Should I pull the plug and glue to a rock?

[exnisstech]

I have this piece that is has more PE than any piece in the tank. I'm not sure how long I've had it because I'm terrible at keeping track. I know it's been over 6 months. It looks great but isn't really growing much. Ive been trying to wait until frags start to encrust on the plug before thinking about glueing them to rock. This one will just not encrust. I don't thinks it's the small amount of algae around the base but am really not sure. I'm still green as far as keeping sticks goes. Wondering what you experienced stick folks would do?

Leave it and keep waiting since it looks healthy.

Use peroxide to kill the algae at the base and see if it encrusts. Worried about damaging /irritating the coral.

Get it off the plug and glue it to a rock under the same par?

 

[X-37B]

I would cut the plug, leave it on the disc, and glue it down
Get some trochus snails to keep algae at bay.

 

[F i s h y]

The algae is likely keeping it from encrusting. In addition, its current growth structure is shading the bottom making it even less likely to encrust there. It wont expand energy to encrust where there is no light.

 

[X-37B]

It will continue to encrust at the base but at a slower rate.
You can scrape off all the algae with a razor knife which I would do if I just brought it home.
I have put many colonies like this from my old 80 on tile and they keep spreading looking for light so yea no issue.

 

[twentyleagues]

Scrape the plug dip the plug in peroxide and put it where you want it. My friend used to cut all sps off the plugs he said it made it grow faster. Did it? I dont know but the nubs left on the plug I took home grew just fine...lol.

 

[Dburr1014]

I use a soft toothbrush and dip that in peroxide and brush off the algae. It bubbles up a little bit where the algae is and then I rinse and repeat until the algae is gone.

 

[exnisstech]

Thanks all. I didn't think just leaving it and waiting was a good choice but thought I should ask. I'll either clean it up and cut the stem and glue it down most likely but I may cut it off and glue it then leave the plug.

My friend used to cut all sps off the plugs he said it made it grow faster. Did it? I dont know but the nubs left on the plug I took home grew just fine...lol.

I've done that with the ones I've cut off the plugs. It's petty cool watching them come back. Free coral lol and growing one from a booger size is kind of fun I think.

 

[kartrsu]

For whatever reason I’ve found that algae tends to not form around epoxy versus superglue and frag plugs, and by that logic, the frag also encrusts way faster. If the peroxide and scraping don’t work, you can cut it and epoxy it with superglue.

 

[twentyleagues]

Thanks all. I didn't think just leaving it and waiting was a good choice but thought I should ask. I'll either clean it up and cut the stem and glue it down most likely but I may cut it off and glue it then leave the plug.


I've done that with the ones I've cut off the plugs. It's petty cool watching them come back. Free coral lol and growing one from a booger size is kind of fun I think.

I got a lot of really nice sps that way free of charge just had to wait a little longer. He would just use his band saw or bone cutters and toss the frag plug in the trash. I was watching him one day he had got like 25 small colonies. I was like "hey wait up your just tossing that! throw it in a bucket for me ill take it home".

 

[Lavey29]

I just let nature figure these little problems out on how to coexist.

 

[exnisstech]

I just let nature figure these little problems out on how to coexist.

Normally I lean that way but I want this one mounted in the tank on the rock not on the rack long term.