Advice required

[paulroberts1975]

Hi all

I am now buying corals for my reef tank and I would like to know how to glue the frags to the existing rock structure which I can really take out of the water. Is there any way you can take the frag stem off so it’s flat and easier to place. I hate the way frags look but everything seems to come on a frag so any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[emvanburen]

I use frag cutters/ bone cutters to snip the bottom off, leaving a flat disk. Then I use a little epoxy putty and superglue to mount it underwater. Disk-glue-putty-glue-rock.

 

[Freenow54]

I have heard you can cut it off and set it in rubble till it grabs on. I used Tunze Coral Gum and glue after i used cutters to break off most of the plug you can buy them on amazon along with long tweezers. Mine are about 12 inches long one straight one bent amazon again. Its better with two people and you have to wear gloved or the glue will stick your fingers together. The glue is Cyanoacrylate and is like a gel. BSI or Seachem makes it. It sets pretty fast . So plan it out first

 

[Miami Reef]

Hi all

I am now buying corals for my reef tank and I would like to know how to glue the frags to the existing rock structure which I can really take out of the water. Is there any way you can take the frag stem off so it’s flat and easier to place. I hate the way frags look but everything seems to come on a frag so any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

Bone cutters can be used to snap off the base of most aragonite frag plugs:

Amazon.com

 

[exnisstech]

Glueing frags so I assume your talking about SPS? If so and the frag is encrusting the plug I'll cut the stem off and glue the disk down. Super glue gel epoxy putty super glue sandwich works best for me. If I think I may want to move it later I'll use superglue only because it's easier to pop off but the putty sandwich isn't that hard to remove. Frags that are not encrusting the plug I like to keep on a rack until they encrust. Another option is to cut the frag off of the plug and glue it down but I like to see them start to encrust first. Never know they might prefer different flow or light.
If you cut them off the disk often there will be a little bit left behind that can grow out to another piece. These two are from nubs left behind.

 

[Freenow54]

Here is everything you need plus these rubber frag plug holders are nice to have as well I dip all mine first put then in the rack log them and keep track of placement with the name. A site here called candy Corals in Mississauga has a great website that you can brose and get info on different types of coral

. Lighting needed , care level, and water flow.

 

[paulroberts1975]

Glueing frags so I assume your talking about SPS? If so and the frag is encrusting the plug I'll cut the stem off and glue the disk down. Super glue gel epoxy putty super glue sandwich works best for me. If I think I may want to move it later I'll use superglue only because it's easier to pop off but the putty sandwich isn't that hard to remove. Frags that are not encrusting the plug I like to keep on a rack until they encrust. Another option is to cut the frag off of the plug and glue it down but I like to see them start to encrust first. Never know they might prefer different flow or light.
If you cut them off the disk often there will be a little bit left behind that can grow out to another piece. These two are from nubs left behind.

I like the idea of putting them on a shelf first. Thanks :-)

 

[exnisstech]

I like the idea of putting them on a shelf first. Thanks :-)

Ya I like to try and make new coral happy as far as flow and light before I glue them to the rock. Having them on a rack allows that to some extent. I imagine those with more experience can skip some steps and go straight to the rocks but I've only been keeping acros for 3 years and consider myself a newb.

 

[Freenow54]

Ya I like to try and make new coral happy as far as flow and light before I glue them to the rock. Having them on a rack allows that to some extent. I imagine those with more experience can skip some steps and go straight to the rocks but I've only been keeping acros for 3 years and consider myself a newb.

That was my approach but the trochus snails being clumsy oafs kept knocking them off on the substrate and they would die

 

[paulroberts1975]

That was my approach but the trochus snails being clumsy oafs kept knocking them off on the substrate and they would die

lol. I bought three hermit crabs. All supposedly blue legged. One isn’t a blue legged. It’s got spotty claws. It doesn’t do any tissue damage to anything. It’s changed shells multiple times but it’s a big clumsy thing. It climbs up my Duncan. Knocked my candy cane face down into the Sand. And molests my hammer coral. It’s goes from one to the other as if it’s doing it to annoy me.

 

[exnisstech]

That was my approach but the trochus snails being clumsy oafs kept knocking them off on the substrate and they would die

My snails behave but my urchins are terrible. I won't keep urchins where I have SPS frags.

 

[Freenow54]

My snails behave but my urchins are terrible. I won't keep urchins where I have SPS frags.

I cant keep Urchins alive maybe a good thing

 

[paulroberts1975]

My snails behave but my urchins are terrible. I won't keep urchins where I have SPS frags.

What’s the blue coral it’s dragging along. Love the colour.

 

[exnisstech]

Its a toadstool. The lights were making it look more blue than it actually is.

 

[paulroberts1975]

Ah ok. I’ve taken t

Its a toadstool. The lights were making it look more blue than it actually is.

Ah ok. I’ve taken to liking blue green corals In my little tank so on the look out for those sort of corals

 

[Freenow54]

I have a tank full of toadstools breed like crazy low light requirement. The third is an Acan lord easy to grow mid light low flow. I have 2 of those actually do not like higher light intensity

 

[aftrout]

One thing I found useful was getting acrylic rods and gluing the frag disk to the rod or the coral itself if it is an SPS to the rod and then stick it in holes in the rock work with the glues mentioned above. I like this method since it helps make it flush and more natural to rock when the Frag grows out.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Ah ok. I’ve taken t

Ah ok. I’ve taken to liking blue green corals In my little tank so on the look out for those sort of corals

Toadstools are very hardy corals to have in a tank, and relatively cheap too!

 

[Freenow54]

One thing I found useful was getting acrylic rods and gluing the frag disk to the rod or the coral itself if it is an SPS to the rod and then stick it in holes in the rock work with the glues mentioned above. I like this method since it helps make it flush and more natural to rock when the Frag grows out.

Love that idea I was going to add to my previous posts that the frag gum is pink and does not look very good if you get carried away. I have a new tank build and intend to use acrylic rods which I ordered a few weeks ago to do my rock with ( no Gum ) with drilled holes . So I will drill holes in the rock before I put them in the tank for Coral. Will take planning but would work.