Fragging Leather Corals
Our friend Ania from Gallery Aquatica is back at it with another episode of the Frag Files. The Frag Files is a video series on the Gallery Aquatica YouTube channel where Ania shares her expert coral propagation skills, and insightful fragging techniques.
In this episode, we learn to frag three types of leather corals Sarcophyton, Lobophytum, and Sinularia. Ania walks us through each genus of coral, and the particularities of fragging each one.
Ania starts with a list of equipment you will need to frag leathers, including a sharp pair of stainless steel scissors, frag plugs or rocks, a bottle of dip solution and more. We love these videos as Ania goes above and beyond simple fragging techniques, and dives into marine biology elements for each coral.
When fragging leather corals Ania explains the presence of chemical toxins produced by the coral. When fragging leathers they quickly start producing slime which is best kept out of your main system. Instead cut and dip your corals in an Idoine solution, followed by seawater and let fresh-cut frags settle before heading back to the main reef.
One particularity of soft coral is you cannot simply cut and glue them to the frag base as you would hard corals. Because of their slimy soft body, there are a few workarounds to get these new frags to attach. Getting soft coral nubs to attach involves toothpicks, onion bags, elastic bands, and rubble baskets.
Another great tip Ania shares is about Iodide dosing, yes Iodide not Iodine. It’s important to note the difference between the two. In this video, Ania uses an Iodine dip to clean the corals after they are cut, followed by a seawater dip to remove any slime. The Iodide is something you can dose in your established soft coral reef tank.
A common problem in soft coral aquariums is noticing a waxy layer forming on the corals. This again has to do with the chemical toxins produced by the coral and is a response to sediments, debris, or predators irritating the coral. Ania recommends a dose of Iodide will help your soft corals recover quickly.
If you want to learn more about fragging soft corals, this is your go-to video!
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