frags, tiles and plugs

[lorenk]

Okay, so I'm going to be getting some zoas and polyps over the next few days (thanks Maroon and Oulin). My question is how do you put these things in places you want them? In some cases, frags and plugs are going to be just fine if there is a nook to put them in, but not always.

Can I re-frag it? Do I need to let it recover first in my tank?

Thanks in advance for more newbie advice.

 

[matttvi]

Loren k.,

you can place the frags in nooks and crannies and eventually the colonies will grow on to the larger rock and be quite secure, but if you are afraid of the frags getting knocked off...

you can use GEL super glue, they have stuff that holds in water (i'm pretty sure you can get it at HD) and/or there is marine grade epoxy for larger frags if the s-glue isn't working for you.

hth,

Matt

 

[glxtrix]

supose glue gel always works for me. You can use pretty much any brand. And the best part about it, when you put the new frag in the water the glue will cure faster in saltwater...thats always a plus.

 

[glxtrix]

just please remember to wear gloves and eye protection around these guys, they are toxic.

 

[vettesarebest]

I have a question that I will ask for Loren, I have always used the super glue out of the water. Can you use it under water too? It seems it would cure instantly!

 

[glxtrix]

ummmm, no. I mean you can, but that doesnt make it a good idea.

 

[cameron]

Magnetic frag plugs are an interesting way of mounting items in hard to mount places.

 

[vettesarebest]

Yes, I have an Orange Montipora mounted on my back glass and its pretty cool.

 

[lorenk]

I don't have lots of nooks and crannies. There are a few spots, but not really that many. I have a bigger rock in the center that I want to grow some of my new frags on, but honestly, tiles are ugly and I really would prefer the coral to be directly on the rock.

So the idea I guess is to put the tile/plug down, let the coral spread, then move the tile/plug?

 

[sj miller guy]

Actually it's more like secure the plug onto or in the rock....then the coral spreads.....then you really never see the plug again! It should be covered by the coral growth.

 

[kevin]

If you want it to go on a larger rock in the center of your tank, you can put glue on the frag out of the water and try to get it in the water quickly, as it will cure faster in SW. Good luck

 

[nishant3789]

you could frag the frag which might be easier to place into the tank, zoas seem to respond very well to fragging. I wouldnt suggest it if its a new frag though and it is still recovering

 

[budsreef]

balagan;43838 wrote: I don't have lots of nooks and crannies. There are a few spots, but not really that many. I have a bigger rock in the center that I want to grow some of my new frags on, but honestly, tiles are ugly and I really would prefer the coral to be directly on the rock.

So the idea I guess is to put the tile/plug down, let the coral spread, then move the tile/plug?

I totally agree about the look of the plugs. I just added five zoa plugs to a large central rock and right now the plugs look terrible even though, with the exception of one that I will post about seperately, the zoas themselves all look great. I have used the superglue gel by actually putting a dab on under water and also by putting it on the plug first and then putting it in into the water. It immediately forms a skin so you need to squish or wiggle it a little once you make contact with the rock you want to glue it to and then hold it for about 15-30 seconds as still as possible. This is the second reason to wear gloves for protection from the toxicity of the zoas and to make sure you don't get any glue on your fingers and find them stuck to the rock after the 15-30 seconds.

I tried to make them look a little better by adding some glue stick putty around the edge of the plug to smooth out the edge and give the zoas a smoother surface to grow onto and blend in with the rock, but I think it looks worse for now because it turns bright pink and looks like bubble gum. They've only been in there a week so none have started to grow over it yet.

Attached is a picture of what it looks like.
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class="gc-images" title="Coral-Zoanthid-asst_DSC01503_24Gal_070620.jpg_Thumbnail1.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a> </fieldset>

 

[george]

On the subject of gloves, you can get powder-free ones at an auto parts store like Autozone or Advance Auto Parts. Might be able to get them at Wal-Mart, but I've never looked.

 

[tanner86]

Cameron;43617 wrote: Magnetic frag plugs are an interesting way of mounting items in hard to mount places.

How does this work? This is exactly what I am looking for. I recently got several zoa frags from Stevhan and want to place them in the rock crevices w/o having them blow away. Where do you buy the magnets?

 

[nishant3789]

i would think youd need some pretty strong magnets depending on the weigh of the frags. i think you woul have to glue on hte magnet, or have made it into the frag plug beforehand and then use the other magnet on the opposite side of hte glass to secure it

 

[lorenk]

Lots of good info.

On gloves, I got a box of powder free from CVS.

The frag I'm having issues with is an orange monti. It's on a tile and I want it up near the light so I've got this tile sitting on top of a rock. Just looks plain ugly. It's hard to hide a 2" square tile in a 24g tank.

I think I'm going to try to remove it from the tile since it's been in there for about 5 weeks so should be recovered. Although, I am tempted to use a magnet and put it on the back wall down near the rock.

For magnetic plugs, I found these guys:

 

[tanner86]

Does anyone think there would be a problem with buying magnets from a fabric store and glue them to the frag? Would the saltwater have any chemical affects on these magnets? I could place the other magnet in a rock and secure that by wedging before I hooked the frag to it.