Fragging LPS with Dremel

I would like to start fragging some lps such as acans, favia and micromussa and although I have read many, many articles on it, I have been trying to find some videos that show how it is done. I have searched on youtube and found several, however, the person doing the fragging might as well have been knitting a sweater because all you can make out is their hands moving with no shot at all of what/how they are doing it. If anyone out there knows of any good links that show how it is done, that actually shows the corals being cut, I would greatly appreciate hearing about it.

Also, I will be getting a dremel to start with as a nice wet saw is not in my budget right now. Since there are several types available now, is there any feature that is more important than another? Speed? Size? Favorite brand?

I appreciate any responses.

Thanks

 

Let me look for a video but you need to either get reinforced cutting wheels or diamond cutting wheels. Make sure that you only cut a little at a time and then put the cutting wheel back in some water, helps to keep the heat down. As far as what dremel to get, I would stay away from the battery powered ones bc you don't want the battery to die in the middle of cutting.

 

Try this one, not much in the way of directions but the video really shows how easy it is. Just use the dremel to cut through the underside of the rock the coral is on and then you can use a razor blade to cut through any tissue left on the cut. I try to keep the dremel out of the tissue if possible. Really once you see how tough they are, you'll feel better about doing it, trust me I was.

 

Thanks for the tips. The video seems to have a glitch but maybe it is still uploading. My biggest concern is uneccesarily destroying the poor creatures. I am not sure where the cuts should be made exactly- or more importantly- where they cannot be made. I know the ideal is between the polyps but that will not always be possible. It is also confusing when you are dealing with species that share walls. I was hoping a video would help to illustrate the best ways to do this. I also did not know if the speed of the dremel was important or not.

 

If by sharing walls you mean something like an acan, then I just try to follow right along the edge of the polyps. If you cut through the middle of one, then no big deal, mine always heal right back up. I always do an iodine dip after I make the cuts to try and clean up the wounds as well. You would be surprised how tough corals actually are. As long as you use clean equipment and are careful everything will work out just fine. I would use your dremel on the highest speed, makes the cut quicker. And if possible, try to make your cuts with the dremel on the underside of the coral directly into the skeleton and rock base and then use a scalpal or razor blade for the soft tissue on top.