Did I kill my new corals?

[rsarvis]

I may have done something bone-headed last night...

 

At the BRK Social, I bought some frags and some super glue plus the spray to accelerate hardening of the super glue. After I got home, I glued the frags onto various rocks, then sprayed the accelerator. This morning, they all look grey, like the life is gone from them. Did I kill them by getting the accelerator spray all over them? The directions didn't indicate it might be a problem and there really wasn't any way to not get the spray all over the place (it's a spray after all).

 

Did I just kill my $50 of frags?

[lanman]

I may have done something bone-headed last night...

 

At the BRK Social, I bought some frags and some super glue plus the spray to accelerate hardening of the super glue. After I got home, I glued the frags onto various rocks, then sprayed the accelerator. This morning, they all look grey, like the life is gone from them. Did I kill them by getting the accelerator spray all over them? The directions didn't indicate it might be a problem and there really wasn't any way to not get the spray all over the place (it's a spray after all).

 

Did I just kill my $50 of frags?

Probably... but give them a chance. You're supposed to put down the glue on the rock, put a drop of glue on the frag, spray the accelerator on the glue that is on the rock only, and THEN attach the frag. Or at least that is how I've done it successfully. Remember that corals are little animals - and you wouldn't spray that stuff on your cat. I don't KNOW that it kills corals - but I just assumed anything that would accelerate super-glue must be pretty toxic. What kind of corals? Some are a lot tougher than others.

 

Suggestion for future frag-gluing. After my over-inquisitive fire shrimp got his claws glued together while I was super-gluing frags to the rock in the aquarium, I started gluing up the frag to a small piece of rock OUTSIDE the aquarium. Put it in a bowl of aquarium water to harden. THEN - take some of the two-part reef epoxy, mix up a little bit, and use it to glue the little piece of rock to the big piece of rock in the aquarium. Don't ever expect to get that piece of rock loose again; sometimes it REALLY sticks on there. You might get it loose, but then again, you might not. I use the two-part epoxy that is lavender in color; once your tank purples up, it blends in very well, even if the coral doesn't cover it.

[flowerseller]

If I understand this correctly, you sprayed the accelorator over the whole mounted coral and all?

 

I'm not familiar with the type of accelerator you used but have always thought you sprayed it, added the glue or the other way around, and then positioned the frag on that.

 

Another way, which is what I use, it to apply the glue, dip it in sea water for a second or two, position the frag and then put in a low flow area for an hour or two. I personally have never used an accelerator.

You might find that the glue will adhear better with the method above.

Does your glue reguire an accelerator? If so, you might consider switching to one that does not.

[rsarvis]

Yea, that's basically what happened. The way it was described, it sounded like it was pretty instantaneous, so I figured you had to have it how you wanted it when you put the accelerator on. I didn't *try* to spray over the whole mounted coral, but you can't really direct spray.

 

No, the glue doesn't require accelerator. I got that on advice to save the time of sitting there holding it in place while the glue sets.

 

I guess this is a learning experience, but I just wish I'd made the mistake on different frags. Sigh.

 

 

If I understand this correctly, you sprayed the accelorator over the whole mounted coral and all?

 

I'm not familiar with the type of accelerator you used but have always thought you sprayed it, added the glue or the other way around, and then positioned the frag on that.

 

Another way, which is what I use, it to apply the glue, dip it in sea water for a second or two, position the frag and then put in a low flow area for an hour or two. I personally have never used an accelerator.

You might find that the glue will adhear better with the method above.

Does your glue reguire an accelerator? If so, you might consider switching to one that does not.

[flowerseller]

I can probably spare a frag to help cut your loses.

Try this next time,

Apply a dap a glue, position the frag and then dip it for like 5 seconds in seawater (tank).

It will skin over rather quickly and you can then place it in a low flow area for an hour or two. Then move it to a higher flow area.

[lanman]

Yea, that's basically what happened. The way it was described, it sounded like it was pretty instantaneous, so I figured you had to have it how you wanted it when you put the accelerator on. I didn't *try* to spray over the whole mounted coral, but you can't really direct spray.

 

No, the glue doesn't require accelerator. I got that on advice to save the time of sitting there holding it in place while the glue sets.

 

I guess this is a learning experience, but I just wish I'd made the mistake on different frags. Sigh.

 

The accelerator does speed things up. If you have a tall, skinny frag, and you're trying to mount it on a skinny end, it helps. But generally speaking (like 2 minutes ago) - you can do as Flowerseller said - dip it and it will start to skin over a bit, put the frag plug in a holder, or the frag disk flat, in a bowl of water - and in a few seconds it will be thick enough to 'balance' it while it hardens.

 

Edit: Forgot - sometimes I go back after it's stuck, and add a little more superglue if I think it needs it.

 

And now back to mounting my frags...

 

bob

Edited April 29, 2007 by lanman

[rsarvis]

I really appreciate the offer, that's very generous of you. I hate to take something off your hands without paying just 'cause I screwed up. I'll be back in the market soon, though, and I know you sell some pretty cool frags, so I'll no doubt be by. Thanks for the advice. And thanks to Lanman, too.

 

I can probably spare a frag to help cut your loses.

Try this next time,

Apply a dap a glue, position the frag and then dip it for like 5 seconds in seawater (tank).

It will skin over rather quickly and you can then place it in a low flow area for an hour or two. Then move it to a higher flow area.

[lanman]

I really appreciate the offer, that's very generous of you. I hate to take something off your hands without paying just 'cause I screwed up. I'll be back in the market soon, though, and I know you sell some pretty cool frags, so I'll no doubt be by. Thanks for the advice. And thanks to Lanman, too.

 

Being rather new, I don't have a lot of things fraggable yet - but I'm getting there. It's a bit of a drive for you, but if some Sunday you decide you feel like a road trip in the country - I can easily give you some Green star polyps, blue mushrooms, green frilly mushroom, orange montipora digitata frag, green laser mushroom, and a few orange zoa's. And who knows what else. I'll be moving all of my stuff from the 45 gallon tank to a 58-gallon tank sometime in the next 48-72 hours. I may end up with some frags I hadn't planned on.

 

Almost all of us have extra 'stuff' - our frag tanks runneth over.

 

bob

[flowerseller]

I really appreciate the offer, that's very generous of you. I hate to take something off your hands without paying just 'cause I screwed up. I'll be back in the market soon, though, and I know you sell some pretty cool frags, so I'll no doubt be by. Thanks for the advice. And thanks to Lanman, too.

We both gotta be in the market though. Unfortunately, it's a one way market in your favor. How about a golden digi you can make several frags from. Real fuzzy and often develops a blue/purple tip.

[rsarvis]

Wow, thanks, that would be awesome. Feel free to give me a call at your convenience. 510-681-4996. I am at home working all day.

 

We both gotta be in the market though. Unfortunately, it's a one way market in your favor. How about a golden digi you can make several frags from. Real fuzzy and often develops a blue/purple tip.

[Rascal]

If you want to practice your fragging & frag mounting skills, I will be fragging another piece off of my deep purple monti digis (brown polyps, pinkish-purple base) sometime in the next week. Bring a plug or a piece of rubble and you can mount it yourself and take it away. I use loctite superglue gel but you could bring your own if you'd like. Not the prettiest coral, but it's practically bulletproof which makes it a good one to start with. Here are a few cuttings I made last week from the same coral:

 

 

LMK

[Lee Stearns]

I always have frags available for the cutting as well- It would be helpfull if you brought rubble that you wanted it mounted to - otherwise I have some disks- PM me for my address and time to meet-

Regards,

[lanman]

So - did any of those frags come back to life?? Or are they all still apparently dead?

 

SteveOutlaw might PAY you to practice gluing frags... I think he must have 50 of them in a bucket that need to be mounted, after his tank move. (he laughs... knowing that he's doing the same thing REAL soon)

 

bob

[rsarvis]

Nope, just took a look at them, and they look totally barren...

 

So - did any of those frags come back to life?? Or are they all still apparently dead?

 

SteveOutlaw might PAY you to practice gluing frags... I think he must have 50 of them in a bucket that need to be mounted, after his tank move. (he laughs... knowing that he's doing the same thing REAL soon)

 

bob

[flowerseller]

Wow, thanks, that would be awesome. Feel free to give me a call at your convenience. 510-681-4996. I am at home working all day.

Just saw this, I'll call you today.