Do Chimera LPS Corals Lack Robustness?

[fandaga]

This is where the 4th head was - granted algae has overtaken it now

 

[VintageReefer]

This looks like torches growing out of a rock instead of a stem/stalk

 

[twentyleagues]

Maybe they use a big big mound of epoxy shaped look like it’s a skeleton for the three torches wedged in it

Shaped like a rock.

 

[VintageReefer]

@thamnasteroid can you review this thread and let us know what a chimera torch is and how this torch was created

 

[KrisReef]

I do dip my corals in 15 mins Bayer followed by Revive and then inspect each before placing in DT. I didn’t see anything come off this piece. Overall pretty minimal pests in my tank at the moment. I found about 4 valonia the other day on filter floss that I manually removed. So far no flatworms, aiptasia, vermetid snails, etc.

Have you had chimera torches before that did well?

I have had good results with 5 minute KCL dipping of LPS and SPS in place of Bayer. I would recommend trying KCL dips, they are clear and easy to see if things are falling off. If you find unknown travelers, a second dip in Bayer might be a good route.

I also like to remove mariculture plugs to avoid pests with eggs.

Sorry about the current situation.

 

[fandaga]

I pulled it out and scrub some algae off. The 4th head is in red. In green was a possible 5th head that was already removed when I bought it.

 

[VintageReefer]

Oo

I pulled it out and scrub some algae off. The 4th head is in red. In green was a possible 5th head that was already removed when I bought it.

This is the weirdest thing I’ve seen. Is it glued to that stone ?

I’m almost wondering if they took a dead multi head skeleton and used that as a base somehow to attach other torches

 

[fandaga]

I have had good results with 5 minute KCL dipping of LPS and SPS in place of Bayer. I would recommend trying KCL dips, they are clear and easy to see if things are falling off. If you find unknown travelers, a second dip in Bayer might be a good route.

I also like to remove mariculture plugs to avoid pests with eggs.

Sorry about the current situation.

Thanks, I’ll give that some thought in the future

 

[fandaga]

Oo

This is the weirdest thing I’ve seen. Is it glued to that stone ?

I’m almost wondering if they took a dead multi head skeleton and used that as a base somehow to attach other torches

Yeah the whole thing is glued to that ceramic frag stone, but they don’t appear glued to each other. I tried gently pulling them apart and they weren’t coming apart.

Another picture from the front:

 

[VintageReefer]

What is this it looks like a skeleton attached / fused to another one. Fleshband eroded away and reveals a skeleton on top of a skeleton?

 

[fandaga]

What is this it looks like a skeleton attached / fused to another one. Fleshband eroded away and reveals a skeleton on top of a skeleton?

Yeah not sure. I might not have scrubbed the bottom enough.

I guess I should have done a better job photographing this piece when it was still completely alive…

 

[fandaga]

If they did originally glue this together, I don’t know why they would have put that 4th little nub on there.

 

[thamnasteroid]

@thamnasteroid can you review this thread and let us know what a chimera torch is and how this torch was created

gluing together different corallites/heads; they're not true grafts.

 

[fandaga]

gluing together different corallites/heads; they're not true grafts.

How can you tell? I just don’t see the glue.

Also how do you get a true graft of torches?

 

[VintageReefer]

 

[VintageReefer]

How can you tell? I just don’t see the glue.

Also how do you get a true graft of torches?

I am wonderning if they cut 4 torch short then glue to the skeleton of dead 4 head torch. Then cover the whole skeleton in a layer of epoxy, clay, resin etc and create a man made shell around the whole thing so you don’t see any seams and it appears to be one solid object. The grooves and lines and texture can be carved in or stamped in easily by an artist/sculpter

Just a theory

 

[twentyleagues]

This whole thing is weird. It seems a lot of work to go to the lengths of subterfuge for $250 when the 3/4 heads of those corals by themselves would probably gotten $200-250 anyway. With that said there is no way that is natural. That was Frankenstein'd together in some fashion at some point. Unsure if that was coral warfare or possibly infection that took those torches out. If warfare that had to have been pieced together recently, but it doesnt look like that was the case.

 

[fandaga]

This whole thing is weird. It seems a lot of work to go to the lengths of subterfuge for $250 when the 3/4 heads of those corals by themselves would probably gotten $200-250 anyway. With that said there is no way that is natural. That was Frankenstein'd together in some fashion at some point. Unsure if that was coral warfare or possibly infection that took those torches out. If warfare that had to have been pieced together recently, but it doesnt look like that was the case.

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. Two of the torches I didn’t have and may have bought anyways. Also this was the only “chimera” piece they had. The other stuff the vendor was selling were all pretty high end corals like a gorgeous HG with long PE they wanted for $800.

At the show I did see a bunch of other vendors selling 3-4 gonis glued to the same frag plug, but those were obvious.

 

[fandaga]

Looks amazing but does anyone have a chimera torch in their tank that’s been doing well?

It looks like the only vendor selling these semi regularly online is A Reef Creation in Buffalo, NY, but they’re asking $1000-2000.

There was a post by @Purpletang92 back in 2019 on what looks like a true chimera: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/so-much-for-your-holy-grail-torch.653287/

 

[thamnasteroid]

How can you tell? I just don’t see the glue.

Also how do you get a true graft of torches?

Grafted corals are a myth. All the grafted corals you see are just protein infections.