Coral Frags

[NickandShelby]

Im pretty new to the saltwater hobby but i just purchased some coral frags and i was wondering if i should just place the whole frag on live rock or take the coral off of the frag piece and place just the coral on live rock.

 

[boehm742]

Its all a matter of personal preference. I myself take off what i can.

 

[Kbra]

Id let the coral acclimate for a week or two and make sure its happy before removing it from the plug

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Id let the coral acclimate for a week or two and make sure its happy before removing it from the plug

Good tip if you plan to remove it...you could also use some aquamend putty to glue down the frag plug on the live rock and just let the coral encrust over it. Either way is fine but if you remove from frag you run the risk of hurting the coral depending on what kind it is.

 

[Murfman]

If you can slide a razor blade under the coral and slip it off great. I will glue it to rock and then the rock to the big rock this way. If not, I will trim the plug to make it more random and then glue that to the big rock.

 

[NickandShelby]

alright awesome. thanks guys

 

[returnofsid]

Depending on the type of coral AND the type of frag plug, there are several options.

I've actually drilled holes, in some live rock, just the right size to accommodate frag plugs.

I've also just clipped the "stem" off of frag plugs and glued the plug directly to the rock.

Other times, when the coral is completely encrusted, on the plug, I'll clip the base of the coral off of the plug, leaving the encrustation remaining on the plug. Glue the coral to your live rock and let the encrustation grow, on the plug, growing into a new frag!

As was mentioned above, it's a good idea to allow the coral time to acclimate to your system, before further stressing it, with another cutting. ALSO, it's good to find a "happy spot" for the coral, before permanently gluing it down.

 

[johnanddawn]

Depending on the type of coral AND the type of frag plug, there are several options.

I've actually drilled holes, in some live rock, just the right size to accommodate frag plugs.

I've also just clipped the "stem" off of frag plugs and glued the plug directly to the rock.

Other times, when the coral is completely encrusted, on the plug, I'll clip the base of the coral off of the plug, leaving the encrustation remaining on the plug. Glue the coral to your live rock and let the encrustation grow, on the plug, growing into a new frag!

As was mentioned above, it's a good idea to allow the coral time to acclimate to your system, before further stressing it, with another cutting. ALSO, it's good to find a "happy spot" for the coral, before permanently gluing it down.

+1
very good advice but i will add in the end whichever method you choose do glue it down - there is nothing more frustrating then losing a coral because it got knocked around or worse yet knocked into another coral

 

[returnofsid]

+1
very good advice but i will add in the end whichever method you choose do glue it down - there is nothing more frustrating then losing a coral because it got knocked around or worse yet knocked into another coral

Also VERY GOOD ADVICE!! I don't know how many times this has happened to me, usually resulting in the loss of the coral!! Very frustrating!!