Brain coral frag question

[tylr9m482]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a very nicely colored brain coral frag from my LFS however the owner of the store put the coral on a square tile if you will which he treated and used as a plug. Apparently he has been doing this for some time with much success. However it does not look natural and I would much rather attach it to some of my live rock, and tips on how to do this the safest way for the coral? I have frag glue and underwater epoxy at home but I am new to the hobby and have never fragged anything before. Not sure if I need special tools or if i can just peel it off with a razor blade.

Any tips or comments would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[tylr9m482]

Just realized it would probably help if I mentioned what type of brain it is, it's Platygyra brain coral, also known as maze coral, bowl coral, or worm brain coral.

Thanks again

 

[Reef Frog]

First I suggest you take some time acclimating the frag & determining what location suits it best. Depending on your lights the best final location probably will be mid tank. Place the coral low & move it later to the location you want. Wait for a little while & make sure if is thriving in this location. It may not like being directly in front of a power head. Mounting it too early risks forcing you to move it later, which could stress and damage it.

Once you have found the right location, I would take a knife or razor blade in a painter's scraper, wiggle it under the skeleton & pop it off the tile with a turn of the wrist. Then glue it down, preferably in a hole or indentation on the rock, which makes it easier for it to encrust the rock.

 

[boogly]

You can usually get between the superglue and the frag plug and pop it off as Reef Frog said. It can be a bit scary the first couple of times and heart rate increases with the price of said frag.

I tend to attach mine to a small piece of dry rock and then move it around in the tank like Reef Frog suggested until I find a spot the coral likes. Then attach it to my live rock with water weld and super glue.

 

[Reef Frog]

Anita - I still suffer from "frag anxiety" and "frag mount procrastination disorder" after 3 years. I'm going to see if my insurance plan will cover it but waiting for the smoke to clear first.

Seriously, be careful with the blades & don't cut yourself as these things tend to be slippery.

 

[tylr9m482]

Thanks guys for the advice right now it is on a lower level rock in the tank seems to be doing well right now gonna wait a little longer until i attemp this tho lol