

 

[Phuture]

I wouldnt try it. You would need a wet band saw, and you would be risking everything by doing it.

They self propogate over time ive got a huge one thats splitting. If you feel the base of the calcium structure and theres lines running between the tips to the point in the center its on its way. Im scared to touch em let alone cut them up!

 

[redfishbluefish]

First off, from my earlier post above, the powers to be have reversed their beliefs and now say that Wellso's do exist!

Also agree with @Phuture , my guy is old....maybe 15-20 years....and might have split right down the middle, but definitely two babies; one teenager to the left and one baby to the middle left. The baby is shaded and isn't doing the best.