Best way to place/mount coral in deep tanks?

[thewalkingdad]

Title says it all. How are folks placing and mounting their coral in tanks that are 30" or deeper? I can't reach the sandbed/lower tank without getting my entire arm, shoulder, and armpit in the tank.

Are you removing the rock (if small enough), gluing the frag, then placing it back in? Are you using a tool like forceps to try to place the coral?

What other tips are there?

 

[DC Reefer]

My tank is 30" deep. I try to make it so I can remove the lower rocks to attach the frag onto it. I also have a grabber (Pikstick) to pick them up and is also useful to do some rearranging of things. I have had a couple of frags get knocked off to never be seen again and have had to use flexible tubing to push things out from under rocks in order to get them with the grabber. Every now and again I end up with my whole arm and then some in the tank but try and avoid it. When I do my aquascaping I try and design it so I can pick things up that are low. I works pretty good until the corals start encrusting multiple pieces together

 

[sp1187]

step ladder and 18" angled stainless forceps.

 

[sp1187]

side note:
not familiar with your lighting. strong enough for coral placement that low?

 

[Ksull72487]

A tool helps, step ladders help. Knowing par helps this way you know whether or not you may have to reposition it. Even on my small tank I have a nice tool that prevents me from getting my hands wet. It’s just better that way!

 

[Ksull72487]

side note:
not familiar with your lighting. strong enough for coral placement that low?

Yup I didn’t do a par reading but it’s an AIO so I have a clue where the par is at in my tank. Since somebody’s done it. When you deep on corals with a tank that’s been put together you almost always want to know what that light is doing for that area before placing them.

 

[thewalkingdad]

side note:
not familiar with your lighting. strong enough for coral placement that low?

Lighting is 4x T5s and 2x XR30s. I don't think I'll have a problem with lighting, but I won't know until things are mounted and I collect PAR readings.

 

[chicago]

I was just about to post and ask on this also. Tagging along.

 

[BigDawg21180]

I have a 150 tall I’m setting up and I’ve been wondering about this myself. Trying to figure out rock placement has been definitely bothersome

 

[chicago]

My further issue given the deep tank is.. if a frag is not happy once again I will be lifting all the lights,, putting my arm pits in the water and moving the frag.. I am thinking of trying to first mold some frag plug forms to hold the frag plug out of two part. attach that to the rock all over ( so a bunch of them first.) then as a second stop once I see the frag is happy then glue the frag into the two part mix .. I am thinking depending on the timing the two part might be firm enough and yet still workable to then use tongs to attach to the live rock deeper in the tank ?

 

[mfrumkin]

step ladder and 18" angled stainless forceps.

So you put the glue or epoxy on the plug and use the forceps to lower it and hold in place?

 

[Greg P]

Title says it all. How are folks placing and mounting their coral in tanks that are 30" or deeper? I can't reach the sandbed/lower tank without getting my entire arm, shoulder, and armpit in the tank.

Are you removing the rock (if small enough), gluing the frag, then placing it back in? Are you using a tool like forceps to try to place the coral?

What other tips are there?

My 3rd tank I decided to mount all SPS on the tops of the LR and keep the LPS on LR on the sandbed.
This way I can move/frag the LPS as they grow. So I glue LPS on a decent-sized rock, and can move around the sandbed as flow requirement/room for growth adjustments are needed.
This also allows me to keep the LPS away from the SPS as each need their room to grow, and grow at different rates/sting/fight with each other.

 

[chicago]

so cut the rod of the back of the plug.. put some two part putty around the disk that is left.. some glue under the putty between the rock and the disc.. or the other way.. putty the Rock - putty - glue - disk ---or rock - glue - putty - disk..?

 

[GoVols]

so cut the rod of the back of the plug.. put some two part putty around the disk that is left.. some glue under the putty between the rock and the disc.. or the other way.. putty the Rock - putty - glue - disk ---or rock - glue - putty - disk..?

Go, disk - glue - putty - glue - rock

Been using Seachem Reef glue with no complaints, but got a 16oz bottle of Glue Matsers thick 1500 CPS Viscosity glue coming in tomorrow.

​

 

[chicago]

so do you like... do the putty first to mold it to the rock crevices.. then take the putty that is now formed to the crevice and the disk.. glue the disk-plug to the putty,,, let it harder a bit.. then put some glue on the bottom of the putty.... and attach..-hold till it takes to the rock....

my rock has some algae growing on it.. will brush before doing this ..not to state the obvious...