How do you frag your SPS?

[Guest Kimo]

How do you all frag your SPS?  Wire cutters?  Needle Nose pliers?  Your fingers?

 

I have only really fragged montipora, and I am looking for advice on how to frag my SPS corals.  With the montipora I just grab it and break it off with my fingers.  Usually, I have monti frags laying all over the bottom of my tank from accidentially breaking off branches when I am cleaning the tank.  They grow so fast they encrust on whatever they're touching and voila - instant frag.

 

I have a staghorn acro that has had significant die off (during a kalk incident last year) and I'd like to frag off the healthy tissue and attach it to a rock so I can mount it in my 180.  I don't want to kill the thing!  I would like to glue the 3-4 healthy branches to a rock so it can encrust.  I'm planning on using superglue - I hate the epoxy.  I have had better luck using superglue when I get frags from other reefers and mount them.

 

Also - Would it be better to mount it vertical or horizontal?  TRT had an AWESOME stag that was mounted horizontal.  I wish I had an extra $60!

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Jamie

[Coral Hind]

I use clean diagonal cutters or wire cutters.  If you have chromed ones it helps with the rusting.

 

My experience is when you mount them vertical they tend to just keep growing straight up without much branching or encrusting.  When mounted horizontally several branches will form from the base growing up wards.  Looks alot better.

[michaelg]

The pliers I use are like needle nose pliers, but not super thin.  Depends someone on how thick and strong the branch is as to what will work best.

Definately mount horizontally- you will get good encrusting this way and new branches form immediately.  I did this with a frag of staghorn from reefmon in the new tank and it already had a tip growing out the broken end, and several popping up along the lateral line.  Pretty sweet.

 

Michael

[Marty]

You may pay a little more, but you can get stainless steel tools at several places including SCUBA supply shops or marine supply shops.  You probably can get stainless fishing pliers at Sports Authority or Galyans.  West Marine has several pliers either for boats or fishing for $20-50.  They're durable and rust resistent.

 

mc