taking frags off of frag plugs

dwd5813 · 02/15/2009, 01:22 PM

How do you guys remove frags from their plugs? I have a zoa frag that's on a plastic plug that i'd like to remove so i can glue it down to a rock. the frag itself is on a small piece of rock that is glued down to the plastic plug that is too big to attach to the rock i want to put the zoas on without looking really strange and potentially impeding the zoas from spreading. any thoughts on the best way to remove it?

jbird69 · 02/15/2009, 01:33 PM

I have had great luck with laying the plug on its side and aplying pressure with a utility (razor) knife where the coral is glued to the plug. I have even done this a number of times with sps that was completey encrusted to the plug. Everything came off leaving a perfectly clean plug and I just glued the underside of the encrused surface to my reef.

becact · 02/15/2009, 01:55 PM

You can pry it off with a screwdriver (a small flathead). Or, trim away the artificial plug material until it is no wider than the live rock the coral is on, and then squeeze the plug material from side the side with a pair of large wirecutters, and the frag material with shatter and leave you with just the LR and coral. This assumes you have the almost plaster-like plug material.

dwd5813 · 02/15/2009, 02:15 PM

thanks guys i think i'm going to try laying it sideways like jbird said and pressuring them apart.

Ed Kazz · 02/15/2009, 06:09 PM

I did not know that frags were to be removed from the plugs !!!!
I have a tank full of frags on plugs and they have not moved from them.

Ed

dwd5813 · 02/15/2009, 06:28 PM

Ed, i imagine that in most cases you don't need to remove them from the plugs. In my particular case the rock i want the zoas on does not have a great spot to attach the type of plug it came on, and aside from just looking weird, which i can deal with, the way in which it sat on the rock didn't really look very conducive to spreading for the coral.

Thanks for the tip, jbird. I did just what you said and after a little effort the rock popped off and I was able to get a nice flat surface on the bottom of the rubble piece the frag is on and after gluing the frag is now happy on it's rock and i'm happy i don't have that ugly plug anymore.

jbird69 · 02/15/2009, 08:44 PM

Ed Kazz · 02/16/2009, 12:28 AM

Thanks
Ed

02/15/2009, 01:22 PM	#1
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	taking frags off of frag plugs How do you guys remove frags from their plugs? I have a zoa frag that's on a plastic plug that i'd like to remove so i can glue it down to a rock. the frag itself is on a small piece of rock that is glued down to the plastic plug that is too big to attach to the rock i want to put the zoas on without looking really strange and potentially impeding the zoas from spreading. any thoughts on the best way to remove it? __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

02/15/2009, 01:33 PM	#2
jbird69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The beautiful State of Jefferson Posts: 2,751	I have had great luck with laying the plug on its side and aplying pressure with a utility (razor) knife where the coral is glued to the plug. I have even done this a number of times with sps that was completey encrusted to the plug. Everything came off leaving a perfectly clean plug and I just glued the underside of the encrused surface to my reef. __________________ Broke Back Mountain is not a movie, its the pile of dead ninjas in Chuck Norris' back yard

02/15/2009, 02:15 PM	#4
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	thanks guys i think i'm going to try laying it sideways like jbird said and pressuring them apart. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

02/15/2009, 06:28 PM	#6
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	Ed, i imagine that in most cases you don't need to remove them from the plugs. In my particular case the rock i want the zoas on does not have a great spot to attach the type of plug it came on, and aside from just looking weird, which i can deal with, the way in which it sat on the rock didn't really look very conducive to spreading for the coral. Thanks for the tip, jbird. I did just what you said and after a little effort the rock popped off and I was able to get a nice flat surface on the bottom of the rubble piece the frag is on and after gluing the frag is now happy on it's rock and i'm happy i don't have that ugly plug anymore. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

02/15/2009, 08:44 PM	#7
jbird69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The beautiful State of Jefferson Posts: 2,751	__________________ Broke Back Mountain is not a movie, its the pile of dead ninjas in Chuck Norris' back yard

02/15/2009, 01:55 PM	#3
becact Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South Dakota Posts: 550	You can pry it off with a screwdriver (a small flathead). Or, trim away the artificial plug material until it is no wider than the live rock the coral is on, and then squeeze the plug material from side the side with a pair of large wirecutters, and the frag material with shatter and leave you with just the LR and coral. This assumes you have the almost plaster-like plug material.

02/15/2009, 06:09 PM	#5
Ed Kazz Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Northeastern PA Posts: 288	I did not know that frags were to be removed from the plugs !!!! I have a tank full of frags on plugs and they have not moved from them. Ed

02/16/2009, 12:28 AM	#8
Ed Kazz Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Northeastern PA Posts: 288	Thanks Ed