Fast Aquatics

Why frag

Three reasons hobbyists frag Acropora:

  1. Propagation: a single colony becomes a colony plus 5-20 frags, multiplying your inventory
  2. Trade or sale: frags trade at $30-800+ depending on cultivar; named lineages especially command premium pricing
  3. Triage: when a colony shows tissue recession, fragging above the necrosis line saves the healthy portion

The toolkit

  • Bone cutters / coral cutters: heavy-duty pliers designed for stony coral. Knipex or Aquatic Life branded. $25-60.
  • Coral saw / Dremel rotary tool: for thicker branches or encrusting cuts. Diamond-coated wheel. $50-100.
  • Frag plugs: ceramic or magnetic plugs in 1-1.5 inch diameter. $0.30-1.00 each.
  • Cyanoacrylate gel (super glue gel): blue-tinted reef-safe glue. Bulk Reef Supply or Eco-Tech brand.
  • Two-part epoxy (D-D Aquascape or similar): for mounting larger frags or building bommie aquascapes.
  • Coral dip container: 1-2 cup container, dedicated to dipping.
  • Dip solution: CoralRx, Bayer Advanced Insecticide, or comparable iodine-based dip.
  • Tweezers / hemostats: for handling small frags and removing debris.
  • Latex or nitrile gloves: some Acropora release toxic mucus when stressed; protect hands.

The fragging procedure

Step 1: Plan the cuts

Look at the colony. Identify:

  • The branches you want to keep on the mother colony
  • The frags you want to produce (size and orientation)
  • Any necrotic or unhealthy areas to cut away first

Clean cuts at branch junctions heal faster than mid-branch cuts. Aim for 1-2 inch frags from healthy growth tips.

Step 2: Remove the colony

Decision point: frag the colony in-tank, or remove to a frag tank?

  • In-tank fragging: faster, less stress on colony, but tissue mucus and debris release into your display
  • Out-of-tank fragging: cleaner, allows dipping post-frag, but requires careful handling and brief air exposure

For named cultivars and high-value pieces, use out-of-tank technique with a dedicated frag bowl.

Step 3: Make the cut

Position bone cutters at the planned cut point. Apply firm, sudden pressure - the cut should be a single click, not a slow squeeze. A clean cut produces minimal tissue tear.

For thicker branches: use a Dremel with diamond wheel. Make a shallow scoring cut first, then deepen until you can snap the branch cleanly.

Step 4: Dip immediately

Both the mother colony and the frags get dipped. Dip kills any pests dislodged by the cutting stress and reduces infection risk at the cut site.

Procedure:

  1. Place frag in 1 cup of display tank water in dedicated dip container
  2. Add dip solution per label dose
  3. Agitate gently with turkey baster for 5-10 minutes
  4. Rinse in clean tank water for 30 seconds
  5. Inspect for any remaining pests or debris

Step 5: Mount the frag

Two methods:

  • Glue-only: apply a dollop of cyanoacrylate gel to the plug, press the frag's cut end firmly into the gel. Hold for 15-20 seconds. Glue cures in seawater within 30 seconds. Best for small frags.
  • Glue + epoxy: glue first to position the frag, then build a small base of two-part epoxy around the frag for stronger long-term adhesion. Best for larger frags or branching pieces that will leverage as they grow.

Aim the frag's natural growth direction up. Note that "up" depends on the original colony orientation.

Step 6: Heal in low-flow, mid-light zone

Newly fragged Acropora wants:

  • Moderate light (200-300 PAR) for 7-14 days, then ramp up to species target
  • Low-to-moderate flow - avoid direct power head blast on the cut surface
  • Stable parameters; don't frag during a parameter swing
  • Patience - tissue grows over the cut surface in 2-4 weeks

Healing timeline

  • Day 1-3: tissue retracted near cut site, polyps mostly closed, frag stress visible
  • Week 1: tissue begins extending toward cut edge; polyps return at established sites
  • Week 2-3: tissue fully covers the cut, fresh white skeleton at the very edge
  • Week 4-6: new growth visible at frag tips; encrusting begins from frag base outward over plug
  • Month 3-6: frag fully integrated with plug, ready for sale or trade

Common fragging mistakes

  • Cutting in unstable parameters: wait for alkalinity, calcium, magnesium to be stable for 7+ days before fragging
  • Over-aggressive dipping: 15+ minute dips damage frag tissue. 5-10 minutes is enough.
  • Mid-branch cuts: always cut at junctions when possible
  • Using cheap glue: cyanoacrylate gel must be reef-safe; super glue from a hardware store contains plasticizers that can leach.
  • Mounting in high flow immediately: direct power head blast on a fresh cut increases STN risk.
  • Skipping the post-cut dip: the cutting stress causes pests to detach. Dip catches them.

Frag economics: the named-cultivar premium

Generic Acropora frags trade at $20-50. Named-cultivar frags trade at $80-800+. The premium reflects:

  • Documented lineage
  • Demonstrable color expression in established systems
  • Originator brand (ORA, Tyree, JF, BC, WWC, GARF)
  • Provenance through visible community channels

If you successfully grow a named-cultivar mother colony for 2+ years and produce frags consistently, you can build a side-business or full vendor operation around it. Fast Aquatics' vendor program is designed exactly for this transition - hobbyist propagator becomes verified vendor with Trust Score and platform reach.

Building a frag tank

Serious propagators run a dedicated frag tank separate from the display:

  • Size: 20-40 gallon long, shallow (8-12 inches deep) for high PAR per area
  • Lighting: 1-2 reef LEDs sized for the surface area; SPS-capable
  • Flow: moderate, multidirectional - 2x small power heads
  • Filtration: shared sump with display OR standalone with skimmer
  • Frag racks: egg crate trays with plug holes; allows organized observation

A dedicated frag tank produces 2-3x faster healing than display-tank fragging, and prevents pest spread to display.

Selling and shipping frags (vendor preview)

If you're building toward selling frags through Fast Aquatics:

  1. Frags must be 100% encrusted to plug, not glued only
  2. Document each frag with photos showing color expression at standard blue spectrum
  3. Apply AEFW dipping protocol 14 days before any planned ship date
  4. Hold frags in a "ready to ship" tank with consistent parameters for 21+ days post-cut to verify healthy regrowth
  5. Pack per Fast Aquatics packing standards: triple bag, oxygen, insulated styrofoam, FedEx Priority Overnight
  6. Photo of packed box uploaded before shipping (chain-of-custody)

The coral economy is built on fragging

Every named cultivar in the hobby exists because someone fragged a mother colony and propagated outward. Pink Lemonade exists because Tyree fragged. Walt Disney Tenuis exists because BigR fragged. The cultivar economy is just fragging at scale, plus naming and provenance documentation.

Master the technique. Build mother colonies. Document lineage. Apply to be a Fast Aquatics vendor. The hobby supports propagators - Fast Aquatics' job is to connect them with buyers transparently.