Frag-Rescuing my toadstool leather. Please advise

[gbose]

So my toadstool leather has been looking quite droopy for a few weeks now. Recently, it's stopped sending out it's tendrils at all -- just lies nearly flat, looking like a toadstool. And then I added a rockflower anemone, which took up residence under the toadstool's (now horizontal) stalk....can't think it helped.

So I touched it, and the stalk felt kind of like limp rubber. I decided it's probably dying, and wanted to save part of it, if possible. I read up on fragging on the net, and:

• Cut the stalk, though it's still attached to a piece of rock, and moved the whole thing to another side of the tank (away from the anemone)
• Cut a piece of the crown off and put them in a plastic cup, along with some live rock. According to my readings, if they're alive, they should attach to the rock. When I cut the crown, I thought it would be pulpy -- kind of like cactus. Instead, it had the texture of cardboard. Is it still alive?
• I put carbon in my filter, as I believe corals emit toxins when being fragged.

This is the first time I've tried fragging anything -- didn't really want to, but felt I had little choice. Am I doing the right thing, and is my toadstool still alive, or should I chuck it out?

People with experience -- please advice. THANKS!


GBOSE

 

[forestal]

fragging leather corals is just like you mentioned, the spicules in the coral giving it structure give it almost a sharkskin texture. And if it is contracted it will be much stiffer. I usually recommend leaving frags to rinse in a seperate container for a few minutes before going back to display due to the toxins, running the carbon is good. using toothpicks, needle and thread, or bridle veil to attach the pieces to small bits of rock, plugs, etc are also good, so you can have good water flow over the frag to keep the mucus/healing area clean. if in a cup, tougher to have this flow without tossing the frag around.
Leather corals will go through cycles and shrink up occasionally without there being a health issue, so hard to say. I would look to make sure your water parameters are spot on - no ammonia/nitrite and low nitrates, good lighting (sometimes if a new coral under stronger lights than it is used to may stress it too). Without any damaged areas, hard to say what is going on.

As far as anemones, a lot of folks keep them in their reef tanks but they will stress corals, move occasionally no matter what you do, worse case into a pump, killing it and all in your tank from the big death event. I know lots of folks do well, but I think anemones in their own species tank are safest. My opinion only .

 

[BigAl07]

Good advice from Dan there above.

I recently "helped" frag my toadstool. I say "help" because it was already self "fragging". The "head" of the coral had curled up and each curl was slowly self fragging from the main head. I just pulled (by hand) the smaller section (was 3 bulbous curls) from the main head. Took it home, cut each curl into it's own frag and then slide (While twisting) a sharp toothpick through each one. Once they were all "pinned" with a short section of toothpick sticking out I then took a piece or rock rubble and put a glob of Reef Epoxy onto the RR. Then I pushed the piece of exposed toothpick into the epoxy and WHALA I have frags ready to heal. That very night they were all showing great Polyp Extension. That was about a week ago and now all units look GREAT! In about a week they will be ready to sell to the LFS here in town.

 

[gbose]

Guys, thanks!

Forestal, yes, I've heards that about anemones, and wouldn't normally get them. But I'm assured rockflower anemones are very peaceful, and don't move around much.
Thanks for the advice -- I'd read that I wanted them in a low flow area. I'll attach to rubble rock as you suggest and take them out of the cup.

GBose