Fragging GSP & Mushroom Rock

[AlexStuart]

This might be a bit redundant, since i've asked this on my tank's project thread. But since not everyone is reading that, i will ask in it's own thread for anyone else who is curious.

I recently purchased a GSP rock that has 4 mushroom heads on it.

My question is, what would be the best way to get those mushroom heads of that rock and in a different area of my tank so the GSP doesn't overgrow and kill it? Should i chisel the rock apart right behind all the mushrooms? Can i scrape them off with razor blade and rubberband them to a new rock?

Second question.. some parts of the GSP aren't connected to the rock and are just floating around and waving over other parts of itself, if and when i cut this piece off... can i just rubber band it to a new rock till it attaches? or is there something more to it?

Thanks in advance, this is going to be my first venture into fragging, so i don't want to mess it up too bad.

[lReef lKeeper]

i would chisel off the mushrooms about half way between them and the GSP. if you try cutting them there is a chance of slicing the shroom and killing it. i have never had that much luck at prying them off.

just cut the GSP that is not attached and either superglue it or rubber band it to the new rock. they are pretty easy to get to grow anywhere. i would also suggest isolating the GSP so that it can not attach to any other rock in the tank. it WILL overtake anything in its path. i have had it actually KILL an Acropora colony because it overgrew it and smothered the colony.

[Phurst]

You couldn't pick easier things too frag. I cut mushrooms off with a razor blade as close to the rock as I can and then cut them up like a pizza. I just dump the pieces in a small cup full of LR rubble. They attach and start growint rapidly. You can just glue the little pieces of rubble where you want the mushrooms. You can glue or rubber band the pieces of GSP down. They'll atach quickly too. Bobby is right about the GSP, that stuff can take over QUICK.

[Pescaiolo]

Take a pair of sharp scissors and cut them off at the base. Do this out of the tank! Super glue them onto a piece of rock or some kind of reef safe base and set them in a separate container with tank water. After you do this you might want to wait a while( a few hours) before taking them out of the container. They release toxins that could pollute your tank if you put them back immediately. After this set them in your tank and watch them carefully over the next couple of days.

Let us know how it goes!

[AlexStuart]

So i first tried the chisel method.... well that was a bust cause the guy used Lava Rock to frag on... the rock busted, but no where near where i was trying to chisel. Nothing was happy for a day. I'm gonna wait a few days and let everything get happy before i cut the mushrooms off.

Note to self: Lava rock may not be the best to frag upon.

[CarmieJo]

I think that I have read that lava rock is not the rock of choice for aquariums.

[lReef lKeeper]

to bad you are so far away, or we could run it through my tile saw real fast. what about taking some side cutters, and cutting the rock little by little where you want it to break. i just do not like cutting the mushrooms.