- Today, LPS Fragging fun 101,
my top 12 fragging tools and tips for fragging LPS corals.
So here's what you'll see from start to finish:
our suggested top tools for the job, what to cut and how,
and a couple of safety tips.
Which brings me to tip number one, and that's safety first.
best practice to wear eye protection and gloves.
I also wanna mention that your gloves should fit your hands,
cause gluing small corals, especially LPS frags,
is a huge pain with sloppy, loose gloves.
Number two: prep work and basic tool check.
Keep your work area organized and your tools laid out.
Also, frag in bright lighting
so you can see what you're doing in your cutting,
which is especially important for LPS,
which you're most likely gonna be using a frag saw to cut.
Number three: uniform.
Make sure not to wear your Sunday best,
and choose clothes that you can get glue all over.
And if you have longer hair,
make sure to pull it up or pull it back,
because there's no magic trick
to getting glue out of your clothes,
and the only way you're getting it out of your hair
is with a scissors.
Number four: basic tools of the trade,
making sure to keep them for fragging only.
There are several tools that you can use when fragging LPS,
but you'd be most successful if you use a frag saw,
like the Gryphon AquaSaw,
which is specifically designed for fragging corals.
A bone cutter, making sure to pick a size
that you're comfortable with handling.
Also, I recommend a curved blade bone cutter
and a forceps for grabbing and holding corals.
Glue and Instaset for securing your corals
once you're done fragging them.
Frag gloves or rubble in assorted sizes. Personally,
I like to get creative and have options, and towels.
Make sure you have one for your floor
and one for your hands.
Number five: make sure to rinse
all your tools in aro when you're done.
Your tools will rust, but they will rust way faster
if they're not cleaned after each use.
Number six: natural breaks in shapes.
making sure to keep in mind where you cut
can actually aid in faster healing
and a more natural growth pattern.
Number seven: what to frag and what not to.
You can cut Favias, Lobos, Acans, Gonis,
and Euphyllia, like Torches, Hammers, and also Chalices.
Don't cut Elegances, Bubbles, Scolys,
Wellsos or Trachys, Acanthophyllias, or Cynarinas.
Number eight: cutting tools and tips,
starting with Favias and Chalices.
I highly recommend using a saw for cleaner
and more precise cuts. But, if you are using a bone cutter,
make sure to have larger frags
and be careful not to crush the delicate skeleton,
keeping in mind that each frag needs to have an eye.
For Lobos and Acans, and with all LPs,
each one needs to have a mouth or an eye,
but for Lobos, don't cut through polyps or tissue.
For Acans you can cut through the tissue,
but just make sure that they do have a mouth.
And for Euphyllias and Gonis,
which are some of my personal favorites,
use a saw for best results. But, you can also use a
curved blade choral cutter or a bone cutter,
just being careful not to crush the skeletal base.
And for Gonis, make sure to follow the polyp line
for faster healing and more success.
Number nine: dipping before sticking.
When you're cutting through tissue, dip an iodine.
I recommend Lugol's before sticking to a plug.
It promotes healing and generally more success
and faster recovery of your corals.
Also, if you're fragging from a mother colony,
I recommend dipping that in iodine as well.
Number 10: pick what sticks.
I recommend using the BRS extra thick gel and Insta set.
And when you're glowing, remember that
less is best and keep it off the tissue.
Also, have an extra bottle of glue handy
in case you need it.
Number 11: have lots of options.
Plugs, plates, or pieces of rubble.
It depends on the growth pattern of the corals,
whether you're growing it out,
putting it back in your display or removing to refrag.
Generally though: plugs are for selling and organizing,
Discs and plates are for propagation,
and Rubble is for display.
For Chalices and Favias, rubble or plates.
For Lobos and Acans, plates and rubble.
And for Gonis and Euphyllias, rubbles for a garden
and frag plugs for propagation.
Number 12: promote healing.
Place your newly fragged corals in higher flow areas.
And I also recommend maybe using a
little bit of carbon if you're fragging large colonies
and also do a water change.
Also, place them in areas with the same lighting
and water parameters.
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