Must You Frag?

[Chipper1978]

I’m asking a question I never thought I’d ask when I started my first reef reef tank 2 1/2 years ago. All of my SPS is starting to grow into each other. Do I have to frag or is it okay to let them grow into each other and let nature take it’s course? I love the idea of them all being packed together, but I don’t want any coral warfare to wipe out a colony.

 

[Uncle99]

That’s stunning display!
So far, I just let them do there thing.
It seems they just want their light and don’t seem to crash into one another, rather, just go off in another direction.
Or at least so far. If one gets too close, I’ll just prune the tip.

 

[Tannermule]

Learn from me it sometimes helps to prune. I had 2 acro colonies starting to get close. I thought when I get back from my trip I will prune them. Came back to 2 half dead colonies. I could have just fragged the tips of the one running into the base of the other and instead nearly lost both.

 

[willpower]

I would try to cut them back and trim/scape your tank. You can just leave them growing into each other but many times one colony will cause the other one to die. For example, I had a ora pearlberry just barely touch my confetti colony and the whole confetti colony went white in 1-2 days. You may need to be careful looking at how they encrust over each other and be ready to rescue a colony.

 

[Derrick0580]

If for not letting them touch….I have always been told that fragging sps stimulates growth.

 

[Chipper1978]

That’s stunning display!

So far, I just let them do their thing.
It seems they just want their light and don’t seem to crash into one another, rather, just go off in another direction.
Or at least so far. If one gets too close, I’ll just prune the tip.

Thank you!

 

[Chipper1978]

Most of them have encrusted on the rocks to the point where they all grew up against each other and stopped. Wasn’t sure if the same would happen with the tips when they touch each other. Definitely do not want to lose a colony.

 

[ScottB]

Overgrowth presents three challenges eventually:
a) hand to hand combat
b) loss of flow
c) Shading

At some point, you just have to bite the ugly bullet and timing is a judgement call. It is going to be ugly and there is no getting around it. Prepare a network to gift/consign/sell to. Helps also to have a 10' frag tank running to get cut stuff healed up.

 

[Chipper1978]

Overgrowth presents three challenges eventually:
a) hand to hand combat
b) loss of flow
c) Shading

At some point, you just have to bite the ugly bullet and timing is a judgement call. It is going to be ugly and there is no getting around it. Prepare a network to gift/consign/sell to. Helps also to have a 10' frag tank running to get cut stuff healed up.

I actually have a 6’ frag tank on order with this same thing in mind. Hopefully this will allow me to keep up with some heavy pruning!

 

[ScottB]

I actually have a 6’ frag tank on order with this same thing in mind. Hopefully this will allow me to keep up with some heavy pruning!

Oh you will LOVE having a frag a good sized frag tank. I have to admit, I spend much more time tinkering with my frag system versus my display.

 

[Chipper1978]

Oh you will LOVE having a frag a good sized frag tank. I have to admit, I spend much more time tinkering with my frag system versus my display.

Yeah I’m super excited. Your system looks amazing!

 

[Perry]

Oh you will LOVE having a frag a good sized frag tank. I have to admit, I spend much more time tinkering with my frag system versus my display.

Scott,
That tank is beautiful man!!!
Those tangs though :)

 

[ScottB]

Yeah I’m super excited. Your system looks amazing!

Thank you, and I know your excitement. I was getting this started during all the mid-post covid supply chain stuff so it took a good while to bring it together. Don't rush anything.

Scott,
That tank is beautiful man!!!
Those tangs though :)

I am glad they all get along now. I had the same mix of tangs in each tank before combining them here. Only the Tomini tangs failed to integrate. I love tangs and fox faces; they keep the tank completely free of algae.