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Fragging Duncan

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
Howdy,

I am trying to figure out how to frag my Duncan. I watch videos and see that when they frag they're cutting stony parts of the coral... This duncan appears to be softy all over. Can I simply cut one of these branches off and glue to a frag plug?

IMG_20191008_180026.jpg
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
I would let them grow out a little more till you can see a clear skeleton between each head. Then dremel down. Otherwise, you'll be cutting flesh, risking infection, and it might not heal.
Yeah I am confused as I don't see any skeleton yet.. it seems flesh all the way to the frag plug it came on. But all the research I've done suggests there should be a skeleton.. no way it could be a leather of some sort right ?
 
Is this part in red hard skeleton or soft? There looks to be a difference in color above and below. If it's hard, that would be the skeleton I'm referring to. When lights are out, I assume the flesh recedes, what does it look like then?

20191008_211546.jpg
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
Is this part in red hard skeleton or soft? There looks to be a difference in color above and below. If it's hard, that would be the skeleton I'm referring to. When lights are out, I assume the flesh recedes, what does it look like then?

View attachment 25633

I will take a photo tomorrow morning when it's fully receded. But that also looks fleshy I'll have to feel it next time my hand is in the tank.
 
That's why I asked what type of Duncan but I believe it's just very extended polyps covering most of the coral skeleton. To frag that you are going to either cut with bone cutters or a dremel or saw. You will cut the skeleton about 1/2 down from the flesh but the farther away the better. You should be trying to cut it so each polyp has it's own individual Stalk (skeleton trunk). Once cut give it a simple dip and then glue to the stalk to a rock or frag plug and let it recover. With this process the skeleton your cutting should be brittle and no meaty tissue inside so the actual coral and polyp should be mostly un affected by the fragging process
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
Morning pics of Duncan and hammer.. on the hammer you can clearly see the Stony skeleton. Duncan not so much
IMG_20191009_060723.jpg
IMG_20191009_060809.jpg
 
I believe whats in that tan-ish color is the skeleton. It should be hard but a little slimey to the touch. Hammers on the other hand have the rough dead skeleton.
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
I believe whats in that tan-ish color is the skeleton. It should be hard but a little slimey to the touch. Hammers on the other hand have the rough dead skeleton.
I will need to feel the base later. I guess it's just branching incredibly fast & not completing it's skeleton. I will have to wait some time before I can get a good frag of it. I focussed fed it last night and oh boy is that a fun site.
 
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