how to mount a huge frag

[dark8nge1]

My friend gave me a frag that's not really a frag. It's two branches that are about 3+ inches long. Everytime I try and mount it it just falls over. Can I just stick it in a hole or something?

[alton]

Frag of what type of Coral?

[dark8nge1]

looks like a green slimer but its purple

[cpreefguy]

I would use super glue gel. If youre going to glue it on a rock already in your tank, take the glue and put it on your fingers (get them wet first), and spread it on the rock where you want to attach the frag. Then, dry off an area on the frag where you want to glue it, and put a big old glob of glue on the spot. Then, glue it to the spot where you put the glue on your rock, slightly twisting back and fourth until it holds.
You could also take a big piece of live rock rubble and glue it to that, and then stick it in your tank

[GaryP]

Try mounting it out of the tank on a piece of rubble or a small piece of LR first. Then find a hole to put the rock into. For larger frags the epoxy putty sometimes works better. However, the surfaces you put it on have to be very clean. I use a tooth brush size wire brush to get a really clean surface.

[matt]

Be careful of that epoxy; it will make your skimmer go absolutely nuts for several days. I used it once on one small spot in a 100 gallon tank and could not use my skmmer for almost a week.

90% of coral deaths that's I've experienced have been because I did not mount them firmly glued in place, and they eventually get knocked over by a hermit or something, usually face first into the sand or another coral. If you can find just the exact right hole, it might work, but you're always better off gluing it to a rock with crazy glue gel. Also, most corals will have to encrust securely before they'll start growing at the branches, and by far the fastest way to get them to encrust is to glue them cleanly. You can use a small piece of live rock rubble as Gary says, but then you have to glue the LR rubble somewhere secure. This method does have the advantage of allowing you to experiment a little with finding the right spot for the coral to best grow.

[GaryP]

Slimers usually encrust really fast. They will lay down a good base before they start to grow vertically. Mine encrusted for almost a year before it started to grow up. Now its growing like crazy.

[caferacermike]

I've been laying mine in places I think will work and if they polyp well for a few days I hold them in place and glue them underwater. the Loctite gel seems to work extremely well underwater. It doesn't take much but you do have to hold it for about 1 minute as it stays kind of gooey until it sets up. I realize that others say not to glue directly to rocks as you may want to move them at a later date but my current layout does not allow me to keep adding more rock to my tank as it is jammed packed as it is. I've also easily glued a cap to the back of my glass hoping it will encrust and grow a shelf from the glass. Took me only about 1 minute and it was a 3" piece.

I have to thank ScubaSteveO of SA and Fishypets of Cedar Park for getting me hooked on SPS. You both rock.

[fishypets]

Or you could break it into two smaller pieces and give me one!

[dark8nge1]

haha... ive seen your stuff... i think i need to be getting things from you not the other way around