Coral Fragging 101: Tools and First Cuts
Fragging means cutting a coral into smaller pieces that grow into new colonies. It keeps fast growers in check, lets you trade with other reefers, and turns one coral into many. Here's how to get started safely.
Tools you'll need
- Bone cutters or coral cutters: for snapping branching stony corals.
- Scalpel or sharp scissors: for soft corals and zoanthids.
- Frag plugs or disks: small bases to mount new frags.
- Gel superglue (cyanoacrylate): bonds frags to plugs, even underwater.
- Reef-safe epoxy putty: for larger or heavier pieces.
- Gloves and eye protection: essential, especially for zoanthids and palythoa.
Shop our fragging supplies.
Safety first
Some corals, especially zoanthids and palythoa, contain palytoxin, which can cause serious illness. Always wear gloves and eye protection, never frag with open cuts on your hands, and wash your hands and tools afterward. Read more in our Zoanthid and Palythoa Care Guide.
How to frag by coral type
Soft corals and leathers
Cut a clean piece with a scalpel or scissors. Hold it against a plug or rock with a rubber band or toothpick until it attaches, usually in 1 to 3 weeks.
Zoanthids
Cut between polyps at the base with a scalpel, or snap off a piece of the rock they're growing on. Glue the piece to a plug.
Branching SPS like Montipora
Snap or cut a branch with bone cutters, then glue it upright onto a plug.
Branching LPS like hammers
Cut between heads at the skeleton with bone cutters or a saw, keeping the soft tissue intact. Never cut through a living head.
After fragging
- Rinse new frags in tank water before returning them to the tank.
- Place them in low to moderate flow and lower light while they heal.
- Expect frags to stay closed for a few days.
- Watch the parent colony too; it should recover within a week or two.
Want a head start? Our frag packs bundle several frags at once.
