Fragmentation

[Tempset]

I've been doing some semi-heavy research on fragmentation(fragging corals) and a lot of the pictures show coral's that have been cut (literally) in 2 or 3 pieces. Most of the time a filet knife (used on fish in the meat markets) or exact-o-knife's are used.

 

I stop myself and think "now I don't believe this is happening to corals in the wild". So why do it in our homes?

 

I've read many articles on why we shouldn't cycle our tanks with live fish because it's considered being inhumane to the fish to allow them to live in such high ammonia, nitrite and nitrates.

 

So why do some similair to corals?

 

I'm in NO way trying to tell the people of this hobby to stop what they are doing. I am an amature and am only trying to understand this practice.

 

_tempset

[Mr. Fosi]

All corals, especially stony, reef builders have evolved to disperse by fragmentation (obviously).

 

As a soft coral, tt is an advantage to be able to grow a new individual if a predator leaves a piece of flesh behind. Also, stonies break off easily in wave action or being brushed against.

 

Fragging is nothing that corals haven't seen in the wild, whereas cycling with a fish (intentionally exposing it to toxic levels of NH3) isn't typically part of a fish's lifecycle.

 

EDIT: Requested to move this to the Aquaculture forum.

[Six]

fragmentation does occur in the wild with soft corals as well. there are predators that will 'snip' off a peice and it may settle and regrow.

there are animals -decorator crabs- that will snip off a peice, apply it to themselves and have it grow. they are natural aquaculture artisans.

 

and i agree with fosi- wave action crushes coral colonies regularly. parrotfish and other pedarots on the reef also frag corals at times.

[mahi mahi boy]

To quote Borneman in a sense.... A lot of branching corals are designed to reproduce by damage and have been around since the late cretaceous period and know what they're doing.