Branching Hammer And Bubble Coral

[TigerIssey]

When I bought this about a week ago I got two pieces with 2 heads each.

I am positive on of the heads is splitting in two.

Has anyone watched the process by which branching Euphyllias "grow" a new head, does this sound like how it occurs??

 

[ben1987]

yep thats how mine do it. Ive got a weird torch coral and thats gone from 3 to about 8 in no time at all

 

[TigerIssey]

Thats brilliant then.

Thanks Ben

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, if you see the actual splitting of the mouth, the coral looks terrible when it does it. All deflated, etc. Once the mouth splits in two, it's two individual polyps and will begin to slowly grow apart. Best analogy I can give would be cellular division.

 

[TigerIssey]

Cellular division explains it very actually Ski. That head did look terrible yesterday, I thought it was due to the electric being off for an hour. Obviously not. It looked marginally better today when it expanded but not as good as it had done, yet all the other heads looked just as good as they have done.

 

[connorsbala]

My frogspawn colony was doing great...originally had 4 heads, and then it began to split and I lost a whole head when it this the new heads were like being pushed into the others and I guess it got very cramped as the heads were being pushed under the rest. The next day I woke up to just the skeleton if one of the heads. I'm not too bothered as the conies doing fine now.

 

[TigerIssey]

I had to dig about earlier to get part of my xenia where the rock had split of the main rock. It caused the polyps to close slightly on the hammer so I managed to get a picture. I have examined the hammer and it now has two mouths, so it has definately split.

Polyps expanded

Polyps retracted

The polyps are even overlapped in the centre where there is not yet enough space.

I believe the other part may be about to do the same.
This is how it has looked alot of today

Slightly more expanded

I think I have a major growth spurt on my hands as well as this is my bubble today

See the two protrusions, they were not there. I did read it can grow into odd shapes if too much meaty food is fed, I have only fed it mysis once in the week I have had it.


I am just hoping they all like the conditions in my tank!!

 

[mutantbigman2000]

my 2 headed hammer frag quickly split one of its heads.

I also now have about 5 fresh heads growing around the base where the flesh meets the skeleton. if that makes sense.

 

[TigerIssey]

It does make sense Mutant, I was a bit worried they had started to split so quickly, the hammers have only been in the tank for just over a week and the bubble a week tommorrow.

I am hoping the bubble is ok and is just growing also.

Ca and Mg , KH and Alk tested Wednesday and both are good, had to add some alk supplement but that is good now too.

How long have you had yours Mutant?

 

[SkiFletch]

Funny you mentioned this TI. My frogspawn decided it was going to split some of its heads today too... Check it out

Note the colony on the left reacting to the splitting stress, while the one on the right (which is flesh-seperated) is unscathed.

 

[TigerIssey]

Its quite fascinating how they do this. I never expected them to go so quickly, and I did panic slightly when they were sulking. It was a good job I had problems with the electric and put it down to that else I probably would have panicked like crazy. I presume each head will grow a branch to seperate.

Its quite fascinating how they do this. I never expected them to go so quickly, and I did panic slightly when they were sulking. It was a good job I had problems with the electric and put it down to that else I probably would have panicked like crazy. I presume each head will grow a branch to seperate.

Beautiful zoas in the background Ski.

 

[ben1987]

the heads grow two mouths and split quite quickly, the skeleton seems to take forever to grow though. The heads go mad if you turn the skimmer off and chuck some phyto in there too.

If you ever need to frag that bubble, drop me a pm. Il have moneies waiting

 

[TigerIssey]

Have read a bit about about fragging bubbles and it sounds scary, especially when you find stuff by Scott Michael telling you fragging them is not for the faint hearted.

Would you have any idea what tools and how it would be done??

 

[ben1987]

ive no idea tbh, not done any fragging yet. Ive seen tutorials though. Some range from ahmmer and chisel to a dremel.

 

[TigerIssey]

For the bubble I read that bone shears appear to be the weapon of choice.

I am hoping someone on here has at least some experience. I did an internet search last night (well early morning really) and did not get as far through it as I had hoped, will have another trawl at some point.