General consensus on attaching SPS frags

[TonyV]

So I picked up a few new frags from a fellow RC user (thanks Waxey) and I want to add them to my existing mixed reef display tank. What is the general consensus on attaching SPS frags to display rocks? Do you leave them on frag plugs/rubble and then either glue or balance them on your rock or do you remove them from the frag plug/rubble and glue them straight to your display rock? I'd like them to look natural as my tank is for display purposes only and not a source of income. I don't want a bunch of plugs visible and I am cautious on trying the balancing act with two shrimps and a herd of snails in the tank. I am thinking that I am going to go with frag/rubble and glue it using the super glue and putty sandwich method and wait it out while it encrusts over the plug to hide the white. I now know for my next build that I need to better plan my coral arrangement and will probably look for a different type of rock that is more adaptable to attaching plugs/rubble or use the drill bit method. My reefing adventure started out with mostly LPS and Softies so my placement is kind of limited to prevent in-fighting. Thoughts?

 

[hyperfocal]

I usually break down the frag plug as much as possible (with heavy diagonal cutters) then superglue/epoxy sandwich that to LR rubble, then superglue/epoxy sandwich the rubble into place. That way, when the coral begins to grow off the plug it's encrusting onto something still relatively portable... I can pop the piece of rubble off it's mooring and move it if necessary without disturbing the colony too much.

 

[sjfishguy]

I hate the look of plugs. I cut all the corals I get off the plug and epoxy it directly to my rockwork. I do, however, decide which coral to put where before I buy it, meaning I have a spot to put a coral and then think about which coral would look good there. Kinda the opposite of most people I guess, but it allows me to spread colors and shapes out better. Rarely do I ever move SPS corals around because they grow accustom to a certain flow pattern, lighting, etc. and dont like disturbing them

 

[eros]

...they grow accustom to a certain flow pattern, lighting, etc. and dont like disturbing them

This is true. I always notice my corals growth will slow down a lot when they are moved. One I put a coral in place I try to keep it there. I do, however, try to mount mine on a rock large enough to support the coral but small enough to be moved if it needs to be. It makes fragging and any kind of pest treatment(god forbid) much easier. I'm planning on moving in the next 6 months too, which is another reason I'm not mounting them to large rocks.

 

[StrategicReef]

I used to be very picky about not leaving any plugs cutting ALL of them and glue them underwater, wasting encrusted growth. However I now take a different approach and run very high flow, I try to keep the plugs in holes that I have found or drilled, and I use somewhat heavy plugs. This really cut down on frags falling, blown off, or moved around, which helps not to introduce stress to the SPS. Recently had a $$ frag with a bit of encrusting going I decided to cut off and glue it.. and it RTN'd. That's an example of when I should have leave things alone.

If you are successful (at least picture yourself to have all grown out colonies), the plug will be 1/30th size of the colony, no one will see the plugs.

Just my opinion anyway. For a nano the plugs can be a bad sight.

 

[luther1200]

I do both, really depends on the situation. If the plug will fit and be somewhat hidden I just epoxy it int he hole or crack. But if thats not possible or I want the piecde to hang on the edge like a table piece or something I will break it off and supeglue it in a smaller hole or something I always try to find a hole or crevis to put them in, it seems to hold them much bettter that way.

 

[2006]

...I will break it off and supeglue it in a smaller hole or something I always try to find a hole or crevis to put them in, it seems to hold them much bettter that way.

Do you have to remove the rock using this method or just apply glue to the bottom of the frag and place it in the tank?

 

[ros_sco]

I either glue the frag to a piece of rubble and glue that to the rockwork, or if I use the plug I glue small rubble right next to it until it looks like part of the rockwork. The visible glue will quickly either be encrusted by the coral or coraline and then there is no unnatural disc shaped coral base.

 

[matt the fiddler]

I drill small holes in the LR (100s before putting in the tank) and a holes in the coral's Rubble piece and use rigid airline tubing. I sometimes have superglued corals to the tubing.

no epoxy.
very secure
easy to move if it needs to
easy to leave alone for ever and easy to encrust if well planned.

 

[seminolecpa]

Best method I have seen is to prime the place you are going to place the frag with gel type superglue and then add it to the bottom of the frag. If it is on a frag plug, I will typically cut off the post and glue the bottom of the remaining plug to the rock. The coral will eventually grow over the plug and onto the rock.

If it is one one of those mariculture type plugs or a larger piece of rock I will typically pop the frag off if I can do it without losing any of the coral otherwise I remove the frag using my diamond tip wet bandsaw and attach it using the method above. I don't want to risk pests or nuscience algae etc.

If it is an ORA croal I will typically saw off the bottom of the plug that does not contain any of the coral as they are usually well encrusted on the plug.