- Today, SPS fragging fun 101
in my top 12 fragging tools and tips.
From start to finish,
I'll give you my suggested top tools for the job,
cutting and gluing techniques, and of course,
a couple of safety tips, which brings me to tip number one,
which is safety first.
It's best practice to have eye protection and gloves.
Your gloves should also fit your hands
because gluing delicate SPS corals is nearly impossible
with sloppy, loose gloves.
Tip number two, prep work and basic tool check.
Like a surgeon, keep your area and your tools organized.
Also have proper lighting,
so you can see what you're doing in cutting,
as SPS are delicate and precision is key.
Tip number three is your uniform.
As I said in my other previous fragging videos,
wear clothes that you can get glue all over,
because you will, and if you have longer hair,
pull it up or put it back,
because there's nothing super about this glue
if it gets in your hair or on your favorite shirt.
Tip number four, basic tools of the trade,
and a friendly reminder, keep them for fragging only.
There are several tools you can use when fragging SPS,
but for clean and precise cuts,
I recommend a frag saw like the Gryphon Aquasaw,
which is specifically designed for cutting corals.
Also having bone cutters in a couple of different sizes,
including the curved blade coral cutter,
a small cutter and a larger cutter,
a forceps for handling and holding corals,
glue and Insta Set, frag plugs or rubble of assorted sizes.
Personally, I like to get creative and have options.
Also have some towels,
both for the floor and your hands.
Tip number five, rinse your tools in RO.
Your tools will rust,
but they will rest much faster if they're not cleaned
after each use.
Tip number six, natural breaks and shapes.
Natural growth patterns are important to note
when choosing where to cut your SPS,
as it aids in faster and more natural regrowth,
plus if you're trading or selling them,
give your frags some dimension,
as no one likes the single straggly stick
or the square Monti frag.
Tip number seven, when to frag your SPS.
First, when they're overgrowing,
touching neighboring corals or you need to make room,
but don't frag your small frags.
Give your SPS time to grow.
You'll have more success and ultimately get more frags
if you're just a little patient.
Second, frag if you are unable to remove pest algae
within your corals.
A great example of this is a bird's nest,
which often grows very dense
and complete removal is almost impossible.
So cut the colony, remove all of the algae,
and you can either reglue or keep them separate, and third,
frag if you notice issues, like tissue loss.
It's important to remove dead or dying areas and reglue.
It's better to save some than to lose it all.
Tip number eight, cutting tools and tips.
Starting with plating SPS corals like Monti caps
and scroll corals, as they are one of the easiest
and most forgiving SPS to frag.
Depending on the thickness of the coral,
you can easily just break off pieces by hand,
you can use a bone cutter or a saw.
For tabling SPS, use a bone cutter or a saw,
but the secret here is to cut at an angle for remounting.
They naturally grow out and not up,
so you're likely to get faster growth.
For encrusting SPS, like your leptos, your Cyphastreas,
your Montis and your Stylocoeniellas,
depending on where you're fragging them from,
use a bone cutter or a saw.
If you're cutting them from a rock in your main display,
I'd recommend using a bone cutter.
If you're cutting them from a grow out plate,
it's much more precise to use a saw,
and for all your sticks,
you can use a bone cutter or a saw.
For thick branches in your main display,
use the curved bone cutter,
using it to grip and snap sections off.
For thin branches, I recommend a small bone cutter.
Tip number nine, dipping before sticking.
I recommend using ReVive or Coral RX,
as it promotes healing and generally more successful
and faster recovery.
I also dip the mother colony as well.
Tip 10, pick what sticks,
creating a bond and securing your investment.
I recommend using the BRS Extra Thick Gel and Insta Set,
and when gluing, less is best.
For faster recovery and growth, keep it off the tissue.
A secret pro tip, put glue on the plugs, just a little dab,
dip it in their tank water for a few seconds,
take it out and put it aside,
then dry off the end you wish to glue and stick it on.
Try it out.
It does really work.
Tip number 11, have lots of options with plugs,
plates or pieces of rubble.
Generally speaking, plugs for selling and organizing,
disc and plates to propagate later and rubble for display.
Generally, you cut off the base of the plug
when placing your SPS,
but a pro tip that you can keep them from encrusting outward
and touching by gluing the tip of the plug to the rock.
Less energy is spent on encrusting and more on upward
and outward growth.
Tip 12, promote healing and sustain color.
Here, the key is consistency.
Place newly fragged SPS in similar flow areas,
same lighting and par ratings and water parameters,
like your elk, calcium and nutrient levels.
So whether you're fragging to share
with your reefing buddies,
you need to make room or you're looking to make
a few extra dollars to support your reefing addiction,
click the link and check out all of our fragging supplies
right over here.
Happy fragging.