# can i cut the tops off my button polyps



## cowfish wrangler (Feb 18, 2010)

ive got a nice colony of brown button polyps but there not spreading out so much as growing tons of smaller ones under the bigger tops. my question is can you top the polyps like you would a mushroom.


----------



## GetITCdot (Aug 4, 2009)

NO!
don't cut them.


1st take your rock that contains the colony your gonna frag off of. Then pick it up in the middle of the tank and gently shake it side to side.

2nd Look in your colony while your shaking and look for the area with the most base shaking occurring.

3rd Take an exacto and cut the area at the base. Make sure most of the polyps have closed in the area so you can see what your doing. Next gently lift and pry the area off with a toothpick.

4th Take the frag and rubberband it to your fragging rock. Make sure the rubberband falls and lays inbetween 2 polyp individuals. So as to not hurt any polyps during the procedure.

All of this is done in a Tupperware container outside the tank,in a matter of 4 or 5 minutes.

Ps for us New Guys always buy a nice sized tupperware container and dedicate it to your hobby, which would mean no dish detergents.



OR you could just take a chizzel and bash the rock in 2?


----------



## trouble93 (Nov 8, 2008)

Another thing you can do if your not sure about cutting is take a piece of rock that doesn't have anything else on it and rubber band it right to your colony rock and they will spread. It will take some time doing it this way.


----------

