I need a lesson

[Braves Fan]

This seems like a no brainer, but clearly I am doing something wrong. I have tried to make a few frags of some Polyps of Zoas and in my tank and at first I thought I was using to much glue on my frags ( which I am sure I was) but I get the same results with either alot of glue or alittle glue. I have some or all of my Zoas coming unglued after about a week and a half to two weeks after I make the frag and they are lost into the depths of my tank, never to be seen again. What I do is this: I get three bowls of saltwater out of my tank, and then get the mother colony of the zoas, cut the zoas or polys off the colony and sit them into one of the bowls, then I get my frag plug, dry it with a paper towel and then dry the zoas or polys with the paper towel and then apply some glue to the plug and insert the polyps into the glue. I then take the frag and put it into the second bowl and let it sit in the bowl for a bit to get any glue film off the frag and then put the frag into the third and last bowl and let the frag sit in there and then into my big tank. Also, I am using Losk Tite super glue from Lowes. Anybody have a clue as to what I am doing wrong here? I am tired of losing polyps.

 

[Yellowtang]

The only things I see different that I do is. I apply the super glue gel. and I apply the glue to the polyps and the plug then stick the glue together. hth

JR,

 

[xrayrider]

I usually have better luck, if I can cut off the polyps with a little of the live rock still attached to them. I glue the live rock to the frag plug, rather than the polyps. Sometimes the polyps become irritated by the glue, and sluff off the tissue that is glued, and roll away. If you can include some of the rock they are attached to, and that should help alot.

 

[Braves Fan]

Those two sugestions make since to me. Its hard to cut off a piece of a frag plug. I will try putting glue on both the poly and the plug next time and see what happens.

 

[xrayrider]

Get a good pair of wire cutters, or some well made tree pruning shiers. They will cut both live rock, and frag plugs. A diamond wheel on a drimel will cut anything, if you can take it out of the water.

 

[mfinn]

I like to cut through the rock with a pair of wiss m2 tin snips. Sometimes I will use a exacto knife and cut through the mat and cut under it trying to cut rock as I go making sure not to cut into the base of the polyps.
I use the BSI IC-GEL super glue, but any ethyl cyanoacrylate gel will do.
Once thepolyps are cut off the rock, I'll dab the base on a paper towel, apply a gob of glue and stick the polyps in it and put it in a bowel of water for a minute and then into a low flow area of my tank for a couple days, then into a regular spot.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

If your cutting just flesh and are not getting any of the plug or rock underneath then chance are the flesh will not attach to the glue and will in fact just die, and blow away.

 

[Braves Fan]

Thanks for the lesson, I will try and do a better job the next time. I will let you know how it comes out, lol.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I know I use glue and then wedding vale not too tight though hold the vale on with a couple rubber bands. after a week that bad boy is stuck on the rock and growing. thats what works for me. but you may want to check the flow it is in. as to why it keeps moving. from the glue.

 

[ahayes13]

if use my scalpel and just press firmly underneath and get a lil' sliver of the top of the rock with the zoas i want on it and they stay much better. or at least try to get a little matting and that also makes a huge difference.
i use the loctite glue too and love it.