How do I detach corals from rock?

[dconyers]

Hello -

First of all, I'm rather new to corals, so I apologize in advance if this is a dumb question. I searched on this website as well as the web in general and didn't find a detailed answer to my question, so I thought I'd ask the pro's and find out!

I am in the process of reorganizing my live rock and installing a PVC structure behind it and I was wondering if someone could provide some insight into how I should remove my corals from the rocks. I've had the corals in my tank for just about 1 month and they all seem to be doing well, so hopefully this temporary agitation won't cause them any harm.

Specifically, the following corals seem to be stuck to rocks that I will be rearranging and therefor will need to be detached:
1) Ricdordea
2) Green Mushrooms (yes, I know the color doesn't matter, but..)
3) Umbrella Leather
4) Toadstool leather
5) Devil's hand
6) Bubble Anemone (though I don't think he's attached yet, he might be easy).

I'm guessing I could just 'pull' the mushrooms and ricordea off the rock, but I'm concerned that might damage where I apply pressure. The leathers seem VERY attached, so I'm wondering if I can just cut/slice them?

thanks in advance - doug.

[kkutac001]

re: the mushrooms, I've had excellent success in taking the mushroom rock out of the tank and putting it in a relatively shallow container of tank water. I then take this 'working tray' to a well-lit area. Then I use a hobbyists' exacto knife to slice the foot off, i.e. pedal laceration. (Can also cut the mushroom exactly in half if it is large enough.) This operation leaves a 'dab' of the flesh of the foot on the rock, which then grows into a new mushroom in a few days. The 'cap and stalk' that were removed can then be placed in a rubble pile, or stuck into a nice hole/cavity of live rock so it can reattach -- seems to me that it takes about 2-3 days to firmly reattach.

I can't speak to the other corals you mention because I've not kept them.

..Karl

[blueboy]

you can also use a screw driver and hammer to chip a piece of rock off around the base of the coral, then the coral is still attached to a piece of rock making it easier to place after your rockscaping is done, no waiting to reattach, or retrieving loose corals from under/behind your rocks. live rock is actually quite soft, so breaking it isn't very difficult at all. with the anemone, if it's attached, i would leave it alone, and just work that rock into your new plan. if it's not yet attached well they can sometimes be removed with gentle even pressure from one side on the foot. you'll feel it SLOWLY start to let go, then keep the pressure slow and steady as it gradually releases its hold. it's worked for me anyway, i've never tried the ice trick though. pointing a powerhead at it will sometimes aggitate them enough to get them started moving also. hope that helps, good luck