aquamom February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 Hi all. I just got the opportunity to pick up a few corals but the only catch is that I have to frag them myself. I can pretty much take all of it. There are some zoas, a lot from what I can see from the pictures, some Xenia and leathers. So, anyone have any tips? I have looked up some videos on YouTube and will keep look some more up later. I really don't have anything except a razor blade so far. I'll have to pick up a few more things I suppose. I'm hoping they will let me take the rock the zoas are on instead of trying to forage them all out. Any tips though anyone has would be much appreciated! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 Just a few thoughts: 1st tip: Decide in advance what you want to take and the environment that you'll be putting them in. Investigate the propensity of Xenia to spread and become a nuissance. Investigate allelopathy, or the chemical warfare that corals can wage (especially leathers). 2nd tip: Recognize that some corals contain varying amounts of toxins, one of which is palytoxin found in palythoas and zoanthids. Most that I've seen are a fairly low risk but some in the area are quite potent. Not to scare you - I just want you to be aware. 3rd tip: Wear gloves and safety glasses when fragging - especially zoas. 4th tip: Be aware of coral pests (red bugs, flat worms, etc.) and look carefully at the tank before taking frags. This will, hopefully, help you avoid introducing pests into your tank. 5th tip: Dip your frags when you get home. Quarantine them if you can in a separate tank. Be aware that everybody says that QT is a good idea but not everybody practices it. Just a fact of the hobby. When fragging soft corals like xenia or leathers, you have to find some way of mounting them to a substrate (like a rock) when you're done. They often don't glue down very well because they slime up. You can usually tie them down or lace them down to a rock or a plug with thread by basically sewing them (with a needle) to the substrate. After fragging and mounting, put them in an area with decent flow. Some people will give their soft corals an iodine dip after fragging to help reduce infection. With zoas, it's easier to cut them with a blade and then to gouge them out with some of the rock or substrate under them. A flat head screwdriver works well for the gouging part. This gives you some solid surface that you can use to glue them down to a frag plug using super glue gel. If this tank has hard, branching corals (like SPS), then you basically want to break branches off and take the branches with you. You can do that easily enough for most corals by just grabbing them with a pair of pliers (underwater) and just giving a little twist. Bag them separately in zip lock bags (freezer bags or double up on sandwich bags) using tank water from the tank that you're taking them from. Transport them home in an Igloo (or some sort of cooler) to help keep the temperature stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamom February 2, 2016 Author Share February 2, 2016 Very excellent tips. Thank you very much! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamom February 2, 2016 Author Share February 2, 2016 Thanks!! I'm sure I will! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads February 3, 2016 Share February 3, 2016 Tom gave you some great tips! One thing you really should key in on is the part about the environment you will put them into. Really try to plan where you want things to go, and remember that coral will grow so what looks like a sparsely populated area of a tank can quickly become overcrowded as things start to grow. A little preplanning will save you in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBR February 3, 2016 Share February 3, 2016 Really try to plan where you want things to go, and remember that coral will grow so what looks like a sparsely populated area of a tank can quickly become overcrowded as things start to grow. A little preplanning will save you in the future. No doubt! This... turned into this, where it eventually broker under its own weight (lower left corner of the photo). What a (fun) mess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamom February 3, 2016 Author Share February 3, 2016 No doubt! This... turned into this, where it eventually broker under its own weight (lower left corner of the photo). What a (fun) mess... Wow, that is some crazy growth!! Here I am scrounging around for corals to put in my tank and other ppl are overrun by them!! Thanks for the post Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamom February 3, 2016 Author Share February 3, 2016 Tom gave you some great tips! One thing you really should key in on is the part about the environment you will put them into. Really try to plan where you want things to go, and remember that coral will grow so what looks like a sparsely populated area of a tank can quickly become overcrowded as things start to grow. A little preplanning will save you in the future. Thanks, I'm going to try to keep that in mind. I'm not sure I have the whole concept yet on how I want things to develop but I this is going to help a lot Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamom February 3, 2016 Author Share February 3, 2016 So, I'm thinking of picking up a scalpel if I can and I'll take a screwdriver so far. Some ziplock bags. I will have to pick up some rubble or plugs too. You sure can't find them over here where I live. I guess I'll have to run in someplace when I go over to Baltimore. That's where the corals are too. Anything else I need to take along feel free to chime in again! Thanks again to everyone for your help! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 3, 2016 Share February 3, 2016 Super glue gel from the Dollar Store or someplace? If you have a piece of reef rock that's not being used, you can also break it up and make your own rubble. Another hint: For some soft corals like leathers, xenia and the like: You can sandwich them between a two pieces of rubble and use a rubber band to basically hold the assembly together. Put it in an area with good flow and in a few weeks, the coral will grow attach to the rubble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamom February 3, 2016 Author Share February 3, 2016 Oh I like that idea. Sounds much easier than fishing line or rubber bands. And yes, super glue!! My main concern really is if the zoas are going to be a little tough. They seem a lot more challenging. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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