Fragging corals is one of the most satisfying skills in the reef hobby. When I first tried to frag corals in my own tank, I was nervous about harming livestock I had spent months growing out - but with the right tools and a bit of preparation, the process is straightforward and the rewards are real. You can expand your reef, trade frags with fellow hobbyists, or sell extras to offset the cost of the hobby. This guide covers every step: tools, technique, recovery, and what to do when things go sideways.

Safety Note: Fragging involves sharp tools, electrical equipment, and stressed livestock. Always unplug your return pump and powerheads before removing coral from the tank to avoid cutting your hands on live rock or injuring yourself on rotating equipment. Wear nitrile gloves when handling corals - this protects both you and the coral from skin oils and potential toxins. Some soft corals, especially palythoas and zoanthids, contain palytoxin, which is seriously dangerous if it enters your eyes, nose, or mouth. Work in a well-ventilated area when fragging any zoanthid or palythoa species, and wear eye protection.

Why Fragging Makes Sense

Fragging is the process of cutting a coral into smaller pieces - each of which can heal and grow into a full colony. Hobbyists frag for several reasons: to prevent a fast-growing species from overrunning its tank neighbors, to produce pieces for trading at local reef club meetings, or simply to propagate a coral they have grown attached to.

In a broader sense, coral fragging mirrors what conservation organizations like the Coral Restoration Foundation do to propagate threatened reef corals at scale. For the home reef keeper, the goals are more modest - but the process is the same. I have been fragging corals across several tanks for about four years now, and I find it gives me a better understanding of how each coral grows and what it needs to thrive.

Tools You Need to Frag Corals at Home

You do not need a lot of gear to start, but having the right tools makes a real difference in how cleanly cuts heal.

  • Bone cutters or fragging scissors - for soft corals and branching LPS
  • Tile saw or Dremel with a diamond blade - for SPS and hard-skeleton LPS
  • Scalpel or razor blade - for precision cuts on leathery soft corals
  • Frag plugs or frag tiles - small ceramic or plastic bases to mount frags on
  • Coral epoxy or cyanoacrylate gel - to attach frags to their new substrate
  • Small container or fragging tray - to hold tank water while you work

I use a dedicated coral fragging kit that includes bone cutters, scissors, and a scalpel - all in one case that I keep near the tank. The blades are easy to replace, and I swap them out every few sessions. Dull tools tear tissue instead of cutting it cleanly, which dramatically increases healing time.

Make sure your tools are clean before every session. Rinse them with fresh RODI water after use and sanitize with a dilute bleach solution (fully rinsed afterward) if you have been working with multiple coral species.

Setting Up a Fragging Station

Before you touch a single coral, set up your workspace. I use a clean plastic bin filled with tank water from my display, positioned on a stable surface next to the tank. The bin keeps frags submerged while you work and gives you a place to set pieces temporarily without leaving them exposed to air.

Lay out your tools in the order you will use them. Have paper towels nearby because fragging is wet and messy. If you are fragging zoanthids or palythoas, wear eye protection and a mask. I got a small splash in my eye once while cutting a palythoa colony - it burned badly and I was lucky it was not a high-palytoxin strain. That experience changed my habits permanently.

If you have a frag tank or a frag rack in a protected area of your display, prepare that before you start so cut pieces go directly from the fragging tray into a stable recovery environment.

How to Frag Soft Corals

Soft corals are the most forgiving type to frag and a good starting point if you have never done this before.

Mushroom corals are among the simplest. Use a razor blade or scalpel to cut the mushroom into two or more pieces, each containing a portion of the mouth. I aim for pieces no smaller than 1 cm across. Place the pieces in a container of tank water with a small rock chip or plug underneath, and within a few days the mushroom will attach itself and begin to expand normally.

Xenia and pulsing corals frag easily with clean scissors. Snip a stalk with two or three polyps attached. To mount the frag, apply a small amount of coral frag epoxy to the base and press it onto a plug. Xenia usually starts pulsing again within 48 hours in my experience.

Leather corals are a bit trickier because they release slime and mild toxins when cut and often close up for several days afterward. Use a sharp, clean scalpel to cut. The frag base needs to be attached to something - a small rock fragment or a plug - and left in low flow. I have found that patience is the main ingredient with leathers. A piece that looks like a shriveled stub at day three can be fully extended and healthy by day seven or eight. Do not panic and assume it has died.

For a closer look at which soft corals are easiest to keep and frag, see our guide to beginner corals that are hard to kill.

How to Frag LPS Corals

LPS corals - Acans, Blastos, Hammers, Torches, Favia, and similar species - have a hard calcium carbonate skeleton with soft tissue on top. Fragging them requires cutting through the skeleton cleanly to avoid tearing the tissue bridge between heads.

For branching LPS like torch and hammer corals, I use bone cutters to snap a branch at its base. Each branch is essentially a self-contained polyp that can be mounted directly on a plug with epoxy. If the cut end has ragged skeleton edges, trim them lightly with a scalpel before placing the frag in recovery.

For wall-form LPS like Acans and Blastos, I use a tile saw with a diamond blade to cut between polyp heads. Each section needs to contain at least one full polyp. Let the cut piece dry for about 30 seconds so the tissue contracts slightly before applying epoxy to attach it to a plug - this gives a much better bond than trying to glue wet tissue.

Recovery for LPS frags takes one to two weeks before tissue is fully extended again. Keep water chemistry absolutely stable during this time. If alkalinity or calcium swings while frags are healing, stressed pieces may not survive. I check my parameters daily when I have frags recovering, using the testing routine described in our reef tank water chemistry guide.

How to Frag SPS Corals

SPS fragging - Acropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, and others - requires a tile saw or Dremel with a diamond blade. These corals have a dense skeleton that bone cutters will crush rather than cut. Crushed skeleton means significant tissue damage and slow, difficult healing.

Here is the process I follow for SPS:

  1. Fill a shallow tray with tank water and set it on your work surface.
  2. Remove the SPS colony from the tank and lay it in the tray.
  3. Use a diamond blade to cut between branches, keeping each piece at least 2-3 cm long with a healthy base of skeleton for mounting.
  4. Dip each frag in a dilute iodine solution for 30 seconds to reduce the risk of bacterial infection at the cut site (1 drop of Lugol’s iodine per 250 ml of tank water is a safe working concentration).
  5. Apply epoxy to the base and press the frag onto a frag plug. I prefer 3/4-inch plugs for most SPS pieces.
  6. Move frags to a low-flow, moderate-light zone in the tank or a frag tank.

The first 48-72 hours after fragging SPS are the highest-risk window. Watch for tissue recession starting at the cut end. If you see it spreading, remove the frag and do an extended iodine dip. In my experience, catching recession early gives you a real chance of saving a frag - waiting until the tissue has pulled back halfway up the branch usually means it is too far gone.

Frag Recovery: What to Do After the Cut

Where you put frags after cutting matters as much as the cut itself. I follow this recovery protocol for all types:

  • Light: 50-70% of the intensity the coral was growing at in the display. You can always increase light after healing - too much too soon causes bleaching on already-stressed tissue.
  • Flow: Gentle but present. Enough to bring fresh water across the tissue and carry away waste, not enough to tumble the plug or push the frag against rock.
  • Water quality: Stable and clean. I do not skip a single water change during frag recovery, and I test parameters more frequently than usual. Everything I do for regular maintenance during this period is described in our reef tank maintenance schedule.

In my setup, soft coral frags are typically ready for the display within one to two weeks. LPS takes two to four weeks. SPS frags can take four to six weeks before they are ready for higher flow and full-intensity light.

Common Fragging Mistakes

I have made most of these at some point:

Cutting too small. A tiny frag has less energy reserve to draw on while healing and more exposed tissue relative to its size. Bigger frags consistently survive at a higher rate.

Using dull tools. A torn cut causes far more tissue damage than a clean one. Replace blades regularly - they are inexpensive and the difference is obvious.

Skipping the dip. Even a brief iodine or coral dip after cutting reduces infection risk significantly. I never skip it on SPS and I recommend it for LPS as well.

Moving frags too fast. Do not put frags into high flow and intense light before they have healed. Two extra weeks in the frag tray is much less stressful than watching a frag bleach out because you were impatient.

Ignoring parameter swings. Frags that are already stressed from a cut have almost no tolerance for bad water. Test before and after every fragging session and keep up your maintenance routine.

FAQ

How long does it take for a coral frag to heal?

It depends on the type. Mushrooms and xenias can heal in three to five days. Most soft coral frags stabilize within two weeks. LPS corals typically take two to four weeks to fully re-extend tissue over the cut surface. SPS frags can take four to six weeks before they are ready for full display conditions. Temperature and water quality stability are the biggest factors outside of the cut itself.

Can I frag corals without a tile saw?

For soft corals and branching LPS, yes - bone cutters and scissors are sufficient. For SPS species like Acropora with dense skeletons, a tile saw or Dremel with a diamond blade produces much cleaner cuts and significantly better healing outcomes. I tried fragging Acropora with bone cutters early on and the crush damage at the cut end was obvious and slow to heal.

Do I need a dedicated frag tank?

No, but it helps. You can recover frags on a frag rack in your display if you can control flow and light in that area. A dedicated frag tank - even a simple 10-gallon setup - gives you more control and keeps stressed, healing corals separate from the main population. I find it easier to monitor frag health when they are not mixed in with everything else.

How do I attach a frag to a plug?

Two-part epoxy putty designed for reef use is the most reliable method. Mix until it reaches a uniform color, press it around the base of the frag, and push the plug into the epoxy. Cyanoacrylate gel works faster but requires slightly dry surfaces - give the frag base and plug surface about 30 seconds of air exposure before applying the glue, then press and hold for 30 seconds.

Is it safe to frag zoanthids and palythoas?

Yes, with appropriate precautions. These corals can contain palytoxin, which is a serious marine toxin. Wear gloves, eye protection, and a mask. Work in a ventilated area and do not let water splash near your face. Wash your hands thoroughly after the session. This is not something to brush off - there are documented cases of hobbyists requiring emergency medical care after palytoxin exposure from fragging these corals without protection.

If you are just starting with coral keeping, read our guide to beginner corals first - having healthy, established colonies before you start fragging gives you much better outcomes and more confidence with the process.

About the Author

The ReefCraft Guide team writes about saltwater aquarium keeping from hands-on tank experience. From water chemistry to coral placement, our guides reflect what actually works in a home reef setup - not just what the textbook says.

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