Coral Fragging Checklist for Tank Automation

Program a one-touch maintenance profile that pauses return pumps, skimmer, ATO, and automatic feeders for 30 to 90 minutes. This prevents overflowing equipment, salinity drift from ATO misreads, and food or additives entering the system during cutting.

Fragging can trigger short-term pH and ORP drops from slime release, iodine dips, or reduced gas exchange while pumps are off. Widen alert bands slightly during the session so you avoid alarm fatigue but still catch dangerous swings like temperature above 80.5 F or pH below 7.8.

Automation decisions are only as good as the inputs, especially for pH, salinity, and temperature probes. Recalibrate salinity to 35 ppt and confirm temperature accuracy against a trusted thermometer before making cuts that will stress coral tissue.

Use controller logs to choose a time when your system normally sits within a tight 0.3 to 0.5 F range and lighting load is predictable. Avoid fragging during the hottest point of the photoperiod or when HVAC fluctuations usually push the tank upward.

Power interruptions during a frag session are more disruptive because life support is often intentionally paused or rerouted. Make sure circulation pumps on battery backup and critical heater outlets on fail-safe settings are ready before handling high-value colonies.

Map a frag rack area where flow can be increased after cutting without blasting tissue off plugs. A target of 20 to 40 times turnover in the frag zone is common for SPS healing, while LPS often prefers lower, indirect flow controlled by variable-speed pumps.

Pause alkalinity, calcium, trace, and nutrient dosing while sump level and system flow are temporarily abnormal. This reduces the risk of localized overdosing if dosers run while return pumps are off or water volume is displaced by tools and trays.

Acropora and other SPS heal best when alkalinity is steady, not just in range. Use your logged data to confirm dKH has stayed within about 0.3 to 0.5 dKH day to day, ideally around 7.5 to 9.0 dKH depending on your nutrient strategy.

Before cutting, aim for calcium around 400 to 450 ppm, magnesium 1250 to 1400 ppm, and salinity near 35 ppt or 1.0264 SG. Automated systems can drift slowly, so cross-check current readings against recent trends instead of trusting a single snapshot.

Skimmer boosts, automatic fleece rollers, or aggressive UV and ozone schedules can strip the water too hard right after a frag session. Temporarily moderate these automations if your tank tends to run ultra-low nutrients and healing corals need a more stable environment.

Some soft corals and LPS release significant mucus and allelopathic compounds after cutting. Set a timed reminder or automation to run fresh carbon and verify reactor flow after the session, especially in mixed reefs with SPS nearby.

Fragging often means changing pump states, opening lids, and moving water between bins and trays, all of which can confuse optical or float sensors. Use a max daily top-off limit and timeout timer so a temporary low-water reading does not dump excess fresh water into the system.

Freshly cut tissue is vulnerable to photoinhibition, especially if frags are moved from shaded colony interiors to exposed racks. Program a 15 to 30 percent PAR reduction for 3 to 7 days, then ramp back up gradually based on species and visual response.

Use a PAR meter or known light map to keep soft corals around 50 to 120 PAR, many LPS at 75 to 150 PAR, and SPS healing racks commonly 150 to 250 PAR before final grow-out placement. Automation is most effective when intensity targets are intentional rather than guessed.

Alternating gyre or random mode helps clear mucus and detritus without peeling tissue from a fresh cut site. For delicate LPS and fleshy corals, use lower minimum pump percentages and avoid high-energy pulse modes for the first 24 to 72 hours.

If you run automated prep stations, assign low-speed circulation to rinse bins so iodine or coral dip residue does not settle on tissue. Even a small smart pump with a timer can keep water mixed while avoiding violent turbulence that damages fresh cuts.

Many reefers reduce flow overnight for noise or feeding reasons, but freshly cut frags often benefit from consistent oxygenation and detritus suspension. Delay aggressive night-mode reductions for the first few days unless the coral type clearly prefers lower movement.

Light intensity can swing significantly when a controller shifts LED channels through the day or if movable racks change orientation. Check that frags are not unintentionally jumping from 120 PAR in the morning to over 250 PAR at peak output without an acclimation plan.

Turn off reactors, skimmer neck cleaners, auto water change pumps, and UV sterilizers that could interfere with a maintenance session. Label outlets clearly in your automation dashboard so you do not accidentally cut power to critical circulation or heaters.

One of the most common automation failures is not a device breaking, it is forgetting to bring a device back online after maintenance. Use countdown timers with push alerts so return pumps and skimmers do not stay off for hours after the last frag is glued.

Small working volumes swing fast under room air, especially under bright bench lights or in cool fish rooms. A wireless probe or temporary digital sensor helps keep cutting water close to display temperature, ideally within 1 F of the system.

Different dips have narrow effective windows, and overexposure can damage already stressed tissue. Use phone or controller timers for each batch so Bayer alternatives, iodine products, or pest-specific dips are rinsed consistently instead of estimated.

Cutting stations often involve extra bins, airline tubing, rinse cups, and temporary pumps that increase spill risk. Smart leak sensors under the work area and around the sump can save flooring, cabinetry, and electronics during busy frag sessions.

Cyanoacrylate fumes and elevated room humidity become noticeable when mounting many frags at once. Trigger a cabinet fan, room exhaust, or dehumidifier automatically if your setup supports it, especially in enclosed fish rooms with electronics nearby.

Check automated logs more often than usual for the next day, paying attention to temperature, pH, salinity, and any dosing pauses that need to resume. Fragging can create subtle instability that is easy to miss if you only review your standard daily snapshots.

If dosers were paused for several hours, restart them carefully to avoid a catch-up overdose. Many controllers allow you to skip missed doses or distribute recovery amounts slowly across the next 12 to 24 hours, which is safer for frag systems.

Automation cannot fully detect tissue recession, bacterial film, or failed glue joints, so scheduled reminders are essential. Inspect for peeling edges, excessive slime, detached plugs, and signs that flow or light are still too aggressive.

When a frag improves or declines, correlate it with the exact schedule changes your controller made. This helps you identify whether a 20 percent light ramp, stronger gyre period, or resumed nutrient export is helping recovery or causing stress.

Heavy cutting sessions can alter feeding, filtration, and organics enough to affect nitrate and phosphate within days. Keep nitrate in a reasonable reef range such as roughly 2 to 15 ppm for many mixed reefs, and phosphate around 0.03 to 0.10 ppm depending on coral type and system goals.

Record parent colony, cut date, dip used, rack position, PAR zone, and any custom automation profile applied. Over time, these records reveal which coral types prefer lower initial PAR, extended pump pauses, or slower dosing restarts after propagation.