Dealing with Coral as a new Reefer?

[meverha1]

I've started to slowly add a bit of coral to my tank and it seems to be doing well so far but I'm clueless when it comes to dealing with the frags.

Do most people remove their coral from the frag material and affix it directly to a rock? Do they just snap the "plug" off the bottom of the frag and affix that to a rock?

How long should I let the coral acclimate to my tank before affixing it to a rock?

I've seen some reef tanks where it looks like people have some coral frags just sitting on a sandbed. Do people do that long term? If so, why?

I guess I'm afraid of screwing something up, especially since gluing coral down is pretty permanent.

If it helps, I eventually want a mixed reef but have only purchased soft corals so far. 2 Zoas (one was sick and was given to me since it would surely have died in it's previous tank due to bad water), a Xenia, and a Trumpet Coral. All small, all still on their frags. Nothing glued down yet.

[ColoReefer970]

A lot of frags start in the sand bed for light acclimation purposes.

I don't like to glue things to big structure rock. ..instead making like a sliver or rock wedge around the plug for a base I can stick somewhere in the main structure and remove later for like...trimming...or takedowns...

You might want to isolate the xenia in the sand on its own rock, it spreads fast

[darmar7812]

It's really up to you as I have currently all three way in my tank. I have a duncan glued to a rock, a lepto on a frag plug that I broke the bottom off, and a hammer coral that I stuck the plugs stem into my sand bed

[DePinchGonze]

I would use a dremal and cut the frag as close as you can to the base and use two part epoxy to mount. I hate the look of frag plugs in a DT, however encrusted frag plugs I would just cut the disc in half.

[darmar7812]

The lepto that I left on the frag disk and placed on my rock work was because in time it will encrust the rock and completely cover the plug

[meverha1]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Do most people keep a bunch of rock rubble around for coral placement purposes?

Also, with the Xenia, are you suggesting I keep it close to the sandbed on it's own small rock?

One other question... feeding schedules. How often should I be feeding the coral, both spot feeding and general tank feeding?

[Sk8r]

Yes to the first 2. I don't feed the coral. I feed the fish something that scatters.

[Marinenthusiast]

For me, it depends on the coral according to placement and whether im going to use the plug or a rock. Certain corals like different lighting but they should be acclimated to more intense lighting if they are to be placed higher up. I try to feed my corals at least once a week

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