How would you trim this?

[BestMomEver]

I have a beautiful purple with green polyps Acro that’s stuck in between 2 Stylos. I’m not sure if I should trim the Stylos or take a big frag of the Acro and try to move it somewhere else. Opinions? And how do I go about it? I’ve never used anything other than my fingers but this is more delicate. Do I need nipper/bone cutters?

 

[Michigan Reefer]

Yea bone cutters would do, I bought mine through Bulk Reef Supply. I use them often and also a thin needle nose pliers and just pinch off what you need. Bone cutters would do great if you want to trim that Stylo and make some nice frags.

 

[Rollman]

Nice looking. It’s tough without seeing. Personally, I’d try to get most of the acro and replace, will surely happen again soon as your stylo is growing nicely

 

[BestMomEver]

Yea bone cutters would do, I bought mine through Bulk Reef Supply. I use them often and also a thin needle nose pliers and just pinch off what you need. Bone cutters would do great if you want to trim that Stylo and make some nice frags.

My lfs (incredibly) has bone cutters. I might try to trim both. As for stylo frags, I’ve offered them free... even to my lfs and no one wants them. I think they’re just inexpensive and common but they are a great coral for beginners. They are very forgiving.

 

[BestMomEver]

Nice looking. It’s tough without seeing. Personally, I’d try to get most of the acro and replace, will surely happen again soon as your stylo is growing nicely

I think so too. I think I might cut both. I’ll move the acro and frag the stylo.

 

[SeaDweller]

Personally, Id trim the stylos and leave the acro alone, and continue to do so, maybe even let them work it out.

 

[rkpetersen]

Stylos are generally pretty easy to cut with bone cutters; their skeletons isn't as dense as some acros.
They're also pretty forgiving of extensive cutting. Not likely to RTN on you.
Agree as above, letting them touch might not be a disaster.
Acro usually wins but the stylo just stops advancing there, doesn't die off.

 

[Katrina71]

Wow I see your dilemma.

 

[BestMomEver]

Wow I see your dilemma.

Yea... the stylos grow way faster than anything else. That’s the main problem. I also have a whole other colony of the light green stylo on the other side of the tank. It’s only there cause I dropped a piece of the mother colony and forgot to remove it. I’m gonna take that one completely off.

 

[Katrina71]

Why is it the broken pieces grow like mad, and the ones you baby die?

 

[BestMomEver]

Why is it the broken pieces grow like mad, and the ones you baby die?

Dunno. When I moved tanks, quite a few things broke off. The stylos are now everywhere. There’s a few green ones and I just found an orange one. And, I found a green monti cap that fell to the bottom on top of a zoa colony. It’s now encrusted and growing with the zoas!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bone cutters for clean severe. I see 4-6 nicy frags here.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Why is it the broken pieces grow like mad, and the ones you baby die?

Because they receive more light and flow and it’s not restricted like the mother colony and has room to spread

 

[Katrina71]

Because they receive more light and flow and it’s not restricted like the mother colony and has room to spread

Andrew had a 1/4" piece that fell into his rock off of a frag plug...it has completely taken over!

 

[DivingTheWorld]

That acro seems to be growing nicely. The trick with acros is finding the right spot in your tank and then letting it be. Moving at this point could be risky. I'd trim the Stylos to create a nice spot for the acro to grow out.

 

[HairyGary]

Get the biggest bone cutters you can find and trim out the stylo. I agree with others to leave the acro alone. it looks good there and once you cut away the stylo, more flow to it means more growth sideways! Good luck!

 

[EW_Fish]

I'm all for just keeping an eye on it. Let them grow. But I agree trim the stylo only thing is...you will be trimming it a lot and it will get harder and harder with everything else growing in

 

[Graffiti Spot]

The one in the front is a birdsnest, the one behind the acro is a stylo. Stylos when growing well and in good flow get large thick branches, especially the blue/purple ones, I could barely cut through a branch on mine when I had it and I used large bone cutters.
I would move the acro and let the other sps grow out, keeping their growth natural looking. They grow so fast you will be trimming often and eventually have to move the acro anyways.

 

[29bonsaireef]

I would let nature play out or move the Acro. Like others have said it's going to be a constant battle/trimming.

If the acro is strong and healthy it should keep the BN and Stylo in check.