Softie refuses to stick!

['Ric]

The toothpick held it for about a week, but it never stuck on it's own. It just eventually worked the pick through it's bottom.

 

The superglue worked for a few days, then it got loose from that too, breaking off a new SPS frag in the process.

 

Are there other ideas for getting this guy to stick?! I don't think plumbers' putty will work with a softie, will it?

 

'Ric

[Almon]

I don't believe glue works well for softies. The glue will dry and the animal will change shape and move out of the hardened glue mold. I have much Sinularia and Finger Leather and I have moved many of them. The sinularia is very easy. Wedge it in between some rocks and wait. It will attach and start moving around by laying down and attaching a higher portion of the stalk to another portion of the rock. It also spreads quickly this way.

 

I have 3 XL Finger leathers that were attached to large rocks that were covered with aiptasia. So I pulled the animals off the rock and pulled the rock out. I added large clean rock for them to attack to. I added more rock than what the animals could attach to. I surround the base of the animals with multiple rocks. I did not put the Finger leather on the rocks, but in between the rocks, wedging the rocks and aminal together. Eventually they all grabbed. It takes weeks or even months sometimes.

 

For Finger Leathers, I prefer finding a rock with a hole, similar to what you have, if possible. It's best if the hole is the same size as the animal stalk so there is a nice snug fit. That's really easy. But if the hole is too large, as is with your rock, the animal can't be wedged in. It will move around until the current or gravity takes it out of the rock. If you can, tilt the rock so the hole is directly up to try and prevent the animal from leaving the rock. Also, if other corals or things are too close, the finger leather won't be happy. IMHO, you should use a rock that is NOT being used for other frags.

 

Another idea with a hole that is too large is to jam another, smaller rock into the hole with the finger leather. Wedge it in. I hope this helps.

[djcerna]

I use a rubber band to make them stick. Just make sure they are not too tight.

[cbashaw]

Needle and thread or fishing line works too then tie it to a rock.

[hbh]

Are you using Julian's glue? It worked well on the mushrooms that Almon gave & glued on for me. But Almon is very good w/ softies! Just wanted to ask for future reference...

Edited April 9, 2007 by hbh

[ChrisS]

Something else you can try is to place in into a small bowl filled with rock rubble and place it into a lowflow area of the tank so it doesn't get blown out of the bowl. After a few weeks it will have attached itself to some of the rubble. Then you can take the rubble it's on a glue or putty the rubble peice to the larger rock where you want it located.

 

I've also used the needle and fishing line method and that seem to work well on smaller frags without much weight to rip the line out. I've also used rubberbands to hold the frag in place but make sure the rubberbands aren't too tight or they'll end up damaging and maybe splitting the softie.

[mogurnda]

Lethers can be slow, often several weeks. A whole different beast than mushrooms or xenia. The most straightforward approach is to follow the advice to wedge it into a crack. It will eventually stick down. Impaling firmly on a PLASTIC toothpick sticking upright from a rock should also hold it for long enough to let it anchor.

[lanman]

Lethers can be slow, often several weeks. A whole different beast than mushrooms or xenia. The most straightforward approach is to follow the advice to wedge it into a crack. It will eventually stick down. Impaling firmly on a PLASTIC toothpick sticking upright from a rock should also hold it for long enough to let it anchor.

 

I had a 'frag' from a green sinularia that I tried to get 'stuck' to a rock. The hermit crabs heard its pleas for help, and kept setting it free. Freedom it wanted, freedom it got. It finally disappeared into the deepest, darkest reaches of the cave.

 

Which is exactly where I found it with a flashlight the other night (2 months later). It is now attached to a rock, and surviving on the tiny shaft of light coming through a hole above it. I reckon one of these days I'll have a sinularia growing up through that little hole.

 

Suggested method that I read too late - small hole in rock - plastic toothpick (broken from one of those plastic 'swords' that they put in drinks) glued into the hole, softie impaled on toothpick, and a drop of superglue on the plastic toothpick to keep it from sliding off. Once it is attached, just cut off the extra toothpick.

 

bob

[jason the filter freak]

SOmething similar to wedding veil strung over the softie to hold it in place for a time till it attaches I heard works well also. Haven't tried it but it seems like it would do the trick well.