Coral Frag Holder

[wkopplin]

What is the best thing to use to hold coral frags? I am terrible at getting them superglued to rocks. They never set right and they fall off.

[pilot_bell777]

Depends on that it is....some I put a tooth pick through and then ruber band the tooth pick to the rock until they take hold, others I have used Superglue Gel, some I just put a rock on top of until they take hold to the other rock......

[wkopplin]

I need to clarify that. I want to mount sps frags. The superglue technique is a mess for me and I was really looking into the rose holders, but I do not know where to buy them. I doubt a florist would sell just those.

I will go to Lowe's and see if I can find something I can use there.

[pilot_bell777]

Probably find them at a hobby lobby or somewhere like that.....

[wkopplin]

I will check there. There is one on my way home. Never been in there.

[R_S_C]

hobby lobby carries the flower picks in an assortment of sizes. i hard mount mine with the coral puddy you can pick up in tubes. works great and the corals overgrow it quickly.

[pilot_bell777]

You might ask a florist too......they might sell you a hand full?? Just a thought?

[prof]

Flower picks...You can find them at any craft store. Micheals, Garden Ridge, etc.

What superglue are you using? I use regular super glue gel. The gel is the important part. It works well but the snails and crabs usually knock frags down a couple of times before the frag encrusts. For larger frags I use the two part epoxy to glue them down.

Bridal veil and a rubber band works well for soft corals. Just leave them bundled to a rock until they attach.

I also do my best to find natural holes in the rocks to give them a better chance of staying.

[pilot_bell777]

Something I found with the superglue gel is if you dry the spot where you are wanting to attach it real good and then put a pretty good little puddle ( I look for natural little holes or crevises in the rock), then put the frag in there it usally holds pretty good and give it about a minute or two before sticking it back in the water.....JIME

[brewercm]

I was using the 2 part putty myself for SPS frags and them stck them into a small hole in the LR if that's available. If not it takes a little while for the putty to set really well.

[GaryP]

My wife got 100 of them from a floral supply place for a few bucks. If you want some, let me know. BTW, they are called water picks.

If you want more than 10-20, let me know and I'll let you know where to get them. I got them for a meeting at Jim's house that we never made it to.

Gary

[Ram_Puppy]

something easier than birdal veil for softies, look at HEB in the veggie section they will usually have a free floating 'stand' of usefull crap, like tools to juliett a raddish and crap... on that stand they will also have little tiny elastic lined nets for squeezing lemons... small enough to put a frag on a decent sized rock, remove, rinse, repeat.

[lax]

i prefer super glue gel over epoxy for mounting sps frags, considerably less noticeable ugliness, smaller area to encrust over.

tip on superglue gel:

get sps frag
pat dry with paper towel on area to glue
apply super glue gel to area, hold underwater for few seconds till it turns milky white
take outa tha tank and apply just a little more over the existing glue
find lil crevis, divet, etc.. as said previous
put frag in selected area but make sure that you work it in there by twisting and turning, i usually check to make sure that its a good hold when i pick it up a little and see some glue making a connection b/w the rock and frag
frag might want to fall or lean to one side, i usually lightly support the desired position until it doesnt lean over by itself anymore

note on superglue: gel is for porous materials ie. rock; regular stuff is for non porus material ie. your old brick of a cell phone stuck to the bullseye at the firing range