Key things to keep in mind when mounting sps frags to your aquascape?

[revhtree]

When mounting/gluing sps frags to your aquascape what are some key things that you keep in mind if any?

Please let us know!

 

[coral-boss]

i try my best to put them in an area that suites the flow and light needs of the coral. not really specific to sps but all coral and enough space not to get stung by others sweepers

 

[Asonitez]

When I mount SPS I tend to try and figure out what they grow like in the wild. Frequently I will google images of the coral in other peoples tanks to see the SHAPE that they like to grow in. I try and plan to put them where they won't shade other coral or place them BELOW corals that grow up to make sure they aren't shaded when they do grow.

I find some tabling acro's HATE getting planted on a rock and end up just encrusting and taking forever to grow. The same tabling acro planted on the EDGE of a cliff where the majority of its body is in the water column unobstructed ends up growing in beautiful tables and patterns. (example tri color validia)

Millipora's I find are generally suited to planting on a flat surface because mine tend to grow in a CONE shape and generally seem to stay well contained.

Stags for me like to be NEAR the top of the tank, on a ROCK SOLID BASE. Stags in my experience like to dig in DEEP and encrust before taking off. They tend to be hard for me to "prune" into interesting shapes seemingly liking to having like 2/3 big branches growing in wicked patterns.

Pic's for reference, videos for pleasure (http://www.youtube.com/c/tristiansreef)

 

[jda]

I try and keep the colors apart with some contrast. I will plant a few of my favorites in a few different locations since I do not mind having duplicates.

Stags at the bottom. Tables in the middle with room to grow horizontally out over open areas. Bushy and vertical growers above this. Deep Waters near the bottom. I do not allow some SPS into my tank at all... ever - Montis, Birdsnest, Pocilipora and Stylophora are not allowed.

I have Metal Halide with pretty even coverage over the whole tank - T5 is the same way. If you use puck-style LEDs, you will have a cone of higher output and power directly under the puck, so plan for this and use a PAR chart (BRS has some) for reference.

 

[Craigb350]

The big one for me after all the above is room, something I am currently struggling with, they all need room to base out/grow, I have had a few problems lately with sps growing into one another.

So much so I need to rescape one side of my tank to try and use the space in my tank better.

 

[Dsnakes]

I try to space out colors along with future growth and potential shading. I also clip them from the plugs so that they encrust straight to the rocks.

 

[Corals.com]

When I mount SPS I tend to try and figure out what they grow like in the wild. Frequently I will google images of the coral in other peoples tanks to see the SHAPE that they like to grow in. I try and plan to put them where they won't shade other coral or place them BELOW corals that grow up to make sure they aren't shaded when they do grow.

I find some tabling acro's HATE getting planted on a rock and end up just encrusting and taking forever to grow. The same tabling acro planted on the EDGE of a cliff where the majority of its body is in the water column unobstructed ends up growing in beautiful tables and patterns. (example tri color validia)

Millipora's I find are generally suited to planting on a flat surface because mine tend to grow in a CONE shape and generally seem to stay well contained.

Stags for me like to be NEAR the top of the tank, on a ROCK SOLID BASE. Stags in my experience like to dig in DEEP and encrust before taking off. They tend to be hard for me to "prune" into interesting shapes seemingly liking to having like 2/3 big branches growing in wicked patterns.

Pic's for reference, videos for pleasure (http://www.youtube.com/c/tristiansreef)

Beautiful tank!

 

[jsker]

I use just plant them where ever, Now I have somewhat of a plan.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Flow, light, type of expected growth pattern, proximity to other corals, how much I like it, color of the coral.

I want to place my sps so they get good light and flow lower light like deep waster sps would be placed lower than a high light tenuis. Branching corals like stags are placed high up while tabling and round spaced sps are placed mid to high, encrusting are placed low to mid and sometimes between other branching sps. Monti caps are placed low because they will shadow anything under them as they grow and if placed low on the rock they will grow upwards to the light. Color of the coral as well effects placement, I dont want a spot with all green corals so a blue, red or pink in the mix adds contrast. If I really like a new frag I will place in a spot that I can easliy view it, stuff I dont like as much but are a must for a well rounded sps tank like green birds nest don't get a prime viewing location. I try to plan for enough growing room for the corals and if a coral can harm a neighbor that is taken into account.

 

[maroun.c]

I try to place corals of contrasting colors next to each others do they show better and also make corals next to them show more as well. I also consider growth shapes to allow a frag enough space to grow into the final shape I have in mind for the tank. Having tabling corals on ledges and branching ones above is key. Unalsi make sure to buy as many corals with different growth pattern for a more interesting diversity.

 

[TheHarold]

@revhtree IMO, keep in mind that once they encrust, its a pain to remove. And it will take their progress backwards. A good strategy is to mount the frags on rubble, and then glue/epoxy the rubble to your main rockwork. That way you have a nice time period to move corals without losing their entrustment.

 

[Oscaror]

When mounting/gluing sps frags to your aquascape what are some key things that you keep in mind if any?

Please let us know!

Basics such as flow and light go without saying, but how the corals will look when grown out next to the corals beside it and with the aquascape in mind is a crucial consideration.

 

[phil bevilacqua]

I try and keep the colors apart with some contrast. I will plant a few of my favorites in a few different locations since I do not mind having duplicates.

Stags at the bottom. Tables in the middle with room to grow horizontally out over open areas. Bushy and vertical growers above this. Deep Waters near the bottom. I do not allow some SPS into my tank at all... ever - Montis, Birdsnest, Pocilipora and Stylophora are not allowed.

I have Metal Halide with pretty even coverage over the whole tank - T5 is the same way. If you use puck-style LEDs, you will have a cone of higher output and power directly under the puck, so plan for this and use a PAR chart (BRS has some) for reference.

Why are those sps not allowed in your tank?

 

[jda]

Why are those sps not allowed in your tank?

They grow so fast that after I give some away to the few people who want them, there are not enough people to keep up with how fast that they grow. I ended up just having to throw them away and I do not like that - seems like I was a bad keeper. They also take up a lot of room when I can save the real estate for stuff that I like better. Poci actually spawn in the tank and become a noxious weed that can take over everything.

Lot of people have banned corals...xenia, green stars, mushrooms, etc. "Banned Corals" would be a good thread...

Knowing what to keep out is as important as knowing where to place what you have.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I mount towards the upper part of tank for total light administration and water flow although I keep my flow at moderate flow

 

[phil bevilacqua]

They grow so fast that after I give some away to the few people who want them, there are not enough people to keep up with how fast that they grow. I ended up just having to throw them away and I do not like that - seems like I was a bad keeper. They also take up a lot of room when I can save the real estate for stuff that I like better. Poci actually spawn in the tank and become a noxious weed that can take over everything.

Lot of people have banned corals...xenia, green stars, mushrooms, etc. "Banned Corals" would be a good thread...

Knowing what to keep out is as important as knowing where to place what you have.

Gotcha, makes sense Lol.

 

[spsick]

@revhtree IMO, keep in mind that once they encrust, its a pain to remove. And it will take their progress backwards. A good strategy is to mount the frags on rubble, and then glue/epoxy the rubble to your main rockwork. That way you have a nice time period to move corals without losing their entrustment.

+1 to this. I always mount to small rocks and then use rigid airline tubing mounts to make my corals modular. Allows for moving them around to their preferred light/flow.

 

[azbigjohn]

+1 to this. I always mount to small rocks and then use rigid airline tubing mounts to make my corals modular. Allows for moving them around to their preferred light/flow.

I am having picturing what you mean about the airline tubing mounts... Have a picture?

 

[phil bevilacqua]

+1 to this. I always mount to small rocks and then use rigid airline tubing mounts to make my corals modular. Allows for moving them around to their preferred light/flow.

What exactly is airline tubeing mounts? Ty

 

[NY_Caveman]

I just placed my first a month or so ago. Tried to give ample space between. Put the light hungry ones in the highest par. Arranged mostly by growth pattern and expected coloring.

EDIT: And I remove all frag plugs!