Coral Fragging Checklist for Reef Keeping

Use a clean table or counter with good lighting so you can work efficiently without dripping tank water around electrical equipment. A separate workspace also limits contamination from household cleaners, dust, or accidental contact with the display.

Bone cutters work well for branching SPS, scalpels are better for soft corals and mushrooms, and coral shears help with fleshy LPS tissue. Having every tool ready reduces air exposure and handling time once the colony is out of water.

At minimum, use one container for cutting, one for iodine or coral dip, and one for a clean final rinse. This prevents tissue slime, toxins, and debris from being transferred directly back into the frag rack or grow-out system.

Zoanthids and palythoas can release palytoxin, and many corals produce mucus or stinging compounds when cut. Gloves also improve hygiene by keeping skin oils and soap residue off fresh frag surfaces.

Rinse cutting tools in hot water or a reef-safe disinfecting routine between different corals to reduce the spread of brown jelly, bacterial infections, or flatworm eggs. Cross-contamination is a common but preventable fragging mistake.

Ceramic plugs, aragonite discs, or small rubble pieces should be rinsed and placed within reach. Pre-staging mounting surfaces keeps fresh cuts from sitting loose while you search for supplies.

Choose corals with full polyp extension, strong color, and no active recession, pests, or tissue damage. Fragging a stressed colony often compounds the problem and can lead to RTN, STN, or bacterial infection.

Aim for alkalinity around 7.5-9.0 dKH, calcium 400-450 ppm, and magnesium 1250-1400 ppm before fragging day. Fresh cuts heal faster when calcification chemistry is stable rather than swinging from recent dosing corrections.

Keep salinity near 1.025-1.026 SG and temperature around 76-79 F to minimize osmotic and thermal stress. Fragging during periods of heater failure, top-off issues, or recent large water changes increases risk.

Look closely for AEFW bite marks on Acropora, nudibranchs on montipora or zoas, vermetid tubes, and nuisance algae at the base. Fragging an infested colony can spread pests to every new frag plug in your system.

Wait several days after a large water change, aquascape move, or dosing correction so the coral can re-stabilize. Corals that are already adjusting to stress are far less resilient to cutting.

Branching SPS often do well with 1-2 inch tips, while fleshy LPS need each frag to retain healthy tissue and at least part of a mouth when applicable. Tiny cuts may survive, but larger frags generally recover faster and encrust sooner.

Make cuts above any algae-covered base, necrotic edge, or receding tissue line. Starting with clean tissue improves healing and lowers the chance that infection follows the frag onto the plug.

Use sharp bone cutters and avoid twisting thick branches until they splinter. Crushed tips often develop dead spots that delay encrusting and can invite nuisance algae.

Leathers, zoanthids, and mushrooms are easier to cut cleanly with a sharp blade than with scissors or dull tools. Keep them moist with tank water during the process so tissue does not dry or stick to the work surface.

Corals like acans, blastos, and favia need cuts planned around mouths, valleys, and septa so each fragment retains viable tissue. Random cuts through feeding centers often produce poor survival and prolonged recession.

Most reef corals tolerate brief exposure, but extended air time increases mucus production, tissue collapse, and bacterial risk. Work in small batches instead of removing multiple colonies at once.

A quick swish in clean tank water helps remove tissue slime, skeleton particles, and potential irritants before mounting. This is especially useful for Euphyllia, chalices, and soft corals that release heavy mucus.

Pat the attachment point with a paper towel for a second or two so cyanoacrylate bonds quickly, but do not let living tissue dry out. This is especially important for SPS and encrusting corals that need a firm hold to heal well.

A small amount of reef-safe epoxy under gel glue gives extra support to chunky LPS heads or thick SPS branches. This reduces wobble, which can tear healing tissue and slow encrustation.

Iodine-based dips are commonly used after cutting to reduce bacterial load, while dedicated coral dips may help with hitchhikers before placement in a frag system. Always follow manufacturer concentration and contact-time guidelines to avoid overdosing fresh cuts.

Aim for enough movement to keep mucus and detritus from settling without blasting exposed flesh. Too little flow can promote infection, while too much can peel tissue from new cut edges.

A fresh frag often handles 20-30 percent less PAR initially while it recovers, especially after major cuts or dips. For many corals, ramping back up over 5-10 days helps prevent bleaching and stress responses.

Euphyllia sweepers, chalice stings, and chemical warfare from soft corals can damage neighboring frags even in a small tray. Leave enough space so tissue cannot touch as polyps inflate through the day.

The first two weeks are when bacterial issues and tissue loss most often appear. Watch for brown jelly on LPS, white recession lines on SPS, or unusual closed polyps that suggest irritation or infestation.

Try to keep nitrate roughly 2-15 ppm and phosphate about 0.03-0.10 ppm depending on the coral mix in the system. Frags recovering from cuts often struggle more in tanks driven to zero nutrients than in stable, measurable nutrient levels.

Once you place the frags, give them consistency so they can adapt and heal. Constant moving, PAR changes, or flow adjustments make it harder to tell whether a coral is recovering normally.

LPS frags such as acans, blastos, or favia can benefit from small meaty foods once they show feeding response again, usually after a few days. Avoid heavy feeding immediately after cutting because uneaten food can foul the area around healing tissue.

Dying coral tissue can fuel bacterial spread, algae growth, and localized nutrient spikes in a crowded frag tank. Prompt removal also protects nearby healthy pieces from contact irritation.

Signs of success include new growth rims on SPS, firm attachment to the plug, reopening polyps, and stable coloration. Keeping records makes it easier to compare healing speed across species and identify patterns linked to PAR, flow, or alkalinity.