Attaching Corals to Rock Temporarily

[reelss]

Hi folks,

If I super glue a frag plug onto a rock, how easy is it to move it in the future? I ask because I find it takes a few tried to find a spot a coral is most happy in and I would like the ability to move it around.

 

[sbash]

Depends on the coral, but I would assume we are talking about LPS or SPS here...

First, if you put superglue on live tissue, it will die back. However, once it starts growing it will encrust over the glue and onto the rock or plug...

Now, to answer your actual question. Super glue holds, but not super well, it would be easy to snap off, move and reglue... Heck, I find if I glue a frag onto my rock work, the crabs usually knock it off...

 

[jd371]

When I want to glue something down temporarily I use just the glue. If I want to glue something down and have it stay put I use the glue in conjunction with putty. Glue under frag then press small ball of putty on to it then add some more drops of glue to the putty and press that on to the rock. The putty conforms to the rock and the glue has more surface to bond to and makes the bond stronger.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I put just about the smallest bead of glue down on the frag plug, or whatever the coral is mounted to, and leave an edge or something where I can pry it off later if I figure out that the chosen spot is not good for the coral.