First time with corals question

[KDS]

Just had a few questions about corals.

1) Typically how long does it take for a coral to double in size? I can see that corals can be an expensive hobby and that I will be purchasing smaller frags that will hopefully grow quickly.

2) How far apart should I place my frags on the rock, assuming the original frag is quite small (an inch or two)? I want to make sure they have plenty of room to grow without encroaching on each other.

3) Is it better to remove the frag from the disc it is mounted on, THEN glue it to a piece of rock or simply glue the disc with the frag on it directly to the rock.

Below is a pic of my new 75 gallon tank with dry rock if this helps any.

Thanks in advance!

Kevin

 

[Sniperhank]

The growth depends on the coral. Some grow faster than others. It also depends on the lighting and water quality.

As for spacing, this also depends on the coral. Some have longer tentacles than others. Some are peaceful and won't bother their neighbors and you only need to be concerned with one out growing the other.

As for removing them from the plug, I have yet to remove any of mine from their plugs. If you want to do this, make sure they are in a place where they are happy with the lighting and flow of the tank before you place it somewhere more permenant.

 

[AquaRick]

Coral growth definitely depends on a lot of factors. Generally, there are some faster growing corals such as zoas, birdsnest, and some slow growing corals like chalices etc.

Spacing isn't too big an issue as each coral will make sure to keep the space it wants etc.

For some corals, I'm not a fan of plugs and remove them and attach to the rock directly. For corals which I want/need to keep the plug, I always cut off the stems from the plugs and just use the round discs and attach with some superglue. when starting out, I'm a fan of using superglue as you can remove the frag easily and rearrange if needed. With epoxy, once you've set it, you can't remove it without using a saw etc.

 

[Ibrahim]

Same here, for coral that encrust such as zooanthids, green star polyps, plays, and mushrooms, etc.... I leave on the plug since the can grow over it any way. Others I remove and use putty to attach where I want.