How big can a welsophillia get? Mine is getting quite large and badass.
LA/DD says their large ones are 6"; 8" is prolly maximum in tank. badass is another category.
I had one about 6". It didn’t seem to grow much. How do you propogate a welso?
To be honest I have no clue how large they can get. It’s a good question and I honestly wouldn’t even be sure who would know. If you really wanted to find out the proper name is actually Trachyphyllia geoffroyi. I know there are still some shippers and many LFS that will call them Wellsophyllia, but this is no longer a correct scientific name.
[quote=“moliken, post:2, topic:5665”]
LA/DD says their large ones are 6"; 8" is prolly maximum in tank. badass is another category.[/quote]
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1465+1451&pcatid=1451
Approximate Purchase Size: Large: 4" to 6"
Max. Size: 1’ 4"
Many of the fish and corals imported are VERY small compared to what they can reach in optimum conditions. “large” is only large compared to what they typically bring in. Divers visiting an LFS may see a “large” tang and think it’s a cute little baby, as they are more used to seeing mature individuals.
A 2" tang that reaches over a foot in length can be sold to anyone with a nano tank or a large one.(doesn’t mean they should be, but they can) There is always room for one more 2" coral, but how many people have space for an 8" coral? Large corals cost more to ship and there is less of a demand, so “large” is as large as they are willing to bring in because they believe they can make a profit on it.
[quote=“jtnova13, post:3, topic:5665”]
How do you propogate a welso?[/quote]
If you google around looking for trachyphyllia, wellsophyllia, and scolymia propagation. THE KEY is a very healthy well fed animal and well established animal. Like many other fleshy LPS coral there are a ton of bacterias and other infections that will attach new additions. Even with out cutting they have a significant crash risk because of these. If the animal has been in an aquarium for extended period of time and is fed well(6-7 times a week) then it can be divided 2-6 times with a wet tile saw. The cuttings should be given plenty of time to recover before moving out of the original aquarium as the cut edges provide a great spot for infections to occur.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:4, topic:5665”]
[quote=“jtnova13, post:3, topic:5665”]
How do you propogate a welso?[/quote]
If you google around looking for trachyphyllia, wellsophyllia, and scolymia propagation. THE KEY is a very healthy well fed animal and well established animal. Like many other fleshy LPS coral there are a ton of bacterias and other infections that will attach new additions. Even with out cutting they have a significant crash risk because of these. If the animal has been in an aquarium for extended period of time and is fed well(6-7 times a week) then it can be divided 2-6 times with a wet tile saw. The cuttings should be given plenty of time to recover before moving out of the original aquarium as the cut edges provide a great spot for infections to occur. [/quote]
I read in a magazine, reefkeeping hobbist I think, that you cannot frag a scolymia or it will die. They only have a single mouth. This is one of the reasons they cost so much, each one is collected in the wild. Very, very few have been raised in captivity from coral spawning.As for fragging a wellso I would approach this with extreme caution.
I mentioned them only because the propagation method is similar to scolymia, but if the original poster had asked about them specifically I would have changed part of that to, “THE KEY is a very healthy well fed animal and EXTREMELY well established animal.” Few hobbyist keep there tanks stable for years, but those who can may have a chance. GARF had propagated several Scolymia in the past. Never say never, however fragging scolymia is not for the average hobbyist and not at all something to get into for financial reasons because the time and energy it takes would offset any profit that would ever be made.
Was watching this video and in it Dr. Mac & Jason Fox says “…corals you can’t frag, wellsos…” (at 3 min) Not trying to be a ball breaker, but I would not attempt it if guys who frags literally thousands of corals says you cannot. But propagation through other methods like spawning is possible.
When he says “you can’t frag”, he is right to 99% of the people he is speaking to. By that token it is a pretty safe statement. It does not mean he is 100% right. Every time I speak with anyone who works in the industry I try to remind them, when possible, nature will find a way and if you use words like “never” or “always”, someone is going to prove you wrong.
If you want to get technical you can not even attempt to frag a wellsos when you have a Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, so by that logic they are 100% correct. 
Not trying to be a ball breaker either just sharing what I know.(and I am not at all stating I’m an expert on the topic)
Wow, thanks guys!! Great info!! :
:
Our’s is anywhere from 5" to 8" in diameter, depending on the day.
I would not dare try to frag mine, that’s for sure.
[quote=“StoneReefer_210, post:9, topic:5665”]
I would not dare try to frag mine, that’s for sure.[/quote]
Probably a wise idea. May be good to spot feed it when you can though. Best of luck with it. I hope it continues to do well for you.