How to Frag Coral at Home: A Beginner's Guide
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Fragging is just cutting a piece off a healthy coral so it can grow into a new colony. It is how reefers trade, fill a tank without buying everything, and keep a coral going even if the parent has a bad week. If you have never done it, here is the beginner version.
What you need
- Sharp bone cutters or a small coral saw (sharp tools mean clean cuts and less stress on the coral)
- Super glue gel (cyanoacrylate, the gel sets underwater)
- Frag plugs or a base to mount onto
- A frag rack to hold everything while it heals
- Gloves and eye protection
The steps
- Cut a healthy piece. Take a frag from a strong, growing area of the colony, not a struggling spot. A clean, quick cut heals faster.
- Mount it. Dab super glue gel on the frag's base, press it onto a plug, and hold for about 60 seconds. (More on this in our mounting guide.)
- Place it to heal. Set the new frag on a frag rack in moderate light and gentle flow, away from the highest-intensity spots, while it recovers.
- Give it time. Most frags settle in within a couple of weeks and start encrusting onto the plug.
One safety note
Some corals, especially zoas and palys, can carry palytoxin, which is genuinely dangerous. Wear gloves and eye protection, never cut them in a way that aerosolizes, and never boil rock with them on it. Respect the hobby and it is perfectly safe.
A solid frag rack keeps your new cuts organized, visible, and exactly where you want them while they heal.