# Kenya Tree Question



## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

I was looking at my Kenya tree and it is looking a little whacked with a bit of a weird shape to it. I would like it to be more bushy looking so I want to trim it back in some places. Will it continue to grow where I cut it or will it grow at the nearest branch (like when you prune a tree or shrub?) Right now it has the shape of a pine tree with 1 long branch sticking out sideways. I would like to cut some of the top off and cut back on the sideways branch to make it look more like a ball.

It seems very healthy so I hope my first attempt at trimming/fragging will go well 

Thx


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## JulieFish (Apr 8, 2011)

I just let my kenya tree frag itself... and once it reaches a certain size it is happy to drop frags all the time. 

As for your plan, I would think it should be fine, and the mother colony will almost certainly be absolutely fine... but if the frags you cut off are too small it's possible that they won't make it. Not a big deal, they'll just shrivel and disappear. This happened when I tried to frag my green tree and some of the pieces ended up too small. Only the smallest pieces didn't make it.

As for comparing it to pruning a tree, I'd suggest that cutting off whole branches is probably the way to go (like with a tree)... but soft corals seem to heal perfectly regardless (magically, no scars). Mine has slowly changed shape on it's own, more drooping/sweeping branches or shorter, more stiff branches depending on flow conditions I think and how far it has to reach for light. 

Good Luck!


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

I don't think I can let it prune itself. I have such porous rock I may not find it until it attaches and grows. I think I will have to be more proactive.

thx for the tips I am going to see what I can do this weekend.


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## J_T (Mar 25, 2011)

water movement, and lighting is what will change the growth pattern. Growing takes energy, and if the coral is going to expend that energy, it will do it in a way that gains, and has purpose! So, if the flow is strong, corals normally stunt, and grow wide, to make use of the food being brought in by the current. If there is not alot of light, I find they grow straight up, looking for more light. If there is lots of light, they grow wide to get as much of it as they can.


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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

^^^^ same to the tee.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

J_T said:


> water movement, and lighting is what will change the growth pattern. Growing takes energy, and if the coral is going to expend that energy, it will do it in a way that gains, and has purpose! So, if the flow is strong, corals normally stunt, and grow wide, to make use of the food being brought in by the current. If there is not alot of light, I find they grow straight up, looking for more light. If there is lots of light, they grow wide to get as much of it as they can.


It seemed to be doing both upwards and outwards so I guess it was getting it all lol.

I did my first fragging today yay! I also had a small mushroom that had detached from it's mom so set that one up too.

I wanted to do it earlier but with my green water fiasco, breaking in my skimmer and wanting to make a frag rack, I decided to put it off until today when all that stuff was done. Just chopped about an inch off the top of the kenya and held it against a rock with an elastic band.

From what I understand it should attach to the rock within a few days? And how long does it take the kenya to unscrunch  It looks pretty irked as it scrunched up after I chopped it.


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## J_T (Mar 25, 2011)

Tim said:


> It seemed to be doing both upwards and outwards so I guess it was getting it all lol.
> 
> I did my first fragging today yay! I also had a small mushroom that had detached from it's mom so set that one up too.
> 
> ...


The elastic will likely chop it in half. When the coral opens again (and it will) the pressure from the elastic will cut into it.

With soft corals, you are better off covering it with a fine mesh (bridal veil) or sewing it down with fishing line. When sewing/tying, you need to leave it "loose" it needs to have enough room to "almost" open up fully. The coral will attach eventually.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Tim, what I did to make fragging easier with softies like this is made a little frag container.

If you get a half liter plastic container with a lid, just fill it up with some aragonite or loose rubble and punch some holes in the sides and the top to get as little flow as possible. Then you can just throw your softies in there and they'll attach themselves to the rubble...then you can attach the rubble to your LR or a frag plug.

Anything I cut or I find floating around I just throw in there and after 2 days it attaches itself to the rubble.

You can see on the right side what i'm talking about. I'll try to take a better pic for you tomorrow.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

no need did it the other day


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