How to attach soft coral to live rock?

[Fish Ed]

Hi

I recently bought a toadstool which was already attached to a really light and unstable piece of rock. I place it into a slot which fits perfectly but it's still loose and when I wave my hand over it, it will move. Knowing how loose it is, I'm afraid that my CUC will knock it over. Well the real problem is that I don't wish to move my big chunk of live rock out of the water to glue it together. So is there a way to attach it underwater?

Oh and is it normal when the polyps aren't out? It seems to be only out during early in the morning to afternoon. And when the polyps are out, they arent as extended as they were at my LFS. Are they just acclimating?

 

[Dissy]

Hi

I recently bought a toadstool which was already attached to a really light and unstable piece of rock. I place it into a slot which fits perfectly but it's still loose and when I wave my hand over it, it will move. Knowing how loose it is, I'm afraid that my CUC will knock it over. Well the real problem is that I don't wish to move my big chunk of live rock out of the water to glue it together. So is there a way to attach it underwater?

Oh and is it normal when the polyps aren't out? It seems to be only out during early in the morning to afternoon. And when the polyps are out, they arent as extended as they were at my LFS. Are they just acclimating?

Loctite Gel Superglue works like a dream under water, and isn't harmful to anything, except your fingers if you miss and glue them to a rock.

 

[Josh40996]

You might have some luck if you manage to use superglue, but it might cure too fast or the Toadstool might slime up and let go. Personally, I would cut the toadstool at the base and place it in a crevice. After a week or so, it will be attacked to the live rock, plus the origional rock (if it still has flesh) will grow into a new toadstool.

 

[cloak]

Check this out.

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

HTH.

 

[Fish Ed]

Thanks you all!

I might consider fragging it. But im not too sure about cutting the 'stem' though, I've never done anything like this before. Perhaps I'll stick to epoxy or glue

 

[justthewife]

You might have some luck if you manage to use superglue, but it might cure too fast or the Toadstool might slime up and let go. Personally, I would cut the toadstool at the base and place it in a crevice. After a week or so, it will be attacked to the live rock, plus the origional rock (if it still has flesh) will grow into a new toadstool.

I would also go this route.

 

[Lostinthedark]

I have a neon Toadstool that drops frags all the time. I tried superglue in the beginning but most times it slimed off. I now use a rubber band around a small piece of rubble. It attaches after 2 weeks and then I place the frag where needed or give it away.

 

[wireefman]

go buy a stick of epoxy.. and epoxy the rock to the sourounding rocks if you don't want to move it... make sure the placement is in higher flow area of the tank as leathers shed a mucus coat..

 

[M King]

Hi

Hi

I have used this method with success for some years.
Take a needle and thread (cotton) and run it thorough
the coral.
Attach the coral to the a small rock using the thread
tie it off carefully.
After a few weeks the coral will remain attached to the
rock. ( The thread can be left in place as cotton thread
dissolves over a period of time or you can remove it
if you desire.)
Let me know what you think.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

epoxy the piece of attached rubble to your base structure, shortly the leather will engulf all of it anyway...

as for fresh cut softies to a rock...either place them in a shallow container with rock and lower flow the coral will attach quickly like this...if you are having trouble still then you can use a wooden toothpick (the round ones with two pointy ends) push it through the base of the coral (from side to side) and then use two elastics to hold the ends of the toothpick to the rock you chose...another method is to use a garlic bag and tie the bag around the coral and a rock..and as mentioned sewing it to the rock will also work..