How to Cut Leather Corals

Of all the decorative aquarium corals, leather coral is one of the easiest to raise. If you have a healthy leather coral piece, you can propagate the organism by cutting it in half. While some may be squeamish cutting into the delicate coral, this fragmenting process commonly happens to the organism in the wild and is a natural way to propagate the species. Cut your leather coral to increase its population in your tank and spread its beauty around.

Things You'll Need

  • Bucket
  • New razor
  • Needle
  • Fishing line
  • Shell or rock
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill a bucket with some of the aquarium's water. This container will be your work area where you will cut the leather coral, so make sure it's wide enough to comfortably work in.

    • 2

      Brush your hand through the water over the coral to alarm the organism and make it retract its polyps. This will help ensure you don't harm the coral when you handle it.

    • 3

      Remove the coral from the aquarium and place it in the work bucket.

    • 4

      Place a razor blade in the center of the top of the coral. Put pressure on the top of the blade to push it through the middle of the organism, cutting it in equal halves. Make sure you use a new razor, which will be sharp enough to easily slice through the invertebrate. Additionally, ensure you cut vertically from the top to bottom, not horizontally through the organism.

    • 5

      Let the cut pieces of coral sit in the water for five minutes. This time will allow for all of the slime produced by the cut fragments to be washed off. This slime can be hazardous to other organisms in your aquarium, so ensure it's all rinsed off of the coral before handling it again.

    • 6

      Use fishing line strung through a needle to pierce the foot of the coral. Tie the rest of the fishing line around a solid attachment, such as a rock or shell, where you want to display the coral fragment. Secure it in place with a knot.

    • 7

      Place the coral fragments back in the aquarium. Put them in an area that's exposed to moderate currents. This will help prevent infections in your cut coral pieces.