When to remove coral from frag plugs

[TheWalkman99]

Ive had corals in my tank for three weeks now. Most of them are still on plugs and not glued down. Do I can move them around the tank if need be. But now it’s frustrating because it seems every day when I get home I have another coral that got knocked down and I have to put back in place.
At what point is a good time to glue the coral to the rock work? Should I remove the corals from the plug or make the plug small as possible? Also any good recommendations on what glue to use?

 

[Heinbaughb]

Super glue gel from harbor freight works well for glueing corals and plugs to rocks. It comes in a 10 pack so you can just throw the tube away when you’re done. Make a superglue bubble on the coral while holding it outside the tank then hold it in place against the rock for a few seconds and it should stay.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

I personally don't like the look of the frag plug. Almost all of mine come off the plug when I dip. The only ones I have left on plugs are some acan enchinata in the sand bed and the only reason I left them is because if I don't my pistol shrimp will steal them to decorate his entrance. I have had good luck with super glue gel just make sure it is a cyanoacrylate.

 

[TheWalkman99]

What’s the best way to pop off corals like acans or blastos off the plugs?

 

[maevepotter]

How much space do you leave to grow around a specific coral?

 

[Kellie in CA]

If you don't wait so long that the coral grows onto the plug itself, it's usual pretty easy to just pop them off with a flathead screwdriver. I have no plugs in my tank at all.

I usually let the frags sit in the sand bed for the first few days just to get used to things. Then, the plug comes off and they are glued in place.

 

[Mikedawg]

What’s the best way to pop off corals like acans or blastos off the plugs?

I use a pair of pliers to remove corals from plugs; one to hold the plug and the other to begin breaking off parts of the plug with the expectation that the entire plug will be broken off soon. This technique avoids making direct contact with the base of the coral and works every time.

I usually keep frags on plugs until corals have acclimated to light/flow because they are easier for me to move around. Once I'm happy with placement (appropriate conditions including room to grow) I pop them off and glue them.

 

[divewsharks]

Ive had corals in my tank for three weeks now. Most of them are still on plugs and not glued down. Do I can move them around the tank if need be. But now it’s frustrating because it seems every day when I get home I have another coral that got knocked down and I have to put back in place.
At what point is a good time to glue the coral to the rock work? Should I remove the corals from the plug or make the plug small as possible? Also any good recommendations on what glue to use?

Before a coral goes in my tank, I remove the frag plug. I hate the look of them plus equally as important; it's a good place for unwanted pests to hide.
I glue my frags to rock rubble. I can then easily move these around if I need too, to find the happy spot for the given coral.
They also blend in so much better.

 

[Mikedawg]

How much space do you leave to grow around a specific coral?

I think it really depends on how aggressive they are and maximum length of mesenterial filaments, aesthetics, growth rates, etc.

 

[TheWalkman99]

Hhm I’ll start popping some of mine off the frag plugs. I broke most of the stems of the plugs so I have just the disk there’s just a few corals I’m nervous to break off the plug.
Also I’m nervous to glue anything because then it feels like it will be permanent.

 

[Mikedawg]

Hhm I’ll start popping some of mine off the frag plugs. I broke most of the stems of the plugs so I have just the disk there’s just a few corals I’m nervous to break off the plug.
Also I’m nervous to glue anything because then it feels like it will be permanent.

Understand, it took me a few times to feel comfortable "unplugging" my frags and I soon realized that you really can't mess it up. And, oftentimes you can simply place a coral frag in some rock work (maybe even brace it with some rubble) to see how well it does/looks.
Go for it and good luck.

 

[TheWalkman99]

Thanks for the advice I think that will be my tank project this weekend to pop some of the corals off the plugs.
My Stylophora corals got a head start. When I came home it was off of the plug!

 

[divewsharks]

If you want something pre-fabbed to mount your corals to, you can use https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/r...1-free-item-per-order-free-over-20-real-reef/
then you can move these around the tank. When in the final happy spot, you can glue them down to the rock work in the tank.