JF Homewrecker: Frag it or leave it?

[azreefer93]

Hello R2R Family!

Got this Homewrecker small colony for a few months, I looked at it every and asking myself a question: should I frag it or leave it alone? The truth is I never frag coral before.

I have heard of the theory that frag coral will promote growth, I’m not sure if this true but my intention is stop it encrusting and growth straight with more tips. So my question is if I frag it, does that promote the growth or will badly stress out the colony. Any advices are welcome!

Here is how I want to frag it

 

[bluemon]

Let me get this straight, you want it to stop encrusting? Not sure why you would want that. Encrusting is good, and will be good for growth later on.

And fragging can promote growth in larger colonies as it can improve water flow and shadowing issues through the colony. Doesn’t really apply to your nicely growing frag

I would not frag it if I were you.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

That’s a bit tiny to frag, I would not risk it. Also before I start fragging I always do one cut and that’s my back up frag. Multiple cuts of a small frag like that would be dangerous imo

 

[Reefering1]

Leave that poor little frag alone, it barely started growing... work on pulling the colors from it and keeping it alive.
2 weeks is not a long time of keeping it alive. Stressing it like that is not recommended.

 

[azreefer93]

Let me get this straight, you want it to stop encrusting? Not sure why you would want that. Encrusting is good, and will be good for growth later on.

And fragging can promote growth in larger colonies as it can improve water flow and shadowing issues through the colony. Doesn’t really apply to your nicely growing frag

I would not frag it if I were you.

That’s correct! Some how I’m tempting to stop it from encrusting . My other colony encrusted very little and shoot lot of tips, what I am aiming for is the tree shape. But it is acropora, so no one know how it growth imo. I will definitely leave it alone to see if more tips growing out from the base.

That’s a bit tiny to frag, I would not risk it. Also before I start fragging I always do one cut and that’s my back up frag. Multiple cuts of a small frag like that would be dangerous imo

Thank you for this nice advice, I will wait probably for another month to take a small cut to save it as a backup!

Leave that poor little frag alone, it barely started growing... work on pulling the colors from it and keeping it alive.
2 weeks is not a long time of keeping it alive. Stressing it like that is not recommended.

Definitely I will leave it alone. It looks small but actual size is 3 inch tall and the frag base is 2 inch as well. I’m pretty much satisfied with the current color, I know what we saw online got lot of photoshop to make it “eye catching” for better sale. This is my top view without camera filter and I’m running orphek light with mixed white/blue/uv. Will find some orange filter to see if it likes what selling online and will improve from there.

 

[bradreef]

Def don't frag.

 

[JonoH]

I would wait untill it branched out more and gave you a clear piece to frag off.

 

[bubbgee]

You guys frag homewreckers?

 

[Big E]

I would give that piece at least a year to grow out before I'd frag it. You want to frag an acro when it's a colony and thriving.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hello R2R Family!

Got this Homewrecker small colony for a few months, I looked at it every and asking myself a question: should I frag it or leave it alone? The truth is I never frag coral before.

It's easy to frag, just break it off.

I have heard of the theory that frag coral will promote growth, I’m not sure if this true but my intention is stop it encrusting and growth straight with more tips.

No, it won't stop encrusting. Like a tree, it needs the roots to support the colony.

So my question is if I frag it, does that promote the growth or will badly stress out the colony. Any advices are welcome!

I would leave it for now personally.

Having said that, I disagree you are putting it in peril by fragging it. Once you snap the whole colony off at the base, cutting up the rest may stress it out but the base would definitely grow right out. It's already got its roots down it would be fine.

 

[twentyleagues]

I would 100% leave it be for now. Thats too small to be fragging.

 

[hatfielj]

Go old school and let that coral grow into a giant colony. Go for the title of largest homewrecker colony in existence;)

 

[willpower]

I agree with leaving it alone, looks like it is doing great.

 

[AlvinDiver]

One more echo of "don't frag it". There's no reason to. Fragging doesn't stimulate growth but cutting off the axial corallite (growth tip) will stimulate the generation of more growth tips.

Sort of like pruning a plant. It doesn't grow faster, but cutting the terminal bud will stimulate the plant to produce more branches from the axillary buds near the cut.

Encrusting is just what they do. In lower flow a coral won't be able to put on axial corallites and is likely to spend its energy encrusting more than growing up, so it appears to be encrusting faster. Not sure it actually does. I'm sure someone will chime in here, but it likely just depends on the available resources and conditions for growth.

Anyway, best thing you can do for that little fella is leave him the hell alone. Frag it when you need to. Like he's wanting to poke out of the water or starts getting too close to another coral or side of the aquarium.

Great looking piece.

Cheers,