Can someone point me to information regarding mounting frags. I would imagine it's a bit more than just dropping glue on a frag and sticking it somewhere in the tank. Perhaps there's information from the swap. Thanks.
Frag mounting instructions
- Thread starter NL146
- Start date
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
That's one way of doing it, actually. I tend to glue my SPS frags (and some LPS) directly to the rockwork. Some people mount them on plugs or discs to make them easier to move around.
For direct mounting:
Generally I take a small amount of glue to the bottom, then dip it into the water to solidify. This helps protect the bottom of the coral and lets me add more glue to it without getting it on the frag. If it's a big piece and will need a lot of glue, I'll do this a few times to build a base. Once I have it the size I want, I add enough glue to cover the base and get it to stick, dip it in the water for a few seconds then take it out for a few. (You don't need to do this, but I find it helps make the glue a little tacky so you don't have to hold the frag for 5 minutes waiting for the glue to set.) After a few seconds, I attach the frag to the rock and hold it for 15-30 seconds.
In a healthy tank, it will usually cover the glue pretty quickly and look very natural.
For direct mounting:
Generally I take a small amount of glue to the bottom, then dip it into the water to solidify. This helps protect the bottom of the coral and lets me add more glue to it without getting it on the frag. If it's a big piece and will need a lot of glue, I'll do this a few times to build a base. Once I have it the size I want, I add enough glue to cover the base and get it to stick, dip it in the water for a few seconds then take it out for a few. (You don't need to do this, but I find it helps make the glue a little tacky so you don't have to hold the frag for 5 minutes waiting for the glue to set.) After a few seconds, I attach the frag to the rock and hold it for 15-30 seconds.
In a healthy tank, it will usually cover the glue pretty quickly and look very natural.
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
Please note that the above is the better way to do things...
Then there's my method for soft coral...
Wedge coral into a crevice on a rock.
Place rubble around it to keep it in place.
Hope it stays in place and attaches quickly.
It's not the most foolproof way to get a frag attached, but it gives me a little more freedom as far as placement. It's hard to get a rubberband or mesh net on a 15lb rock full of corals, so I do what I can.
Actually ... that's pretty much it. In some cases, like with Xenia and other globs-of-living-snot, you may not be able to glue it to the plug, so you'll want to sew it to it or something instead. Or you can just affix frags directly to the rockwork.
My favorite way to 'affix' Xenia and others like it:
Get a large-gauge hypodermic needle -- you don't need the syringe -- and stick it through the coral near the base. Run 10-lb test monofilament fishing line through the needle. THen, withdraw the needle, sliding the coral on to the line. Then just tie it to a frag plug. With Xenia, I advise that you tie it so that the plug is upside down. The Xenia's just gonna walk off it eventually anyway, so you just drop next to or on the rock you want it to take over.
If you've ever watched modern body-part-piercing, the principle's the same.
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