What are your preferred tools/methods for fragging corals?

soggytees · Mar 15, 2015

This should be an interesting discussion. What are your preferred "tools of the trade"? Do you use a prepackaged coral propagation kit, or did you build your own? What do you use when you frag corals?

(Btw, If you'd like a cool "Tools of the Trade" shirt, click on the above picture.)

tyler1503 · Mar 16, 2015

I use razor blades, diagonal pliers and $2 super glue

GlassMunky · Mar 16, 2015

what is the syringe for???? :-/

soggytees · Mar 16, 2015

GlassMunky said:
what is the syringe for???? :-/

Coral Anesthesia! :tongue: JK I didn't take the picture, so I can make jokes.

I have used syringes in my tank for dosing, target feeding, measuring reagents in testing, etc.

soggytees · Mar 16, 2015

tyler1503 said:
I use razor blades, diagonal pliers and $2 super glue

Cool! Fragging definitely doesn't necessarily require a high dollar tool kit (although some of the propagation kits are very nice).

soggytees · Mar 16, 2015

I added a poll to the post. Be sure to vote! :thumb:

firstlight10 · Mar 16, 2015

I have a discount tool store nearby. Any tools used for either the tank or fiberglassing come from there then thrown away when they become nasty.

RobberyinCSharp1824 · Mar 16, 2015

I tried using a razor blade/exacto knife and it only worked for some of my coral! I've lost a few acans that way.... Any pro tips to share? [emoji14]

RobberyinCSharp1824 · Mar 16, 2015

tyler1503 said:
I use razor blades, diagonal pliers and $2 super glue

I tried using a razor blade/exacto knife and it only worked for some of my coral! I've lost a few acans that way.... Any pro tips to share? [emoji14]<br/>

GreatWhiteTang · Mar 16, 2015

Any sps/Lps will generally need bone cutters, bone saw, dremel, or bandsaw works best.. Anything else I generally use exacto and super glue gel

GreatWhiteTang · Mar 16, 2015

RobberyinCSharp1824 said:
I tried using a razor blade/exacto knife and it only worked for some of my coral! I've lost a few acans that way.... Any pro tips to share? [emoji14]<br/>

Did u attempt to cut acans with a blade? This skeleton is bone and will require something more suitable for cutting rock/bone

tyler1503 · Mar 16, 2015

RobberyinCSharp1824 said:
I tried using a razor blade/exacto knife and it only worked for some of my coral! I've lost a few acans that way.... Any pro tips to share? [emoji14]<br/>

Softies only

You could use a blade to cut the flesh, but the skeleton needs something like diagonal pliers, bone cutters etc.

RobberyinCSharp1824 · Mar 17, 2015

GreatWhiteTang said:
Did u attempt to cut acans with a blade? This skeleton is bone and will require something more suitable for cutting rock/bone

I did; right at the base. Wound up cracking it (of course) and it died. Newbie mistake.. Except now I'm terrified to frag anything or remove coral from plugs, so most of my coral are in the sand or balanced on the rocks with their plugs! Looks rotten :/

tyler1503 said:
Softies only
You could use a blade to cut the flesh, but the skeleton needs something like diagonal pliers, bone cutters etc.

Definitely going with softies! Should those be put in iodine or anything after they've been cut? I've seen mixed reviews. I've been interested in trying bone cutters but I'm terrified of damaging the base of a coral to the point where death is inevitable. Especially dremels - those seem particularly good at cleanup, but I've heard stories about pros even killing their coral with them. It all scares new haha [emoji15]

GreatWhiteTang · Mar 17, 2015

Yeah i use a local guys diamond band saw for everything but softies.

tyler1503 · Mar 17, 2015

RobberyinCSharp1824 said:
I did; right at the base. Wound up cracking it (of course) and it died. Newbie mistake.. Except now I'm terrified to frag anything or remove coral from plugs, so most of my coral are in the sand or balanced on the rocks with their plugs! Looks rotten :/

Definitely going with softies! Should those be put in iodine or anything after they've been cut? I've seen mixed reviews. I've been interested in trying bone cutters but I'm terrified of damaging the base of a coral to the point where death is inevitable. Especially dremels - those seem particularly good at cleanup, but I've heard stories about pros even killing their coral with them. It all scares new haha [emoji15]

Softies are way underrated

I've never dipped them in anything afterwards except tank water to rinse them off. I've never lost a piece before, but all the softies I've fragged have been bulletproof lol. I just add a small blob of glue and a loose rubber band to secure them to a piece of rubble rock and they usually come back a day or so after attaching. The glue doesn't always hold though, sometimes they need to naturally attach. I've always wanted to try surgical scissors for fragging softies but have never had the chance.
I believe the dremels produce quite a lot of heat and that's one of the reasons frags can be lost. I've never used one before and I've only done minimal LPS and SPS fragging in the past, so take that with a grain of salt.

soggytees · Mar 17, 2015

I'm thinking for acans, favias, etc. (not necessarily ALL LPS...but certainly for a lot of them) a band saw is generally the best tool. Unfortunately, it also ends up being the most expensive...but if you intend to keep on fragging these corals, it's a pretty worthwhile investment IMO.