growing frags upside down??

[Daddi0]

I was reading an article by Garf where they talk about growing frags upside down. Has anyone tried this?
Cheers! Mark
http://www.garf.org/FRUGALREEFER/escapefrugal.shtml

 

[Big E]

Yes, that works well if you want to mount the frag on a rock or cliff edge. You're exposing the whole length of the frag to the light. I wouldn't define it as upside down.........more as on an angle of approx. 45 degrees.

On a flat surface it's best to mount horizontally, again for the same reason.


Mounting frags straight up like small tree is generally the worse way. The frag will have to put in a base and then most of the new sprouts will grow from that base.

Mounting frags striaght up became popular due to visual appeal more than anything. It's also easier from a marketing standpoint for vendors to sell frags listing height.

 

[RXCoral]

I mount my sticks at approximately a 45 degree angle and get great results. Like Big E was saying, in improves the surface area of the coral that gets light, and increases the growth of buds versus having to lay base before doing so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Daddi0]

I do lay a lot of mine on their sides but have never even thought about gluing the Axial corallite to the rock with the cut end being pointed up and then removing the frag stick after encrusting.
Cheers! Mark

 

[ThRoewer]

I do lay a lot of mine on their sides ...

I read an article that you get faster growth when laying the frag on its side. This is what happens all the time on the reef. The theory is that the coral frag senses that it has been broken off and tries to take root as quickly as possible. At the same time this seems to trigger a reset of the growth pattern so that the frag is able to adjust to its new locations flow and light conditions.
I tried it several times now and there seems to be something to it.

 

[Daddi0]

Ok, So I am going to test this out. I fragged 4 Walt Disney, 2 Strawberry Shortcake, 2 lime green acro, 6 Purple Bonsai, and a stag and mounted them all upside down. I used a little piece of plastic to hold the cut end higher than the axial corallite and will pull them out after the frags start to encrust.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Big E]

It would have been best to mount those single sticks completely horizontal, so it can start encrusting the tile right away from all sides.

Good luck!

 

[RXCoral]

Looking forward to the results! And a frag of the WD. Haha

 

[Daddi0]

It would have been best to mount those single sticks completely horizontal, so it can start encrusting the tile right away from all sides.

Good luck!

We do a lot of fragging and have laid a bunch on their sides in the past. I think the theory with having them slightly angled is that when the cut bottom of the frag starts to grow, it will become a dominant tip. After the plug is encrusted, You cut off the dominant tip as close to the encrusting as possible.Then all of axial corallites in the encrusting will compete to be dominant. You then use the dominate tip you just cut to start another coral.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddi0]

Quick update:
Day #5 and the cut is healed on a Strawberry Shortcake. Waiting to see how many polyps form. No encrusting yet.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddi0]

As a bit of a comparison, this Shortcake (mounted with the cut down) is approx. 2 weeks old and is really encrusting.

 

[Daddi0]

Well after 3 weeks the Strawberry Shortcake is starting to encrust and the cut end is fully healed with polylps formed. The Walt Disney is a little slower but making progress as well.
Cheers! Mark

 

[tmantaylor18]

thanks for posting that article Mark. This thread has some potential!

 

[Daddi0]

thanks for posting that article Mark. This thread has some potential!

Thanks! It would seem that at least with the Strawberry Shortcake, upside-down encrusts slower than right side up. We can see on the comparison frag mounted upright that at 3 1/2 weeks it had plenty of encrusting and the frag is already cut and mounted to the next disc. for encrusting. and the encrusting is left alone to develop axial polyps.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddi0]

Almost a month