Better way to attach soft coral frags?

[piscivorous]

I am loving my soft corals but I am getting frustrated with the hassle involved in trying to get new frags to attach. The epoxies obviously don't work, and most folks suggest using a rubber band to strap the frag to a rock but I find that after about a day the rubber band seems to "melt" through the frag stalk and I end up with my soft coral frag drifting around the bottom of the tank. I was just wondering if anyone had any better suggestions?

 

[Slim_jim989]

Put a small container over the frag and it will attach to the rock eventually, a's long a's there's flow in there you'll be fine. But rubberbands have always worked for me

 

[gflat65]

I have used several different methods. With softies, it's easier if you have some time.

Use wedding veil to hold the new frag in place. Super glue gel or thread can be used to secure the wedding veil.

Use fishing string to secure the coral to the frag rock. Is easy to remove once the softie attaches (cut and pull).

Use rubber bands and toothpicks to secure the coral to a rock. Seen this more with leathers. Not a favorite method. In some methods, the coral is pierced by the toothpick. Rubber bands are used to tied the ends of the toothpick down (across the underside of the frag rock). All is removed when the frag attaches. Another variation that works somewhat better is to use two small frag rocks to sandwich the frag between (once again, usually on leathers), and rubber bands to provide the compression. Leaving them snug, but not tight allows the coral to expand between the two rocks. It'll usually attach to both rocks.

My preferred method uses a tupperware container with coarse substrate (crushed coral, etc). I put the frags in the container and either put in a low flow area of the tank, or cover with wedding veil. I prefer finding a place where I can keep them from blowing out (less to do and fewer issues with extrememly low flow areas under the veil). After a few days to a week or so of relative restful motion, they should attach to some rubble, which can then be super glue gel'd to a bigger rock, etc.

 

[cjdevito]

What I usually do is take some aquarium epoxy and make up thin discs about the size of a quarter. Then I take the frag and tie it down loosely but thoroughly to the disc with simple thread. Depending on the species of the frag it's usually attached to the disc within a few days to a week. Once it is I remove the thread and then mount the disc to the rockwork.

 

[jadams7]

I would recommend the tupperware container idea also, having done pretty much all of the above. Its one of the most successful ways to go about it, without you having to worry every day about whether or not the frag will still be attached to a plug etc.

 

[scuba-al]

There are a few main methods, I will discuss three. The first is good for branching corals. The second is good for xenia and other thin corals. The third is good for mostly stiff branching corals that have spicules: mostly Capnella (Kenya trees).
Method 1) Cut the bottleneck of a water bottle off, and keep the cap on. Turn the bottleneck upside down (the cap will be facing down) and fill with coarse live rock rubble. Fill with tank water. Put coral frags in it (space will be somewhat limited). Depending on current and other inhabitants, you may want to put wedding veil over open side, secured with rubber band. Some corals can attach in as little as two days; I wait at least three weeks. The rubble with coral on it can be glued to plugs or kept as they are.
Method 2) Have live rock rubble, wedding veil, and rubber bands. Place frag atop live rock rubble. Put wedding veil over it, and somewhat tightly secure with at least two rubber bands. Put in low current area and wait 2-4 weeks for frags to attach.
Method 3) Somewhat advanced method, but if done successfully, will achieve great results. Tie natural cotton thread into very thin needle. Push needle through one side of frag, around the rock twice, through the middle, around the rock once, through the other side, around twice, and tied up. Time consuming, but worth it. Wait one month/4 weeks or you can wait until the cotton thread dissolves into the water (this is safe as cotton is completely natural).
Add iodine supplements and keep the fragging-water warm.
Good luck.

 

[cloak]

Here's a good article.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/ac/feature/index.php

 

[malawinovice]

I use pvc couplings 1 - 2 inch in diameter, Place on sand bed, add plug and then place coral inside. It gets light and will soon attach.

I have tried needle/thread and then glue.

this is simple and doesn't challange my hands

 

[Apercula]

I've used the needle and thread method for firmer soft corals. I ran the thread through the coral then superglued the ends of the thread to a frag plug.
2 weeks post fragging, the frag is attached to the plug.

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

I use this all the time, works well.

 

[ahenson]

I have used several different methods. With softies, it's easier if you have some time.


My preferred method uses a tupperware container with coarse substrate (crushed coral, etc). I put the frags in the container and either put in a low flow area of the tank, or cover with wedding veil. I prefer finding a place where I can keep them from blowing out (less to do and fewer issues with extrememly low flow areas under the veil). After a few days to a week or so of relative restful motion, they should attach to some rubble, which can then be super glue gel'd to a bigger rock, etc.

This is so easy and works great. I used to have a low flow tank with crushed shells for substrate. I just cut corals and let them settle. Zoanthids, leathers, xenia realy any soft coral. Just chop them and let the cuttings settle. Every month or so go and spend time glueing the now attached corals. Just glue the shells the attach to to a little rubble and you are done. it is so easy

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

That's only good if you have the space to do it. If you don't have a separate frag tank, like me and have to keep frags in the display then I would say that sewing them on and gluing the ends of the thread would be best. It causes the least amount of additional damage to the frag and seems to have the fastest attachment rate, at least for me.

 

[AfricaOffroad]

I take 2 pieces of dead coral and clamp them around the piece of softy I'm trying to mount.
Sometimes use a piece of elastic to hold the 2 sections of coral together.
One normally has good attachment after 2 weeks, then the frag can be placed in its final position.

The nice thing about pieces of deads coral is that the frag will nornally sit between the branches which create a natural gap .

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

This is a great way to use any dead branching sps. Softy frags can just be pushed in between the branches and left to attach. Then just clip apart the excess coral branches an glue the frag in its new spot.

 

[Ranchero]

I take a small plastic container and put rubble rock in it. Take the frags and place them in this container. Within a week if not sooner they will attach on their own. This is very helpful especially for leathers and Xenia but works great for mushrooms too
Cut slits in the side of the container to prevent it from getting blown around if there is not enough weight in it from the rock and to help water flow

 

[MatthewAD]

With rubberbands you want it just holding them, if it's cutting through the coral in a day that is way to tight.

 

[ahenson]

I never had luck with rubber bands. I always had them too tight.
As for the natural attachment, as second tank isn't neccesary. The dollar store sells small rubbermaid containers with openings on the side. These or another similar container with shells or rubble would work. If the flow causes cuttings to come out take bridal veil and rubber band it as a top and just throw cuttings in it. The bridal veil keeps everything from escaping.
The idea of rubberbanding rocks around a cutting sounded good too.

 

[XrayGuy]

I also have had bad luck with rubberbands being too tight, even when I put it so loose that it is basically falling off. +1 to container + veil method and needle + thread. Those both work great.

 

[Sebastian J.]

After some less successful attempts with rubber bands, toothpicks, superglue, wedging between rocks and similiar stuff, I've now arrived at hypodermic needles.

Just skewer the frag and stick the needle into a sufficiently porous piece of rock. Then, push the frag down so its skin touches the rock surface (of course, not where the fresh cut is) and wait. It helps to use clean rocks, too. For best results, don't reuse needles because they loose their edge.

For me, it worked like a charm on various Sinularia, Lobophytum, Sarcophyton, Xenia and mushrooms.

 

[ECU stew]

I've used the tupperware method with success for mushrooms just make sure you used crushed substrate then once it is attached superglue gel to attach the substrate its clinging on to a larger rock.