Reef Discussion

[daveH]

I bought a beautiful green/blue rhodactis a while back (sold as a cheap fluffy morph ha!).
Since then it has grown heaps and split into 3 on the rock and now it looks like each head is splitting again.
So it's getting a bit crowded on this rock now. Does anyone have any ideas on how to either move them from the rock or whatever so that they get a better chance to keep growing?
The rock is a bit solid but maybe I could cut between them with a dremel to get them apart.

Excuse the photo bomber.

 

[slin1977]

I want to see more of the photo bomber :D

 

[Agent M]

You could lop some of the heads off, and put the heads in a low flow dish filled with rubble, gravel or shell grit or somesuch in the tank then glue them on to something else once they have attached to the substrate.

 

[ReeferRob]

I use a set of Rongeurs to clip the rock under them and move them. Hate to break it to you Dave, those things are almost as bad as Xenia and green star polyps. The hairy green and lavender ones are the worst. They can reach plague proportions in a short time.

 

[daveH]

I use a set of Rongeurs to clip the rock under them and move them. Hate to break it to you Dave, those things are almost as bad as Xenia and green star polyps. The hairy green and lavender ones are the worst. They can reach plague proportions in a short time.

Yikes!

 

[Sam Parker]

Yep they sure can! They are taking over my 130, but I love it! Popped one in there about two years ago, now have around a dozen. But that tank just has morphs and green star polyps, so it works out alright :)

 

[Agent M]

Yes yes they do very well in tanks. And look lovely while they are at it! Honestly though its very rare to hear of someone who's tank has been completely taken over by this or that. The only thing that truly scares me in the coral world for spreading like wildfire is Anthelia.

 

[Franklin Dattein]

They aren't too bad, it is easy to control their growth. Just make sure they don't get too close to SPSs dominated area - hard to reach - and it will be fine.

I have been using fast growers like GSP and Rhodactis to make a carpet under my LPS. I let them grow on a rock, I glue sting'ish LPSs, like hammers and torches on top. The result is a more natural look where there is little spaces without coral.

 

[ReeferRob]

I wish I'd have saved the picture of a local with a tank full of lavender hairy mushrooms, the tank was well over 3/4 covered in them. I don't know how long it took for them to get to that point, but there was a bushel basket full of the damn things in that tank.

 

[daveH]

For a "weed" they are still a nice looking coral. But I will keep an eye on their spreading.