What to use for coral fragging?

[tanzy]

I've got a piece of wild acro today and need to tidy it up a bit. There are some receeding branches at the sides and some pointing downwards. I need to know what to use to break them off. I hope to get these frags alive for mounting on the LR.
Thanx

 

[chris_h]

You could you use your fingers. That is what I do.

 

[tanzy]

FINGERS? Aren't our fingers kinda grubby for touching coral? I use my fingers to break dead parts off but I try not to touch the life bits.

 

[Sue Truett]

tanzy, you are right about not using your hands. I now only use non-powdered exam gloves when handling frags. Whether I'm glueing them up or removing frags from colonies I use the gloves. I also use wire cutters when taking branches from colonies. That way you are almost sure you do not spread something to the coral from your hands. Also, you say the coral needs tidying up some, is the coral healthy to begin with. Some bleaching branches amy be a bad sign of things to come. Obviously I sure hope not.

my 120 sps tank: http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html www.marshreef.org/members

 

[tanzy]

It's a wild colony so there are some branches that point downwards which will not receive light the way I am placing it. Around the edges there are four or five dead branches, I think due to handling, to prevent algae, I'll be breaking them off.