Removing Sps

[ChitownRomeo]

some are going to say "Ummm why do you wanna do that" But I have some Blue Polyp Digitata and they have completely covered the top section of my tank. How can you remove some once it has encrusted the rock? Want to remove about 5 inches worth and frag them off and make room for other corals.

 

[DaveK]

If the coral has branches and such that you just want to prune back, you can use a tool like this (offsite) - http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/oceans-wonders-coral-stony-bone-cutter.html

If the coral has really encrusted the rock, and you want to get that off your options are cut it off with a power tile saw, or break it off with a hammer and cold chisel.

 

[Oxylebius]

I'm in the same boat - I've been having the same problem with my blue polyp digi.

Very invasive - like gsp.

It has grown more as an encrusting coral then a branching one, but it does branch after some time. I've applied aip-x on it and it killed it off for a time, but if you leave even one polyp alive it will come back and repopulate all the ones you killed. I was thinking of taking out what rocks I can and dipping them in boiling hot water to kill it and place it back in the tank. Doing this slowly a piece at a time b/c of die-off and ammonia levels..... I'm not up to chiseling it off.

Any other suggestions?

 

[ChitownRomeo]

Yes mine is also invasive. I have fragged so much of it, I started selling it $5 a frag lol. I didn't do the chisel thing. I got a very long flat head screwdriver and started popping it off the rock. Working good so far.

 

[DaveK]

If possible, see if you can mount the frags.

What you consider almost a weed, someone else might be delighted to have.

 

[ChitownRomeo]

I have ALOT of it. I don't mind giving some away.

 

[Choff]

I gotta say, I too have this problem and it's funny in a way. I moved a couple of acro frags that had just started growing off the plug. Fast forward 6 months and those little tiny remnants that remained grew faster than the frag that I moved. I chipped off what I could and it still growing back. It's my fastest growing acro so I'm leaving it. Lol

 

[ChitownRomeo]

Going to get to this sps in the morning lol.Going to make alot of frags.

 

[Wrangy]

If you want to get rid of the encrusted section without removing the rock or with lots of trouble, squirt boiling RO over any part you wish to kill it will kill it and you'll have "clean" rock again haha

 

[Oxylebius]

If you want to get rid of the encrusted section without removing the rock or with lots of trouble, squirt boiling RO over any part you wish to kill it will kill it and you'll have "clean" rock again haha

Thanks, I did try this also. In time the polyps repopulated where they were burnt away at. It either didn't kill all of them or accidentally left some to re-populate.

 

[Danreef]

Thanks, I did try this also. In time the polyps repopulated where they were burnt away at. It either didn't kill all of them or accidentally left some to re-populate.

If it isn't too big I will cover the encrusted section with purple coral putty, but before I will cover it with superglue and then the putty...... just in case

 

[Oxylebius]

I know. I am hesitant, as I want as much interaction with the water (for biological filtration) as possible. So, I am unwilling to cover the rock. Dead coral becomes very porous biological rock.