Step 1: Selecting an appropriate soft coral for propagation The success of propagation depends a great deal on the initial selection of the coral to be divided. While many soft corals make excellent candidates for aquaculture, there are some like the yellow toadstool leathers that do not heal well. A little bit of research on the coral will save you and the coral a lot of grief later. Once you have established the coral is right for propagation, choose a healthy specimen. A stressed or infected soft coral is not a good candidate as it may succumb easily to further infection once cut.

Step 2: Gather the necessary items The following items should be dedicated for aquarium use only. It is unwise to use household items used in other applications for fear of contamination. A clean pair of scissors or a razor blade A Tupperware container Substrate (piece of live rock, cement plug, floral tube, etc.) Rubber bands and gel super glue Clean cloth towel

Step 3: Cutting the coral First take the coral and place it in the Tupperware container with some tank water. Cut off a 1" piece of the soft coral. It is normal for the coral to retract to a fraction of its normal size.

Step 4: Mount the cutting onto the substrate At this time, pat dry the cutting, and put several drops of gel super glue at its base. Place the cutting on the substrate so that the glue makes contact. Once set, tie a rubber band around the cutting to pull it against the substrate. You want to have enough pressure on the cutting so that it does not float away but not so much pressure that the rubber band severs the cutting in two.

Step 5: Placing the mother colony and the cutting back into the aquarium Hopefully by this time the mother colony has stopped producing copious amounts of mucus. Remove the mother colony from the Tupperware container and reintroduce it into the tank in a location where it receives adequate flow. Current is essential to removing the excess mucus and aiding the regenerative process. Discard the water in the Tupperware container. Place the cutting in a location where it will receive little flow. Strong flow can dislodge the cutting despite the rubber band and the glue. After a week or two, the cutting should be attached to the substrate and can be moved to an area of higher flow.