2 small coral frags show no growth in a year?

[RioReefr]

Admittedly, when I first got into this hobby, I knew absolutely nothing.
Getting my new toy, I immediately went out and started buying things. I made some major mistakes and blunders, but I feel I am much more educated now.

Anyway, for the most part my tank looks great and everything is flourishing EXCEPT 2 small frags -- 1.) 2-bud Green-lantern Krytonite Trumpet and 2.) 2-bud Duncan.

Terrible things have happened to these frags -- getting completely covered in detritus/algae, getting covered in sand, getting knocked over by snails and fish, being exposed to high salinity water, etc.

Still, they are literally the exact same size the day I got them now over 1 year.

My biggest issue with these frags is they were sold to me with rectangular, flat base and just don't fit anywhere that will stay. I have bought other frags which have cylinder shaped base and can be stuck in holes. These cylinder-based frags are flourishing.

I have really considered cutting that stupid plastic rectangular base off, so at least I can stick these frags somewhere without all the aforementioned problems. But, I am worried I will just stress them out even more. What to do??

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Many will NOT put a frag base in their tank they break them off.
Just do it.
Also check your Magnesium, doesn't sound like it but if it's out of spec it can cause problems.

 

[Auston]

Put them in another reefers tank see if they come back to life and thrive. Then steal them back. Just kidding but actually the same thing happened in my first tank. I made lots of mistakes and I had a Duncan that was not growing and was half closed all the time. I was lucky and was able to give it to someone who had a very different set up then I had (low tech, lower light, high nutrients). It opened up after some time and then started to grow like crazy. One day I'll ask him for a frag of it for my new tank. I think it really comes down to a stable tank. If your tank has kind of locked in and the placement of the coral is good it should come back and grow. Just my opinion

 

[Daddi0]

Rip 'em off the frag plugs - all of them!!
Cheers! Mark

 

[mcgyvr]

Your mind is the problem....not the base shape

 

[ReefWreak]

Still, they are literally the exact same size the day I got them now over 1 year.

Terrible things have happened to these frags -- getting completely covered in detritus/algae, getting covered in sand, getting knocked over by snails and fish, being exposed to high salinity water, etc.

I'd be thankful they're still alive. It sounds like they've faithfully survived though your learning stage. Once they're in a more stable situation (and are feed reasonably), I bet they'll take off nicely. Most of my current SPS corals STN/RTN when my alkalinity sneezes and my current tank is almost a year old.

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

Everyone knows coral prefer to grow on round shaped things

I remember being scared to cut the frags off of plugs when I got my first coral. Then I got tired of seeing the plugs around n my tank and decided to cut the next frag off. Total game changer! Just super glue them right to the rock and they look SO much better. Frag plugs are only a means of holding the frag in an easily moved form from the time they are cut from their mother colony to the time they are bought and transferred to a new tank.

I agree that if the tank parameters are not stable, than they will either have stunted growth or not grow at all. If the instability is bad enough, they could die. Same thing happens if parameters are stable, but not at a good level. If your alk is consistently way low, than they'd also have problems. Some coral are more sensitive than others, so that's likely why only some are having problems growing.

 

[RioReefr]

Your mind is the problem....not the base shape

Alright fair enough, I get the sly comments b/c I did not explain myself well.
These frags are "PLUG-LESS", ok! (see attached image of a plug, which these are NOT).

I should have said the frags I have are rectangular-shaped frags have no shaft/plug to put them into a rock or sand to keep them elevated. The LFS simply cut the coral and glued it directly onto a very thin, slippery, friction-less piece of plastic (w/no plug). I literally cannot put these anyplace because there is no place in my aquarium that is flat-surface other than the SB. They fall off or get knocked over any place I put them. Even a very small hermit crab can knock them off.

Most (if not all) reputable mount the frag onto something like a plug that you can simply "stick" into a hole. Why this place chose to do it this way makes no reasonable sense to me. When I suggested to him about cutting it and putting it onto my own plug, he told me there would be a good chance of dying so I have them as is and so ZERO growth and barely clinging on for life.

With all that being said, can I just try and cut them down to the base and glue them somewhere? IMO, they have been through hell so I'd like to give them a real home in a real piece of live rock so they can thrive.

I remember reading somewhere if you cut a coral, you should really put them in an Iodine solution so they get an infection....thoughts? Can I just cut and glue them?

 

[sde1500]

You have to attach basically any coral to something. Simply placing a coral lose will result in exactly what you've seen, it being knocked over, or taken for a ride on an urchin. So yes, cut the base off, or at least trim it back a lot, then find a place to attach them. Even the normal circular ceramic plugs many cut off the bottom, makes it easier to attach to rock work. As for why they haven't grown, I'd say its what they've gone through. Can't be shocked they haven't grown when they are getting covered in algae, and sand, and not provided a stable place to live.