Keep frag plugs?

[Jonreefer]

I get rid of the plug ASAP as i feel frag plugs are a huge eyesore. I hate them with a passion.

 

[prime8reef]

I try to always remove the coral from the plug. If the frag is encrusted onto the plug, I'll take a pair of bone cutters and just snip off the peg and glue the round top part with the coral onto my liverock. That way the coral can just grow around the plug directly onto the rock.
I use a razor abd the tap method too. If you can pop it off with the existing glue, you are golden. With zoas and paly I try to keep any rubble it's growing on and just try and pry it off the plug as opposed to cut the polyps off.

 

[trido]

I have always removed the frag from the plug and then glue it to a small piece of rock rubble. Then I glue the rock rubble to the larger rocks in my display tank.

 

[Eienna]

What I'm planning to do is leave mine on plugs so I can place them on the sand bed until they acclimate to my LEDs. Then, I will wedge the plug into various places until I find a spot it lakes, then take the plug off and glue it to the rockwork.

 

[mfief]

What I'm planning to do is leave mine on plugs so I can place them on the sand bed until they acclimate to my LEDs. Then, I will wedge the plug into various places until I find a spot it lakes, then take the plug off and glue it to the rockwork.

My preferred method as well though my maroon clowns and urchin love to redecorate while I am finding the right spot for the coral

 

[Fish Art]

I too use a razor blade to pry the frag off the plug. I think it makes the aqua scape look more natural.

 

[shred5]

it depends.. for me not soft corals they usually over grow the plug anyway and trying to glue soft corals is a pain...
Stonies it also depends if it was freshly glued but if the whole plug in encrusted no I wont.

Glueing underwater I just put a real big dab on the rock where it is going and another dab on the frag. Yea the one underwater will get a skin but a real good twist with the frag breaks it, just hold it there for a few and your good to go...

 

[eg8r210]

With all the 'Hot Topic' threads out now on pests and what not the consensus seems to be remove coral and dip/QT before placing into your Display Tank and discard the plug. I toss my 'discarded' plugs into a small container of vinegar water to clean/sterilize rinse and dry for reuse. Aesthetically I will always remove most all Corals from plugs before going into DT.

Cheers, Todd

I am with you on the visual eye sore but what do you do if the coral is not happy where you glue it down? In a few weeks do you pull it out and pick another spot? Also, if so do you try and remove the old glue? Or do you glue it to a small piece of rock and place the rock around the tank?

 

[trido]

I am with you on the visual eye sore but what do you do if the coral is not happy where you glue it down? In a few weeks do you pull it out and pick another spot? Also, if so do you try and remove the old glue? Or do you glue it to a small piece of rock and place the rock around the tank?

That is why its best to glue a frag to rock rubble (2" peice of LR) and then the rubble to the larger rocks. You can easily pry the rubble off the larger rocks for several months before most frags will encrust over it onto the display tank rocks. This gives you plenty of time to find the sweet spot for the coral instead of glueing it into the display tank and hope for the best.

 

[dib]

They did pop off the plugs very easy with a blade. I used super glue gel and glued them to ruble rock and placed them where I wanted them. Looks so much better!