Dr. Frankenstein Frags a Hybrid Open Brain Coral

Will Wohlers · Nov 27, 2020

I do know you can take zooxanthellea from a healthy host coral or anemone and feed it to a bleached coral or anemone of the same species to help inoculate and repopulate the zooxanthellea in the bleached specimen. It's a trick us anemone keepers regularly use. You just feed the bleached nem a small tentacle piece from the host nem and nature does the rest. Quite remarkable. zooxanthellea is typically brown in color though and isn't responsible for the color of coral so don't expect and zooxanthellea transfer to change the color in your brain coral. I do think it's reasonable to think that fluorescent protein from the mushroom could alter the color of your brain coral but it's probably a long shot. Basically like gfp transfer in sps which we refer to grafting.

What I like about your technique with the bands is we use to use this very method on soft corals, especially mushrooms with great success. Been watching this and am curious the result as this could be an easy low stress fragging technique for stonies with a thicker skeleton.
Will

Danjoethepirate · Dec 3, 2020

I've seen it before with plates. They take to it well. Hopefully the lobophastrea does as well!

Fish_Sticks · Dec 5, 2020

Not gonna lie, I see a little bit of red illuminating in some areas. Not picking up in the photos but it's definitely there...

Heres an update photo, it's looking good, and like it has neatly separated from the skeleton along the bands.

MERKEY · Dec 5, 2020

Very nice progress!

I wonder if the tissue will try to grow over the rubber band and reattach itself...

Fish_Sticks · Dec 5, 2020

MERKEY said:
Very nice progress!

I wonder if the tissue will try to grow over the rubber band and reattach itself...

Hmm.. good point - hadnt thought about that. I wonder if it will form two separate corals or join together...

Either way I'm cuttin it as soon as I get that dremel on xmas

Gino · Dec 10, 2020

Be careful on how it might morph ingesting red zooxanthellea. It might crawl out of your tank at night and hunt down your neighbors cats... buajajaja!

But definitely, it's a cool and fascinating (let say home experiment discovery) if it sustained and developed the red pigmentation. If it does, I will love to see how it morph into a new cool coloration pattern. Keep us updated when you can.

F i s h y · Dec 26, 2020

Update?

Fish_Sticks · Dec 27, 2020

Getting 40 + frags delivered on Tuesday, so its gonna be a busy week.

I'll most likely pickup the dremel saw blades over new years weekend and do the cutting then.

Those rubber bands cut really deep, even a bit down into the skeleton, so it should all go according to plan.

I'll be cutting directly over the tops of the bands, and making sure the lobo is fully retracted before cutting.

NKYReefGuy · Dec 27, 2020

My LFS has one of these! Awesome coral.

Fish_Sticks · Dec 27, 2020

NKYReefGuy said:
My LFS has one of these! Awesome coral.

Any pics, or an ID?

NKYReefGuy · Dec 27, 2020

No, I'll be visiting the shop this week. I'll post a picture and information. I've been eyeing it for a couple weeks.

Lizbeli · Dec 27, 2020

Good luck cutting it up! Very interesting coral for sure. Can’t say I have ever seen anything exactly like it.

Fish_Sticks · Dec 27, 2020

NKYReefGuy said:
No, I'll be visiting the shop this week. I'll post a picture and information. I've been eyeing it for a couple weeks.

Cool, dont forget lol... I've been trying to find a similar coral and ID for years. Does it have the same coloration too?

NKYReefGuy · Dec 28, 2020

Haha I won't forget! I'll be visiting today, after work. Hopefully they still have it. To me, it looks pretty identical to yours. I did ask one of the less knowledgeable employees what it was, a couple of weeks ago but he did not seem to know. I asked if it was some type of lobo. I've been in the hobby for 15 years and have never seen anything like it. Very pretty and unique coral. I'll keep you posted!

revhtree · Dec 28, 2020

Fish_Sticks said:
Not gonna lie, I see a little bit of red illuminating in some areas. Not picking up in the photos but it's definitely there...

Heres an update photo, it's looking good, and like it has neatly separated from the skeleton along the bands.

This is so cool!

NKYReefGuy · Dec 29, 2020

I didn't have a chance to swing by my LFS but hope to tonight. I messaged the shop manager and he said it's still in stock unless it was sold today. He seems to think what he has is a symphyllia. If I'm able to swing by, I'll post some pictures and you guys can let me know what you think. Who knows, maybe I'll buy it. I do have some gift cards to burn haha.