Question about attaching a monti cap to the rock

[tom sumter]

Is it safe to simply attach the frag to rock simply by using epoxy. I'm getting a frag this weekend and wanted to know if I could remove the piece the frag is mounted on and install the frag directly to my live rock.

[tacocat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9551754#post9551754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tom sumter
Is it safe to simply attach the frag to rock simply by using epoxy. I'm getting a frag this weekend and wanted to know if I could remove the piece the frag is mounted on and install the frag directly to my live rock.

NOOOO. Monti caps are particulary sensitive to epoxy burn. I personally recommend gluing all montis to a small plug with superglue first, then attaching it to the reef structure.

OTOH, you can attach it to the reef stucture directly using superglue gel.

[SDguy]

IME, depends on the epoxy. That TLF crap burned the bejeeses out of an orange cap. No problems with the HD aquamend stuff though. Monti's like to slime up, so I'd use superglue gel in conjunction with epoxy putty. JMO.

Oh, and they are quite brittle, so removing it from its original plug might not be so easy.

[Craig Lambert]

Not to hyjack the thread, but I have a few ora frags mounted on long plugs. I am going to cut the plugs and glue the frags to rock today. I purchased a dremel and a diamond blade (recommended here) to do this, but what is recommendation as far as removing the frags from the water in order to cut the plugs? Just how long can they be out of the tank? (Green Slimer, Blue Tort, Birdsnest, and a Marshall Island tri-color).

[SDguy]

The plugs cut very quickly. I wouldn't worry about that short amount of time. Many people purposely let their frags slime up out of the water.

[tacocat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9552138#post9552138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Craig Lambert
Just how long can they be out of the tank?

Quite a while actually.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/eb/index.php

[Craig Lambert]

Thanks!

Great article tacocat. Isn't it ironic that we so carefully acclimate corals to our tanks, but it's fine to pull them out and expose them to air in order to cut the plugs off....

[tom sumter]

Thanks for the advice.