Placing new frags in tank

[ssdalton]

What do most of you do with new frags that are on plugs when placing in the tank? Do you break the frags off the plugs and glue to live rock or leave 'em on the plugs and find a hole to stick them in? I bought a few yesterday on plugs and trying to decide the best way to do it.

Shaun

 

[KwajRocks]

Shaun,

I leave mine on the plugs and drill a hole in a small dry rock (I have a bunch of these hanging around - live rock rubble I believe it is called.) Then I glue the plug into that hole and then place the frag in the tank. That way I can move it around if necessary until it finds it's permanent home.

 

[ssdalton]

Thanks for the reply - have you ever cut/broke any off the plugs. I'm just wondering if I should wait for any lenghth of time before resetting into a permanent spot

Shaun

 

[6Speed]

I saw a video the other day about this guys tank, and he drills holes all in his rocks, and then glues an acrylic rod to the bottom of the frag plug so that he can put them anywhere and they stay put.

 

[KwajRocks]

Shaun,

Yes I have broken the bottoms off the plugs ( I've broken just about everything there is to break ) - I don't think there is a certain wait time per se. Usually the less you move, the better, in the first days. I watch to see if a coral is unhappy where it is , say too much light, too much current, and if so then I move it. If everything seems to be fine, then I epoxy it into place. I always try to put things in their final resting place first, then move if necessary. I like the epoxy, because it can be snapped off easily if necessay, but usually keeps things in place otherwise.

6speed - I think that is one thing I would do again if I had the chance to do it all over - that is drill more holes in the rock BEFORE placing it in the tank - that way you can put frags where ever you want, and if there are empty holes, no harm done.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I will need millions of holes. My frags never want to sit just right where I try to put them.

Tomoko

 

[ssdalton]

Drilling holes would have been a great idea, wish I had thought of that...If I break them off the plugs should I leave the plug in the tank? I guess my thought is, if it doesn't break cleanly will a new frag start to grow from what was left? A little bonus of sorts... Some of the frags I got at the swap are mounted in epoxy so a clean break will be difficult.

Shaun

 

[KwajRocks]

Yes, yes it will grow from meager beginnings! That is Tomoko's philosophy!! I used to throw away teeny tiny bits of coral, but she taught me to save them. They DO grow.

 

[ssdalton]

That's good to know! Now I wont feel so bad about throwing out a little sliver of a frag