Removing frags from plugs

[ReefGirl87]

Hello- trying to find out if my SPS frags would be fine if I were take them off the plug and attach them directly to my rock with some epoxy... really don’t want to stare at plugs for months...I will be removing them anyways to be dipped before going in my tank. Any tips and or tricks to this process?
Thanks!

 

[PeaBrain]

New guy advice here, but I have had best luck using a sharp blade to remove them at the base of the coral, and attaching them to the desired rock with good old super glue, but it works so much better if you can remove the rock from the tank first and then glue, then replace it all back in the tank.

 

[RCS82]

If the frag is encrusting the plug, which is always nice, I just take some pliers and snip the bottom off the plug and glue the plug top to the rocks. Basically turning a frag plug into a frag disc, its simple.

Once encrusting covers the frag plug top it's tough to tell what's under there anyways.

 

[Pdash]

Hello- trying to find out if my SPS frags would be fine if I were take them off the plug and attach them directly to my rock with some epoxy... really don’t want to stare at plugs for months...I will be removing them anyways to be dipped before going in my tank. Any tips and or tricks to this process?
Thanks!

To remove from the plug you can usually place your bone cutters around where the glue is attaching the frag to the plug and gently apply pressure, and it should just pop off the plug. You can then trim the old glue off or encase it in new glue.

I like to get a small ball of epoxy put a big dab of super glue gel on in, spray it with an accelerator then very quickly place the frag or frag plug on it, so the frag is secured to the epoxy. Then I place a generous ammount of glue on the underside of the epoxy, and place on the rock. I find it helps to twist the plug/frag around a bit then hold in place for 30 seconds or so to get good adhesion. When the frag is in place you can use your finger to smush glue and or epoxy around the outside of the frag into the rock for better adhesion and well. Hope this helps.

 

[W1ngz]

All of the answers above are right, it just depends on the situation.

If it's a tall frag encrusting the plug, I cut the frag off the plug and glue it down, and then leave the encrusted plug in my rack for it to grow into a new frag.
If it's a fresh frag with a blob of glue, just pry the glue off the plug with a pointy knife.
If it's a stubby encrusted frag, then some solid cutters can easily cut the stem off the underside of the plug. Glue the remaining disk into a depression or hole in the rock and in time it won't be visible.

 

[dadnjesse]

If the frag is encrusting the plug, which is always nice, I just take some pliers and snip the bottom off the plug and glue the plug top to the rocks. Basically turning a frag plug into a frag disc, its simple.

Once encrusting covers the frag plug top it's tough to tell what's under there anyways.

I do the same just cut the stem off the plug and glue that to the rock. You risk damaging the frag otherwise.