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Advice for trimming toadstool in-tank without nuking my tank

JVU

JVU

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Hey all. I have this huge bright green toadstool leather coral that has grown great but is getting too large. Pushing and shading other corals too much. I need to trim and frag it.

I’m not particularly worried about the actual trimming and fragging, planning to use sharp stainless steel scissors or maybe a razor blade. Probably the rubber band method to get the frags to attach. I’ll be sharing frags.

My worry is that everyone says to remove the coral/rock from your tank for the trimming and let rest afterwards with washes before putting back in the display tank because of “toxins” that they release when cut. Problem is that this is on a large rock I can’t really remove from my tank, so I’m planning to trim it in-tank. People say to run carbon afterwards, which I’ll do. I was thinking also maybe be siphoning out water from around the area I’m cutting as I go as well. And since it’s huge, I’ll probably just do one smallish area at a time. Any other suggestions?

If anyone has experience with trimming a toadstool in-tank and having it work out fine or not, please share.

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I've fragged many most of the time, I just take them out. Larger ones however I've done in the tank. The fresh cut frags i soak in a iodine based dip for a few mins.

I would strongly recommend scissors for under water. Less chance of dropping a razor blade and loosing it in the tank. Probably better for more control and cleaner cuts under water.

Biggest thing is run carbon in high flow, maybe some filter floss as well, if they leach into the tank i noticed it's within the first 2 days or so after being fragged. Get pass that point your ok from my experience with various leathers.

Some leathers have stronger chemicals releases than others. Yours seems to be a neon toadstool of then clown top variety. So with carbon, less cuts as possible try to make long continous cuts over lots of smaller ones in otherwords. Than once you have the larger peices remove them and frag at will outside your tank.

*The devil hand finger leathers for refrence are some of the ones with very harsh chemicals from my research/ observations they also slime up a lot when cut. Those I wouldn't risk cutting in a tank.

I've cut one like yours in the water as well as some singularias with no issues afterwards with carbon and pads I mentioned above.
 
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I cut a pulsing sinularia in tank and whatever it released tinted the water white. Plenty of carbon and wet skimming were enough.

No other leather has done this, and sinularia are known to be particularly potent, so I think should be okay as well for you?

Iodine helped the frag I cut heal fast
 
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If it’s that big I’d remove and replace it with a small frag attached to a smaller rock you can remove in the future.
I know you don’t want to remove the big rock. But do you want a huge toadstool hogging room in your tank?
 
Coral reefer said:
If it’s that big I’d remove and replace it with a small frag attached to a smaller rock you can remove in the future.
I know you don’t want to remove the big rock. But do you want a huge toadstool hogging room in your tank?
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Huge toadstool hogging up space…
That only happens with success!
Leathers seem to agree with your methods
 
Apon said:
I would love a frag if available, but I find making multiple frags cuts release more toxins (toadstool particles in water). I would cut a large section off in tank and then cut into smaller frags in bucket. Add carbon in tank and do 10% water chand in tank.
Click to expand...

This and I would make it made first so it contracts.
 
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