Placement of Montepora frags
- Thread starter newreefman1
- Start date
hmm... why never superglue? I see it as more advantageous than epoxy. Epoxy heats up to startling temperatures while setting. Not only that, epoxy requires significant tissue amounts to be buried in order for a firm growing grasp to be obtained, as compared to the relatively miniscule amount of tissue-media contact with superglue.
Mitch,
Usually, a place is selected, and a mound of kneaded/mixed epoxy (in the shape of something like a volcano), then stuff the base of the frag into the mound of epoxy, therefore the epoxy surrounds and has grasp on a good 0.5-1.0" length of frag (if we are talking about mounting ramose frags, like those of Montipora digitata). I usually push the epoxy that surrounds the frag base in tightly for an extra good measure. Cyanoacrylate (superglue) I've found to be much more reliable in its grip, regardless.
Usually, a place is selected, and a mound of kneaded/mixed epoxy (in the shape of something like a volcano), then stuff the base of the frag into the mound of epoxy, therefore the epoxy surrounds and has grasp on a good 0.5-1.0" length of frag (if we are talking about mounting ramose frags, like those of Montipora digitata). I usually push the epoxy that surrounds the frag base in tightly for an extra good measure. Cyanoacrylate (superglue) I've found to be much more reliable in its grip, regardless.
I make a small ball....place it in the tank on the rock I want..Take the frag(still in the tank) and stick it in the ball. Never had a problem whatsoever. I dont dry out any of my corals when fragging..I do it all in tthe tank with the epoxy and it works great.
What???
I used to have a skimmer and had no problems. If you have a problem with epoxy messing up your skimmer, you either dont know how to use the epoxy....or have something terribly wrong with your skimmer.
How would you figure epoxy(thick and claylike) would clog up a skimmer unless you stick it in your skimmer and plug it up ?
I used to have a skimmer and had no problems. If you have a problem with epoxy messing up your skimmer, you either dont know how to use the epoxy....or have something terribly wrong with your skimmer.
How would you figure epoxy(thick and claylike) would clog up a skimmer unless you stick it in your skimmer and plug it up ?
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by newreefman1:
<strong>What???
I used to have a skimmer and had no problems. If you have a problem with epoxy messing up your skimmer, you either dont know how to use the epoxy....or have something terribly wrong with your skimmer.
How would you figure epoxy(thick and claylike) would clog up a skimmer unless you stick it in your skimmer and plug it up ?
</strong><hr></blockquote>
It does not clog the skimmer, but it does make a mess. When I use epoxy, the skimmer produces about ten times more skimate that normal, and overflows and makes a big mess.
<strong>What???
I used to have a skimmer and had no problems. If you have a problem with epoxy messing up your skimmer, you either dont know how to use the epoxy....or have something terribly wrong with your skimmer.
How would you figure epoxy(thick and claylike) would clog up a skimmer unless you stick it in your skimmer and plug it up ?
It does not clog the skimmer, but it does make a mess. When I use epoxy, the skimmer produces about ten times more skimate that normal, and overflows and makes a big mess.
It shouldnt...Somethings wrong. Its a solid and shouldnt leach anything. I know a ton of people with extra skimming on their tanks that use it and dont complain....weird that you had problems...Were you using a specific type?
Ive never heard this.. I now dont use a skimmer so I wouldnt have this problem but when I did.....as mentioned before, I didn't have any excess skimming.
Anyone else have any issues with excess skimming with epoxy use? It should harden in a few mins and then never be an issue.
j
Ive never heard this.. I now dont use a skimmer so I wouldnt have this problem but when I did.....as mentioned before, I didn't have any excess skimming.
Anyone else have any issues with excess skimming with epoxy use? It should harden in a few mins and then never be an issue.
j
Yes the epoxy will cause the skimmer to produce excess bubbles. IF you read the lable of the "Two Little Fishes" brand epoxy there is a warning on the lable to turn off or reduce your skimming if using large amounts of the product.
PS - My skimmer goes nuts when I use it.
Steve
PS - My skimmer goes nuts when I use it.
Steve
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by newreefman1:
<strong>It shouldnt...Somethings wrong. Its a solid and shouldnt leach anything. I know a ton of people with extra skimming on their tanks that use it and dont complain....weird that you had problems...Were you using a specific type?
j</strong><hr></blockquote>just becouse it is a solid does not mean that it will not leak any thing. This hobby would be a lot different if solids did not leak stuff.
<strong>It shouldnt...Somethings wrong. Its a solid and shouldnt leach anything. I know a ton of people with extra skimming on their tanks that use it and dont complain....weird that you had problems...Were you using a specific type?
j</strong><hr></blockquote>just becouse it is a solid does not mean that it will not leak any thing. This hobby would be a lot different if solids did not leak stuff.
Super glue gel is my choice for adhering frags in my prop. tank or reef aquarium. I hate the epoxy as it does make the skimmer go crazy. Then again I have ecosystems and no skimmer now. Do you know the approximate lighting these frags came from?? If you do you can place them accordingly in your tank, if you don't I would try them mid tank and if these are the brightly colored montipora would move them up later, as the frags acclimate. These usually are very hardy sps corals and a great one as they grow fast and can have brilliant colors. HTH...
my 180 ecosystem sps tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members
my 180 ecosystem sps tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members
Thanks for the info. Mitch, you can steal my thread anytime!
It is a digitata. One frag has the tissue sloughing off, but the other two are doing fine. Does anyone have a picture of good polyp extension on a Montipora digitata so I know what to look for?
Ernie
It is a digitata. One frag has the tissue sloughing off, but the other two are doing fine. Does anyone have a picture of good polyp extension on a Montipora digitata so I know what to look for?
Ernie
The frags you bought were being grown under 400 w Metal Halide lighting (10,00k I believe)
The grow out tank is roughly a 15'l x 15'w x 3'd (Yes feet) tank. dont know how many gallons but large!
The halides are suspended about 3ft above the water surface and the frags you got were only about 2" below the surface of the water. There are about 6 or 8 light fixtures over the tank.
I am not making this up as It so happens I was there last week looking at the same frags while they were readying a shipment of them. probably yours.
For flow, the frags recieve a steady medium turbulant flow like a lagoon and the entire tank recieves a surge from an 2 large ATS's about every 30 seconds.
They only loss of a mont. I have witnessed their was an attempt they made to keep one in a 55 under 4x55w PC's.
If anyone is enterested, I am going over there sunday afternoon to take some digital photos of there grow out systems and display tanks. I may post some pics here on the board if it sounds like a worthwhile endevour.
I live just a few miles from Inland so it's my LFS and I get the chance to help them from time to time feeding their tanks and such.
It's a great learning experience and hey, who else gets the chance to play in over 35,0000 gallons of reef in indiana!
By the way, How much did the frags cost you and what size are they?
Later
ty
The grow out tank is roughly a 15'l x 15'w x 3'd (Yes feet) tank. dont know how many gallons but large!
The halides are suspended about 3ft above the water surface and the frags you got were only about 2" below the surface of the water. There are about 6 or 8 light fixtures over the tank.
I am not making this up as It so happens I was there last week looking at the same frags while they were readying a shipment of them. probably yours.
For flow, the frags recieve a steady medium turbulant flow like a lagoon and the entire tank recieves a surge from an 2 large ATS's about every 30 seconds.
They only loss of a mont. I have witnessed their was an attempt they made to keep one in a 55 under 4x55w PC's.
If anyone is enterested, I am going over there sunday afternoon to take some digital photos of there grow out systems and display tanks. I may post some pics here on the board if it sounds like a worthwhile endevour.
I live just a few miles from Inland so it's my LFS and I get the chance to help them from time to time feeding their tanks and such.
It's a great learning experience and hey, who else gets the chance to play in over 35,0000 gallons of reef in indiana!
By the way, How much did the frags cost you and what size are they?
Later
ty
Ernie,
My montipora is probably the hardiest coral I have. I've moved it a few times to both the upper and the lower areas, with either high or low water flow. Polyps come out regardless!
I used regular superglue yesterday on a gorgonian, and other than keeping the coral out of the water for about 20 minutes, so I could be sure the glue set up, the glue has worked great. Can't think of why it wouldn't work for your monti.
Mitch
My montipora is probably the hardiest coral I have. I've moved it a few times to both the upper and the lower areas, with either high or low water flow. Polyps come out regardless!
I used regular superglue yesterday on a gorgonian, and other than keeping the coral out of the water for about 20 minutes, so I could be sure the glue set up, the glue has worked great. Can't think of why it wouldn't work for your monti.
Mitch
Second both of the above. Montipora species commonly available to hobbyists seem quite hardy and apt to grow anywhere their functional needs can be met in a healthy aquarium. Lighting can range greatly, if we're talking about M. digitata. Water flow can be lagoonal-esque, or very stout. And superglue is not only fine, its what I would recommend.
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
