Removing an encruster

[Kens Bees]

I have a hydnophora that’s gotta go. It’s taking too much space, is pretty aggressive and is just a basic bland green color. I’d love to get the space back. I might be able to pry off the original frag but the rock it’s growing on is not coming out of the DP. Has anyone tried either of the scorched earth approaches below, or have another suggestion to get this encruster out?

First is kalk paste. I guess you mix it up to a toothpaste thickness and slather it all over the offending coral after turning all your pumps off. Wait a while and siphon out what you can before turning the pumps back on?

Second is something like JB weld epoxy putty. Supposedly mix a portion up, flatten it and press it all over the coral. Wait a few weeks and with luck you can peel of the epoxy and what’s underneath should be done.

Welcoming any and all suggestions.

 

[Mike A]

Kalk paste will impact your water chemistry if a large amount is used.
Is shading the encrusted part an option ?

Covering it up with something to block out lighting to see if it will die off without light ?

Sometimes you can get under the encrustation with some fragging cutters, it might come off in larger pieces.

 

[thrillreefer]

So, I was contemplating just this problem, a green hydnophora outgrowing its spot (several actually). Then something happened in my tank and the hydnophora started to melt. I lost all of it! And a few favias, playing Montis getting rocked, and one acro STN. But my Euphyllias, nice Acros, softies and other LPS seem good, happy in fact. Params are in range, Alk stable, perhaps phosphate a bit high (0.2) due to dosing when skimmer pump had jammed for a few days. I had just come off a Fluconazole dose to kill some Bryopsis, and have been dosing Silicate for some minor Dinos. Somehow, the combination killed all my hydnophora but not much else! So confused