Gorgonian fragging tips?

[smokythemattman@gmail.com]

There isn't alot of info on how to do this strangely. I have a giant purple gorgonian I need to start chopping. I was planning on just snipping it with bone cutters/ a razor. Can you just glue the base like with SPS? Or does it shed like softies and you have to attach it with rubber bands. 

 

Id like to make a couple frags of it myself to move it around my tank more and sell a bunch to others. I have no clue what kind of gorgonian it is just purple and certainly one of the hardier varieties my guess is antillogorgia

[WheresTheReef]

It has a skeleton in the middle almost like a wire. Use a razor blade to cut the tissue off to expose approximately 1/2-3/4" of the skeleton. Take some reef epoxy and create a small ball. Then poke a small hole in the epoxy using the skeleton tip you exposed. Put glue in the hole you just created in the epoxy and insert the gorgonian skeleton in the hole. The glue will hold it. If you don't remove the tissue it will rot. The gorgonian will eventually encrust over the epoxy. The epoxy holding the frag can be glued to a rock or plug. Hopefully this makes sense. It does in my head :).

[WheresTheReef]

If a rock has a small hole you can glue the exposed skeleton directly into it as well.

[smokythemattman@gmail.com]

Perfect thanks so much! 

[lowsingle]

I cut my old one with scissors and then superglue it to a frag plug.

 

Darren

 

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

It may partially depend on the species you're using.   But I used to have Pterogorgia anceps, the "purple sea blade" or somesuch.  I fragged it exactly as these folks described with no issues.    Having/drilling a hole in the rock to glue it into is also super helpful, even for sand-dwelling species like P. anceps.   (in which case I drilled it into a small rock i mostly buried in the sand)