SPS newbie frag question

SPS purchased recently on what I consider to be very inconvenient and unsightly frag plugs



but as you can see the coral has started to encrust over the plug

question
if I break the coral at the stem where it starts rising from the plug
and then leave the encrusting circle on the plug- will a new coral start branching upwards from the plug or should I just discard the encrusted plug once I have removed the coral from it?

Steve

 

You will have two pieces. I would dip the pieces in Lugos Iodine after the break. I keep my starts on plugs and the break the nipple off with bone cutters and use two part epoxy to mount then to rock. That way if they need to come off any time soon I just break the epoxy instead of stressing the coral again by breaking it.

 

As Otty mentioned, both the encrusting circle and whatever you remove from the plug will continue to grow. If you have a pair of bonecutters, it will make cutting the stem extremely easy.

 

Steve just I'd just leave them on the plug thats the critical point getting them to put down a base and once they do that they take off in growth . I found long ago to lay my frags down flat as in the wild they get more base down and shoot up faster and thicker . But the average hobbyist wants their sticks setting up vertical . As for the unsightly plugs in a few weeks they will blend with the rock you epoxy them to.. Now the best way I find is to add a few drops of super glue on the base of that plug then put a ball of mixed 2 part epoxy on the glue to secure the epoxy to that plug then put a dimple into that epoxy ball with the tip of your finger then add a few more drops of the gel super glue then stick and press it on top the rock work it will set up rock solid . But long story short I'd never would remove a attached frag from its base .

Be certian where you want the plug with the epoxy ball first then set it press it and let it be cause once that glue hits the water less wiggeling the better .. Never pull it to move it . If you do you have to start over from the get go. That frags base will encrust that plug in a few months and be onto the rocks in no time then you will see real growth

 

Great looking corals Steve, you try trimming the base down so it will be hidden faster.

 

sorry its taken me a while to respond publically to these appreciated posts

Ive considered the advice I have above and have decided to pursue both options with these 4 frags

the 2 where the base is only partially covered, Im going to leave to grow over plug and I secured these 2 plugs on the rock work yesterday evening (so thats 2 the snails cant defeat me on)

the other 2 with the very extensive base covering, I have just secured by wedging into the existing rocks ( I dont think my CUC can move them) and these I am going to leave for a couple of weeks to get used to the tank conditions and then try the frag method as described above)

Steve

 

what kinds are they exactly?

 

thats a very good question Gexx

I believe
1 is a Monti Digitata
1 is an acro
and the other 2 are Milliepora

but I could be wrong on 1 or in fact all 4 of them LOL

Steve

 

cool!