Can this be fragged?

[LostMind]

I looked up assive on google... couldnt find anything relevant at all

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by Carpentersreef

Yeah, I've got that. I'm pretty sure that it's supposed to be Massive AND encrusting....
If you look on the page before, Diploastrea description starts with "Massive...."(and massive is capitalized)

I've never heard of "assive"... something close on Seinfeld though...

Mitch

That is what I think too. Now I feel even dumber. If indeed it is encrusting, it would be growing like a mat on a rock along the same idea as Zoanthids If this is true, how can it be called a "Hard Coral" . Furthermore, it has completely covered the rock it is on, and is growing onto the bottom of that rock. What in blazes should I do with it to ensure its future happiness (if corals can be happy)

[MitchM]

Actually your favia is quite different than your zoos.
The favia deposits a calcium skeleton as it grows. It contributes to the reef structure and dead coral skeletons like that are what make up our "live rock".
Zoos are like mini soft corals which have no substantial skeleton. You could cut down in between the individual polyps and easily frag zoos.
With a favia, you not only need to cut through the polyp membrane, but you also need to cut through the hard coral skeleton.
I would say use a knife first then a chisel, but you are opening up the tissue to infection, there's no guarantee that your chisel would cut where your tissue was cut and you could wind up losing both halves.
Do you really need to frag it?

I couldn't do it, myself.

Mitch

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by Carpentersreef

Actually your favia is quite different than your zoos.
The favia deposits a calcium skeleton as it grows.

How thick would this skeleton be?

It contributes to the reef structure and dead coral skeletons like that are what make up our "live rock".
Zoos are like mini soft corals which have no substantial skeleton. You could cut down in between the individual polyps and easily frag zoos.
With a favia, you not only need to cut through the polyp membrane, but you also need to cut through the hard coral skeleton.
I would say use a knife first then a chisel, but you are opening up the tissue to infection, there's no guarantee that your chisel would cut where your tissue was cut and you could wind up losing both halves.
Do you really need to frag it?

I couldn't do it, myself.

Mitch

As I said, I don't have to frag it at all. I would only like to know if it is bothered by having overgrown its rock and having nowhere to go except the bottom of the rock

[MitchM]

Originally Posted by Bob_I

How thick would this skeleton be?


As I said, I don't have to frag it at all. I would only like to know if it is bothered by having overgrown its rock and having nowhere to go except the bottom of the rock

The skeleton will get thicker as the colony grows. I've got a colony that's about the size of a large softball, and at it's thickest point I would say it's about 1-1/2" thick.

I would put yours up on another rock, and let it grow.

Mitch

[MitchM]

A great book with great info is Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History

Mitch