I know this kind of stuff can be hard to explain with written direction but maybe someone can give me an idea. I received good sized pieces of a pulsating Xenia and leather yesterday. They weren't on rocks or disks but I assumed that I'd be able to poke them down in some holes in my live rock or something and all would be dandy. (remember, be gentle, I don't know any better! haha!) Anyway... I've tried poking them down in holes, stuffing shells in around them, leaving them between rocks on the sand bed, etc. and every time they stay put just long enough for me to be satisfied and walk away and then they break loose and skitter across my tank like tumbleweeds. Is there a better way to get them stuck where I want them or am I just completely at their mercy and wherever they land is where they are going to be for awhile?
One way that has worked for me... Go to local fabric store get a dollars worth of bridal veil - wrap the coral & a small rock in the bridal veil, a rubber-band to hold it together & in a few weeks it will attach. Some have luck with Gel Super glue.
You can use fishing line to tie it to some rubble rock until it attaches. Or put it in a plastic container with rubble in it, and cover with bridal mesh. Be sure to drill holes in the container so water can flow through.
My husband gets on to me for being elbow deep in the tank so often. lol Anyway, the super glue method... does one just super glue the coral directly to a piece of rock or something? Does the glue not harm the coral? I'm assuming by "bridal veil" you guys are referring to tulle fabric. I'm thinking I'll superglue the coral to a piece of rock or a shell, wrap the base with fishing line and wrap with tulle. Sounds like a plan. =P
tulle - yes. I can never remember that word for some reason. I got mine at hobby lobby. Pretty much a lifetime supply for $4.
Some leathers you can superglue and some don't glue so good. Zenia don't like superglue at all. Use the bridal veil method, loose rubberband on a piece of rubble rock and lay where you want. Zenia well be attached within a week. Turn the flow down for a week in the area you want them to reside.
I have a Nano 12 so turning flow down doesn't seem likely. Would taking the powerhead attachment off for a week be an option? It will still have flow but it may be more spread out instead of so localized.
I think I have the leather under control. The frag I was given was a "V" shape to it so I stuck him to a small piece of rubble, tied fishline around the rock, tying it around the "v" part of the leather and putting the rock against the back of the glass behind the powerhead (last place to get flow). I do have another question about my Xenia though. The rock that I really want it to go in, and where it would most likely stay, is a very interesting, mushroom shaped rock with many various sizes of holes in it. I believe that several of the holes would be perfect to put my Xenia in. However, this rock is the one that has active Aiptasia growth. I could put the coral in a hole away from the active Aiptasia but it would be housed in the same rock. Would the Aiptasia harm the Xenia before I was able to kill the Aiptasia? Xenia is my favorite coral that I can house so far, I don't want to kill it! lol
I have fragged tons of zenia. The best way that I have found is to use a small party cup with crushed coral in the bottom and set the zenia in the crushed coral and in about 3 days it will be attached to the CC and then you can super the small pieces to what ever you like. You can even bury the zenia in it to hold it still and then a few days later it should be ready to glue. If you have the leather against the glass it might just attach to the glass. But it can always be ripped off.
[p:tx8gprpf]The little rubber bands sold in the hair care section at most stores work well for small pieces like this , just place the coral in a small indention in a piece of rubble and put the rubber band around it. The key is to just barely hold the coral in place, not pinch it against the rock. Eventually the rubberband will rot away in the saltwater.[/p:tx8gprpf]
[p:120yfv78]The xenia finally did attach to the rock I least wanted it to but it's there. Ginny, at NSA, put it best when she said "just leave it alone... it's smarter than you are about where it needs to be". Of course I"m not sure that the rock that has aiptasia all over it was a good choice. haha![/p:120yfv78][p:120yfv78]Anyway, I tied my leather down pretty losely around a piece of rubble with fishing line but it acts like it's starting to tear now. I've moved it away from any flow possible to try to delay this as much as I can until it attaches.[/p:120yfv78][p:120yfv78]Thanks for your help, all![/p:120yfv78]
