Top 23 Coral Mounting Mistakes

Sometimes it feels like you just can't win when it comes to mounting coral frags in your reef tank. If it's not falling off the rock, it's trying to sting its neighbor or just not doing well so you keep moving it around. With this list of the Top 23 Coral Mounting Mistakes, you won't find yourself frustrated and will know just what to do with that new coral frag or colony.

Top 23 Coral Mounting Mistakes

Placing the frag plug or disk in your tank - remove the plugs and disks for safety sake and it looks better!
Not testing PAR values - know your tank's PAR values so you can place corals properly based on lighting needs.
Don't mount a high light corals in a low PAR zone and vice versa - place corals based on lighting needs and if your light is not strong enough, choose a different coral.
Using standard epoxy - epoxy is not the best solution for adhering corals because it cures slowly and does not look all that great.
Not knowing what the thickest glue is - not all super glue gel is created equal, thick gel is best. IC-Gel is best
Not using the super glue and Tunze Coral Gum combo - a small amount of Tunze Coral Gum with super glue gel creates a firm bond and molds to your rock.
Not considering a rock island for invasive corals - Green Star Polyps, Xenia, Button Polyps...all great candidates for isolation on a rock island.
Using a bottle of glue underwater ruins the glue when saltwater draws back into the bottle.
Not considering the shape and growth pattern of your coral - long term, this is important.
Not considering corals that sting - if it will sting any coral within reach, give it space!
Not considering a garden - group similar types of corals together in "gardens" so they can thrive long term without interference from other coral.
Not mounting fast-growing corals at the bottom - if a coral grows fast, plan for that growth so it doesn't sting or shade other coral; the bottom glass panel works great for many types of encrusting corals in bare bottom tanks.
Not planning for the future - think about what you want your tank to look like, work towards that.
Place corals based on their flow needs - just because it looks good in that spot, it doesn't mean the conditions are right.
Not thinking about the color scheme in your tank - all green corals means your tank will look green. Pick and choose colors wisely.
Not acclimating new corals to your light conditions - most LEDs have an acclimation mode or use a frag rack to start low and acclimate up.
Not considering the growth on a bare bottom tank - be careful about the type of corals you place on the bottom.
Placing NPS corals in a place that cannot be easily accessed - place needy corals in a location that you can easily access.
Gluing corals that have tissue on the bottom - it's a bad idea to use glue directly on coral flesh or a clam foot as it will kill the coral in most cases.
Not considering the coral growth pattern - use this to your advantage to create a visual dynamic aquascape over time.
Not considering a permanent frag rock - some frag mounts and racks look natural and can stay in your tank indefinitely.