Gorgonian Propagation
MATERIALS
-Scissors, scalpel, or razor blade
-Two large bowls of tank water (-remember to change the water periodically because of the temperature change)
-Plugs or small reef safe rocks
-Drill press or hand held drill
-1/4 inch cement drill bit
-Reef glue or Styrofoam*
STEP 1 - Drilling the Holes
Use a drill press or hand held drill with a 1/4 in. cement bit to make a hole in the plug or rock. The depth of the hole should range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch maximum. Wash plugs in tap water to remove excess dust and particles.
STEP 2 - Making the First Cuts
In a large bowl with tank water, cut off pieces of your mother colony. The size of the cutting does not matter, but if you are planning to ship these cuttings, larger ones require more water and are therefore more expensive to ship. Scissors work the best for this step, but a scalpel or razor will work just fine.We always cut collected Gorgonians so that there are several short branches left on the base. These bases are glued into our brood stock systems. Each of the branches we left on the base soon grow new stalks that can cut later.
STEP 3 - Removal of Tissue
Using your scissors or razor remove 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of the coenchyme (tissue) leaving the hard central axis. This exposed axis offers a stronger bond with the reef gel than the tissue would. We have also seen that some Genus such as Plexaurella will develop an infection if the reef gel is covering the coenchyme.
The small pieces of left over tissue can be scattered over the substrate in your tank. We have observed some of these pieces attach and begin to grow.
We have been using wire stripping pliers this semester and they work very well for this job. The pliers seem to do less damage to the tissue we remove and more of them start to grow in the gravel.
STEP 4 - Attaching the Cutting
Using the reef glue, fill in the hole of your plug or rock completely. Next place the exposed axis of your cutting into the glue filled hole. Dip the cutting and plug into your second bowl of tank water and hold under water for 10 seconds or until there is a firm bond. Your first gorgonian cutting is now complete. Remember to place the plug in an area with strong current and moderate light. If the cutting is not doing well in one spot, and this goes for all corals, move it each week until it finds a place it likes.
IMPORTANT NOTE
It is very important to dip any glued cutting in reef water as soon as possible. Reef glue heats as it cures and the tissue can be burned. We dip all cuttings in bowls of reef water as soon as we attach the coral.
The glue also seals the cuttings so very few of them get any type of infection. Notice the branches we left on this cutting. These branches make it very easy to tell the top of the coral. When you have many non-branching cuttings it can be hard to tell which end should go up. You can run the cutting lightly through your fingers. The polyps point upward, so the coral will feel smooth when you are pulling the base of the coral down. Glue the end down that feels like it is easy to pull through your fingers.
*Note - You can substitute the reef glue with Styrofoam Cut a small piece of foam and wedge it in the hole against the exposed axis of your cutting. Although this is an inexpensive method, we have had much better long term success using the reef glue.Some people still use epoxy to attach cuttings. We have found that we can complete many more cuttings with super glue in the same time.
-Scissors, scalpel, or razor blade
-Two large bowls of tank water (-remember to change the water periodically because of the temperature change)
-Plugs or small reef safe rocks
-Drill press or hand held drill
-1/4 inch cement drill bit
-Reef glue or Styrofoam*
STEP 1 - Drilling the Holes
Use a drill press or hand held drill with a 1/4 in. cement bit to make a hole in the plug or rock. The depth of the hole should range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch maximum. Wash plugs in tap water to remove excess dust and particles.
STEP 2 - Making the First Cuts
In a large bowl with tank water, cut off pieces of your mother colony. The size of the cutting does not matter, but if you are planning to ship these cuttings, larger ones require more water and are therefore more expensive to ship. Scissors work the best for this step, but a scalpel or razor will work just fine.We always cut collected Gorgonians so that there are several short branches left on the base. These bases are glued into our brood stock systems. Each of the branches we left on the base soon grow new stalks that can cut later.
STEP 3 - Removal of Tissue
Using your scissors or razor remove 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of the coenchyme (tissue) leaving the hard central axis. This exposed axis offers a stronger bond with the reef gel than the tissue would. We have also seen that some Genus such as Plexaurella will develop an infection if the reef gel is covering the coenchyme.
The small pieces of left over tissue can be scattered over the substrate in your tank. We have observed some of these pieces attach and begin to grow.
We have been using wire stripping pliers this semester and they work very well for this job. The pliers seem to do less damage to the tissue we remove and more of them start to grow in the gravel.
STEP 4 - Attaching the Cutting
Using the reef glue, fill in the hole of your plug or rock completely. Next place the exposed axis of your cutting into the glue filled hole. Dip the cutting and plug into your second bowl of tank water and hold under water for 10 seconds or until there is a firm bond. Your first gorgonian cutting is now complete. Remember to place the plug in an area with strong current and moderate light. If the cutting is not doing well in one spot, and this goes for all corals, move it each week until it finds a place it likes.
IMPORTANT NOTE
It is very important to dip any glued cutting in reef water as soon as possible. Reef glue heats as it cures and the tissue can be burned. We dip all cuttings in bowls of reef water as soon as we attach the coral.
The glue also seals the cuttings so very few of them get any type of infection. Notice the branches we left on this cutting. These branches make it very easy to tell the top of the coral. When you have many non-branching cuttings it can be hard to tell which end should go up. You can run the cutting lightly through your fingers. The polyps point upward, so the coral will feel smooth when you are pulling the base of the coral down. Glue the end down that feels like it is easy to pull through your fingers.
*Note - You can substitute the reef glue with Styrofoam Cut a small piece of foam and wedge it in the hole against the exposed axis of your cutting. Although this is an inexpensive method, we have had much better long term success using the reef glue.Some people still use epoxy to attach cuttings. We have found that we can complete many more cuttings with super glue in the same time.
Brittle Stars
Brittle Stars have been known to eat Gorgonia.
Manually remove these from your tank.
Manually remove these from your tank.
Flamingo Tongue Snail
These snails feed on gorgonia tissue and polyps.
Manual removal is usually enough for these.
Manual removal is usually enough for these.
