Taking frags off plugs

[elefink]

I bought some frags from Jason Fox, and found them on some really big plugs that I can't just attach to my rockwork with glue and allow to encrust over. That's what I've done in the past with small, flat plugs. These have a big peg underneath that makes that strategy undesirable.

So I guess I have to get the corals off. These are LPS (Cyphastrea and to types of Lepto). I've read to just pop them off with a screwdriver or knife, but I'm concerned about the branching Lepto. It's got fragile plates. I don't want to break it into a million pieces. How do you protect a fragile coral for such an operation. I don't think I have anything like bone shears around.

 

[tdlawdo]

Dremel?


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[Uncle99]

I just cut the peg off with wire cutters, and leave it on the disc.
I don't want to damage the coral.
Both of those spread fast once settled so the plug will not be seen in a month or so.

 

[Daddi0]

Be gentle and pop it with a knife underwater. The "stem" of the frag plug will cut easily with a pair of diagonal cutters. I sometimes drill a large hole in a rock to accept the frag disc.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Bpb]

Yeah I always just cut the stem off with bone cutters and gel/epoxy/gel the remaining disc to the rocks


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[mcgyvr]

I second the bone cutters and just leave it on the disc..

 

[elefink]

I'll see if we have anything that can cut it.

 

[Fourstars]

Whats up with those plugs anyways! Seems like somebody would of come up with a better design by now, Even a tapered stem would be a better design.

 

[elefink]

Whats up with those plugs anyways! Seems like somebody would of come up with a better design by now, Even a tapered stem would be a better design.

I would guess that they are good for the coral farmer. They usually have eggcrate at the bottom of the propagation tanks. The pegs would rest in the holes and keep them from being blown about.

 

[elefink]

Indeed, I've seen Youtube of Jason Fox's frag tanks, and they are covered with egge crate on the bottom.

 

[elefink]

I tried to get one off the plug, and all I did was chip the coral a bit. I've got to figure out how to get the stem off this plug. I don't have bone shears.

 

[Elijahh]

I tried to get one off the plug, and all I did was chip the coral a bit. I've got to figure out how to get the stem off this plug. I don't have bone shears.

I snapped the stem off with my hands by accident before i even got the side cutters to it, so after realising how easy they were to break off i just used my hands for the rest. I did leave the coral on the disc tho.

 

[dmsprague]

By a cheap pair of side cutters at harbor freight or somewhere and you'll have them for future use. They just snip off.

 

[Joe0813]

jig saw with a new blade and just cut it off.