Advice in fraging soft coral

[marxsman]

I have lots of soft finger coral and was wondering how to frag or propigate it.

I have been cutting it with a razor and super gluing it to other rocks.

Is there any other way?? recomendations please

[Samper]

The razor is the fastest cleanest cut and will work fine. I don't know how well the superglue will work since they tend to slime up pretty well after being cut.

When I tried my hand at it I used regular scissors and a razor. If I had more time I'd go get some of the smallest zip ties I could find and slowly over a week or so tighten one around a branch until it seperates.

The best way I've found to attach them is to take some rubble, lay the branch across it and weigh it down with another piece of rubble so it can naturally attach. It's best to put the frag close to the same place as it came from. This way you minimize stress and it gets the same amount of light and flow it has been getting.
Good luck

[scubadude]

Alot of soft corals you can use the rubber band method to split them heres a pic compliments of Ricksreefs of him using the rubber band (restriction) method to split his mushrooms. You could even rubber band them to another rock that way they would be totally seperated from each other once they totally seperate, and not on the same rock

[Baywatch Babe]

I use scalpel to cut softies because of its short blade i can cut right down to the very base of the coral, specially finger corals.

I've tried sticking a toothpick right through the coral, a bit obove the cut, place the coral in a small piece of rock then tie the end of the toothpick around the rock with a rubber band. After a week or so the toothpick can then be removed. No sweat!

Super glue works just fine except for the slime so the way best i found to deal with it is to dry the coral part (and also the rock) where you will put the glue with a tissue or cloth,then dipping the fragged coral in a bowl of water to check if it sticks to the rock and remove the excess glue before putting it in the tank.

[scubadude]

I use scalpel to cut softies because of its short blade i can cut right down to the very base of the coral, specially finger corals.

The razor is the fastest cleanest cut and will work fine.

Gia, and Chuck

When you do the cuts w/scalpel or razor do you try to do it in the tank or take the coral out and do it in a bowl of your tank water? The reason I like the restriction method with most softies is because of the slime and release of it into the water column. Naturally sometimes the scalpel/razor is the easiest way to do it sometimes. Also with the bowl out of the tank for cuts can allow for a touch of iodine in your dip for aiding in the healing. Im not saying that the restriction method (ziptie or rubberband) will release less chemicals/slime but I would think that its a slow gradual release vs all at one time and thus giving your skimmer more of a chance to pull it out of the water column.

[Samper]

Rocky,

If I use the scalpel method I usually do it in the tank. It's very hard to do it out of the system in a bowl of water cause the coral shrinks up and it's hard to tell exactly what you're cutting. I would add though that if you were gonna cut it doing it in a bowl would be the best route to go. I personally won't cut in the display again although I saw no ill effects. The zip tie method is much slower but I believe it's almost the most natural way for us to frag them. If you have the time that's the route I'd go.

[Reefland]

I think slicing with a new razor blade is a good approach. Another approach for some is to tough the coral to a rock and once it attaches, give it a quick slice; no need to mess with glue, rubberbands or toothpicks.

[Peterock]

Does this work with frags, because I bought a bunch of frags from the LPS and they are glued to some man made base if I usa a scaple can i just cut them off and put them in the tank where I want them. What to use to hold them down so they dont move or get knocked over

[Reefland]

Pete,

I don't think that I would attempt that simply because fragging is always stressful. If the rubble they are attached to is unattractive either try to hide the base or give it time, it will begin to look more natural.

[Baywatch Babe]

Scubadude:

do you try to do it in the tank or take the coral out and do it in a bowl of your tank water?

The latter = coral out of the tank then cut. I dip the fragged coral in a bowl of tank water before putting it in the tank to remove some of the slime and glue (if I use the glue method).

Peterock:

What to use to hold them down so they dont move or get knocked over

You can use epoxy or super glue to attach the rubble to the rockwork. The use of super glue can be tricky because it hardens easily the moment you put the rubble (with the glue) in the tank, and i usually find myself chasing the floating glue! Others use marine epoxy to attach the rubble. In time, the rubble will be covered with coraline and, as Scott said, it will begin to look more natural.

Gia

[Peterock]

What about if you already have pieces of just corals like yesterday my mushroom was knocked off of its glue base by my turbosnail and now its just lying on the live sand. Also there are some baby pipe organs that i need to put in holes of the LR but my crabs will knock them over if they are not secure.

[Reefland]

I would just try to glue them back in place.

[Peterock]

I am trying to glue 3 small mushrooms to the LR, if i put the glue in the tank it will harden that quick how can i do this without taking the 14lb piece of live rock out the tank.