Coral Propagation (Xenia)

Ok Students, Welcome To Frag School!

Todays lesson is the propagation of the Xenia coral.

The required materials for this procedure include:

a. Xenia Coral XD
b. 1 pair of scissors or a razor
c. A clean plastic bowl or square holding dish
d. 1 pair of latex gloves
e. 1 rubberband or tooth pick
f. 1 small rock/rubble



Now for the procedure of propagating the Xenia coral.

1. Choose the coral you would like to frag.

2. Choose the branch to be propagated.

3. Take a plastic container and place it on a table near the aquarium.

4. Fill the plastic container with aquarium water.

5. Place a small piece of live rock from the aquarium into the plastic container.

6. Place a rubber band and toothpick next to the container.

7. Cut the branch of coral a maximum of 90% of the way through the branch and tear the final 10% off by hand. The xenia coral has been known to react well to tearing. This actually causes growth to happen faster. If the coral that you wish to frag is able to be moved and is not of massive size, you may want to do the fragging in the plastic bowl to reduce the chances of slime getting in the tank .



8. Place the coral fragment on the live rock in the plastic container after it is cut, then place the mother colony coral in the tank (if you took it out to frag)



9. Take the rubber band and wrap it around the coral fragment and rock.



10. If the coral fragment is too small, and it slips underneath the rubber band, use the toothpick to secure it in place.

11. Make sure the coral fragment is secure, and then place it back into the aquarium.

12. Move the fragment to the lower level of the aquarium and turn the light off.

13. After 3 days (or when the coral looks healthy, like the mother colony) the coral can be moved to its desired position in the tank.



Good job class. You were all wonderful and now you can make me proud and frag some xenia!

Here is a good example of a perfect end result!

 

good step by step info. the pictures .......well are worth 1000 words

 

Love this...bravo

 

Very well written!
However, some might want to try an easier method as I propagate mine for resale to LFS's merely by placing rubble piles next to the xenia and allowing the zenia to expand/grow onto the rubble. Then all I do is pick up a piece of rubble with xenia on it and move it where I want it or sell it. If it is still attached to other pieces, just cut the attachment with scissors.
This works extremely well if you want to totally remove a piece of xenia from it's mooring, without any residue to regrow, just leave the rubble until the xenia totally moves onto the rubble, leaving nothing behind.
Xenia tends to move most in an upward direction, especially if there is nothing closer than the rubble to be able to grow outward, or horizontal.