New acro's w/dead base...

[kaceyo]

Hey all, I just got a few acro frags on a live sale earlier this week and notice that two of them have a small dead area where they are attached to the plug. Not much, about 1/4" on one and 1/8" on the other. Do I need to cover over the dead areas with glue or apoxy so the places where the flesh meets the dead coral isn't exposed? Seams I read something about that somewhere. Or maybe break down and buy a pair of coral clippers to remove the dead area, though it sounds scary to cut into the flesh of the coral to remove the dead spots.
Please let me know if any or all of these would work, or if leaving it alone for awhile would be best

Thanks

 

[esther]

Hey all, I just got a few acro frags on a live sale earlier this week and notice that two of them have a small dead area where they are attached to the plug. Not much, about 1/4" on one and 1/8" on the other. Do I need to cover over the dead areas with glue or apoxy so the places where the flesh meets the dead coral isn't exposed? Seams I read something about that somewhere. Or maybe break down and buy a pair of coral clippers to remove the dead area, though it sounds scary to cut into the flesh of the coral to remove the dead spots.
Please let me know if any or all of these would work, or if leaving it alone for awhile would be best

Thanks

Do you have any photos? If I were you, I would just place them in the tank (after you've dipped them) and let them heal. You'd be surprised how resilient corals can be. They should grow right over the dead spots.

 

[kaceyo]

Do you have any photos? If I were you, I would just place them in the tank (after you've dipped them) and let them heal. You'd be surprised how resilient corals can be. They should grow right over the dead spots.

WOW...that was quick. I already dipped them and placed them in my rack yesterday. Thanks for the insight. Hope your right.

 

[KrisReef]

As a best practice, remove the corals from the bases and throw away the plugs they came on before you add them to your tank. At that time, gluing over any dead spots or cutting them away is a good idea (unless you got nubs for frags ).

The bases are significant vector points for transmitting hitchhikers from their tank to yours. If you trust the seller is clean then cutting isn't necessary. I've not cut before and had issues so cutting for me is required. Gl

 

[esther]

WOW...that was quick. I already dipped them and placed them in my rack yesterday. Thanks for the insight. Hope your right.

Good luck!

 

[kaceyo]

As a best practice, remove the corals from the bases and throw away the plugs they came on before you add them to your tank. At that time, gluing over any dead spots or cutting them away is a good idea (unless you got nubs for frags ).

The bases are significant vector points for transmitting hitchhikers from their tank to yours. If you trust the seller is clean then cutting isn't necessary. I've not cut before and had issues so cutting for me is required. Gl

 

[kaceyo]

I know that is a common practice for many but I've never done it so it sounds risky. I would have to use clippers so wondered if It could shatter instead of snipping off clean.
Oops! Please combine my last two posts.

 

[kaceyo]

Good luck!

Thanks.

 

[KrisReef]

If they are slightly encrusted on top, sometimes I carefully slide a knife under the frag and pop it off the plug with out cutting anything. If the coral has overgrown the top of the plug you have to cut the living coral to separate things. I’ve used bone cutters, bandsaws, hacksaws, and even pruning shears to cut coral and the better the tools the cleaner the cuts. Finger formed frag growth doesn’t tend to “shatter” really. LPS skeletons will, so cutting a lps is a different task then cutting a Walt Disney Acton.

 

[kaceyo]

If they are slightly encrusted on top, sometimes I carefully slide a knife under the frag and pop it off the plug with out cutting anything. If the coral has overgrown the top of the plug you have to cut the living coral to separate things. I’ve used bone cutters, bandsaws, hacksaws, and even pruning shears to cut coral and the better the tools the cleaner the cuts. Finger formed frag growth doesn’t tend to “shatter” really. LPS skeletons will, so cutting a lps is a different task then cutting a Walt Disney Acton.

Cutting a Walt Disney? I'll have nightmares about that now!!!
These are straight and tall sticks, no branches or bulges or bends. Looks like I have my excuse to order up a frag kit!