Fragging large frogspawn

[CarmenH]

I have to frag my frogspawn. It's lower parts aren't getting enough light and are starting to bleach.
But it's not like any of the frogspawns I see on line when I google for fragging instructions. Most that I see are quite twiggy, with branches that could quite easlily be clipped off. Mine is very thick on the bottom, with only 3 large heads coming off of it. The stony base of each head is very short and very thick. The thinnest part is still almost as thick as my wrist, and doesn't come out much from the main piece,
I'm terrified to do this wrong and kill the coral, it's one of my faves!
(It is still healthy and full during the day, this pic was taken after lights out to show the stony part...)

 

[bshady]

i would use a dremel with a diamond wheel to quickly cut through the bone

 

[CarmenH]

Straight across or angled?

 

[PIMPALA]

i would not frag that. if the lower parts bleach, it is likely to hurt it less than the fragging.

look at ANY large colony of coral like that. especially SPS. The lower parts are always a different color... or totally dead. that does NOT mean its unhealthy. its only 3 heads man... i see no reason to chop that thing up.

 

[Funlad3]

"The thinnest part is still almost as thick as my wrist" Do you have any other pictures of this thing? It's either a very oddly proportioned hammer or you have a very oddly shaped wrist! :O

 

[CarmenH]

I'm thinking maybe you're right. I don't want to end up doing more harm than good. Perhaps a better idea would be to frag the normal branchy frogspawn immediately above it. I wouldn't totally un-shade it, but it might let enough light in to stop that head from dying off, and it would be much easier.

 

[CarmenH]

It is really really oddly shaped. I don't know what kind it is. It was totally bleached when I bought it. I was an idiot noob and fell for the "it's a rare coral" lfs line . But I sometimes wonder if maybe it *is* an oddball. I'll try and get some pix tomorrow with something to show scale, I'm surfing from bed on my phone right now

 

[CarmenH]

This is the only shot I could get with anything to show scale. The frogspawn above is just a regular branching one, with pinky-to-index finger sized branches...as you can see the one below is very significantly chunkier... The second shot is the coral when I bought it, that is the color the shaded head is reverting to...

 

[KARussell88]

I second everyone else, I wouldnt frag it. maybe just rotate it so the other head gets more light.
Is it just me or is that second pic kinda awesome lol

 

[DesertOrchid]

That is an awesome colored frogspawn! IMO I'd frag the top frogspawn and leave the thick one alone especially if you are concerned it would harm the colony. It is most unusual.

 

[Funlad3]

Yeah, that is one strange frogspawn. Let it grow wild and see what it becomes! The one above it though must be punished for being a normal conformist frogspawn.

 

[CarmenH]

Hahaha, ok, message received! I'll frag or simple move the "normal" one and leave the oddball one alone