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Fragging corals has all been done wrong!


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Here is a new look on fragging that has been done for years. 

 

 Ill hit the rewind button a bit many many years ago there was a few places I worked with, few might remember them. Etropicals, Flying fish express, and G.A.R.T.H. The goal back than, was when you fragged it to get as much growth on it as fast as possible to flip it in the sales. Over time that shifted when it was free market to collect out of wild harvest. Now with CITIES closing up, this long forgotten methods has been. Well forgotten.. 

Here we go, I'm letting things out of the bag that will blow the thinking on fragging out of the water. 

Lights. 

 Do NOT hang above the tank.  Water reflects light at 1.33 or about 2% on every degree. In other words on a 40watt SO bulb you loose about 30% through reflection. OUCH thats a lot. 

Lights on the side of the tank gives a radiant penetration value about .16 you loose about 2% of light. The back of the tank has a Mylar reflective. Like the shinny plastic pre-inflated balloons. Now you use way less light to get the same par. 

Color K 

This is a two step processing endeavor.  

I agree its not pretty but you'll get faster growth in the 6500K than in that pretty blue. This is the first light the frags are put in till size is reached. 

After you get it to the growth you want you'll need to blue it. This means hitting all the pretty blues you like. This will shift the color of the corals back to the intense colors thay have. 

Cutting the sucker up.

1"X1" pieces is the worst you can do.

Area is what grows on a new frag. Coast line as you might say. 

 If I cut it into a crescent moon shape say 1/2" wide 2" long vs 1"X1" I get more area that will be growing. 

1"X1" = 4" growing coastline.

1/2" X 2" crescent shape = 5 3/4" coastline 

 I am hoping this will raise thoughts and hummmm's 

 Who ever has the club par meter try this. 10g tank put light above like you would normal. Par it. Than shove light up on side and par it again and you will see the true numbers. 

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I'd be curious on the ridiculous growth patterns/shadowing you'd have on coral with a light on the side.  I'd tend to disagree that it'd work well with today's lighting too if you wanted to leverage LEDs as the light does not 'spill' like traditional halides/t5s/vhos.  (Unless you are using a diffuser like ecotech has introduced for better blending but still not sure that fixes that problem).

 

I agree with other points, rather common understandings when fragging.  Typically you'll see the yellow/natural light for the high growth and another stage where better light brings the coloration and right zooxanthellae density. 

 

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