Fraging Question

[BoneSnapper]

When fragging Mushrooms, do I have to cut through the mouth of the shroom? Or can I just cut a chunk off and rubber band it to a piece of LR. Also, how do I frag Hammer coral? Thanks.

 

[SkiFletch]

When fragging Mushrooms, do I have to cut through the mouth of the shroom? Or can I just cut a chunk off and rubber band it to a piece of LR. Also, how do I frag Hammer coral? Thanks.

Shrooms I usually just let them grow out (since they grow so fast) and either cut them off their rocks at the base with a scalpel, or just cut the rock they're on with a hammer/chisel. If I cut them at the base, I then put them in a little plastic bowl with whatever rock or rubble I want them to attach to, and sink that in my tank. The sides of the bowl keep the current from washing away from the shrooms, and they re-attach themselves.

As for hammer corals... Wait for them to branch and for their flesh to separate. Then use a hammer/chisel, or tilesaw to cut them off at the branch point. Glue the heads with cyanoacrylate (superglue) or epoxy to rocks as-necessary.

 

[BoneSnapper]

So maybe on the shrooms I will wait till they get bigger, and same with the hammer. I just got them yesterday. I know this sounds wierd, but can you frag a Plate Coral? I just want to know.

 

[Lynden]

I'm pretty sure one can frag plate corals but I can't recall how it is done. They will leave stationary babies attached to rocks, and these can develop into the mobile adults in time.

 

[BoneSnapper]

Ok, but the one thing I would like to do is to propogate my green frilly mushroom. Could I just cut a chunk out of it and secure it to a rock?

 

[chrissaysyes]

You could probably get away with that but just to be safe I would cut it right down the middle. A lot of people who do this professionally say to cut down the mouth so I'd do that. I go with the same method that Ski mentioned though as it's a lot more simple. But yeah, slice the head off the shroom, slice the head in two, then put those two pieces on rocks/shells...you can rubber band them or use any creative method to keep them sitting on the hash until they secure themselves. If you choose that method you will then have three shrooms. Take your time though...shrooms spread pretty quickly on their own...I wish I hadnt fragged so much...if you look through my pics you will see I am almost overrun with them

 

[nanocubeking]

Is it possible to put the shrooms into a blender press "frappe" and dump the chunks into the tank and let the land where they land and they grow?

 

[chrissaysyes]

Probabaly not on "frappe"

 

[BoneSnapper]

Wow, I don't think I want to do that!

 

[SkiFletch]

So maybe on the shrooms I will wait till they get bigger, and same with the hammer. I just got them yesterday. I know this sounds wierd, but can you frag a Plate Coral? I just want to know.

Yes, cut it like a pizza, making sure each piece has a part of mouth. Best tool is a tilesaw, second best would be a dremmel, and third would be hammer/chisel.

 

[BoneSnapper]

Cool, Thanks. Also to make the mushroom into two, could I just cut it strait down the middle, but not all the way through, so it is attached to the rock still. Would it grow into two?

 

[SkiFletch]

Dunno, maybe?

 

[BoneSnapper]

But what do you think? I don't want to kill them though.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Theyre really hard to kill...it may be worth a shot. I think the worst thing that could happen is it just grows back into one big mushroom or four very closely rooted mushrooms. They arent going to die. I've ground them, smashed them, sliced them, shocked them, Ive exposed them to air for longer than ten minutes, I've put them in tanks before they were even close to cycled, I have them in a tank with a busted heater where it got up to 96*F and the shrooms were fine.

 

[BoneSnapper]

I will try in a couple of weeks, and will repost what I did.