Hands on with Thrive Aquatics vertically mounted coral frag plug tree

Posted on January 17th, 2012 by 14

coral frag tree

The Frag Plug Tree from Thrive Aquatics is an ingenious way to elegantly add more real estate for frags in an existing aquarium. Whereas most frag mounts we’ve seen to date including the Eshopps Frag Cave and Frag-a-rack are mounted horizontally, the vertically mounted coral Frag Plug Tree can securely hold frags in collectoritis tanks where coral space is in short supply.

Not to be confused with the Coral Restoration Foundation’s coral tree nurseries, the Thrive Aquatics Frag Plug Tree is actually for your home aquarium. Usually the only thing that makes us want to frag coral is a nice imagined dotted line where a frag can be taken without affecting the look of the colony. However, with the unique Frag Plug Tree in hand we’re definitely going to pencil in some fragging time to populate this coral frag hotel on the far end of the SPS reef tank.

Although it’d be nice if Thrive Aquatics had made the Frag Plug Tree with magnet mounts instead of suction cups, it’s even nicer that this thing only costs $20 so just clean your glass before applying the suction cups and you should be good. If magnets are a deal-breaker you can always add them yourself. Stay tuned for pictures of how the Frag Plug Tree looks in action.

coral frag tree
coral frag tree

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XMBVIE5PJXMAMZJSENESFNWBKA Joe

    I like the idea of a “tree” type mount for frags. I would certainly buy one for my tank and use some old Koralia magnets I have laying around and mod it so I know I won’t have a bunch of corals in the sand by morning due to suction cups failing. For $20 it is hard to go wrong.

  • Anonymous

    I’m a Hater, but I give them credit for this.  Clever little gizmo.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=555379745 Christopher Jung

    wheres the Love button?

  • Tolga Yaman

    Really good idea.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=555379745 Christopher Jung

    I was a bit worried about the foam, but im betting the foam is bouyant. Problem solved… Wonder what the maximum frag+plug weight is.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XMBVIE5PJXMAMZJSENESFNWBKA Joe

    Foam? Looks like ABS plastic to me.

  • Anonymous

    Ive got one of these in my tank now, its awesome!  Ill probably use the suction cups until they get hard then glue it up to some magnets. 

    I may also just put a 6″ square of acrylic in my sand with a hole in it and stick it in the hole.  Then its a whole tree instead of just half :)

    Other idea is to buy a longer piece of acrylic and hook it over the edge of the tank.  I have euro bracing so Id have to make a few bends, but then I could remove it without getting my hands wet to drop a frag in place.

  • Anonymous

    Its very rigid, as stated its plastic not foam.  You could load this up with tennis ball pieces of live rock without a problem.  The suction cups would become the limiting factor way before the plastics would.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=555379745 Christopher Jung

    my bad. from my iphone it looked like that abs that is also used for copper piping isulation. I stand corrected.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TY62P4IMCIOGM5T3WOGV625FII The Jesus

    I like it a lot.  I think seeing all the frags growing in at different vertical and horizontal levels will look a lot nicer than the egg-crate types, and I especially like that it can stay very close to the glass instead of sticking out into the tank, blocking light for corals below the egg-crate type rack.  I’m surprised nobody already made these.  It seems like such a simple idea, and leaves my saying, “Why didn’t I think of That?”  I’ll definitely be picking one up.

  • Shaun Monahan

    I have one and I love it. It keeps me from having frags on my sand bed and makes use of empty space- prime empty space. I mod’d mine to hang off of my rimless tank by heating and bending the acrylic rod to hook onto the edge of my tank. I can slide it side to side to clean behind it, and also lift out of the water without putting my hand in the water. I love it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Sammy.San Samuel Gonzalez

    How does the holders stay in place and do not slide down in the rod once you put some weight on it?

  • Shaun Monahan

    The “branches” are very tightly cut where you slide it onto the main rod. they are a tight, static fit and do not slide easily

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Salty-Supply/1788526077 Salty Supply

    if you guys are interested thrive is available online also FYI
    http://www.saltysupply.com/Thrive-D-Plug-Tree-p/tv1157.htm