How to Mount Corals on Your Weir Box
- Dec 15, 2024
- Anshika Mishra
- 12 0 0
One of the best things you can do for your tank is add corals to your weir box. It'll make your tank look full. In this article, we are showing you how you can do it in your new or established tank to create more real estate for corals:
Coral Mounting Guide
For this DIY project, you need
- An algae scraper to clean the back glass or a credit card will do
- A tube of aquarium-safe silicon
- Coral mounts to hold the coral.
The first step is to clean the area where you'll place the coral mounts. It doesn't have to be immaculate, but you need to do a thorough job because you want the mount to stick to the glass and not any algae.
Although the frag mount is only an inch square, if you can clean a large area, you won't be restricted in where you can fix the mounts.
You then put a blob of aquarium-safe silicon on the back of coral mounts. It doesn't matter how much you put on. Even a tiny amount will spread across the mount completely when you push it against the glass. But don't be shy about it. If you put too much on, any excess will squeeze out of the size and can be cut away when dried.
You then choose your spot, press the mount in place firmly, and hold it steady for 60 seconds. Keeping that time consistent is essential; if it is in place for 30 seconds or less, it will likely fall off within the next minute.
But a full minute will ensure it holds firm for good. Silicon also grips underwater, so you don't need to drain your tank to do this. The only other caveat is that it will adhere to glass but not acrylic.
So, check the area you're mounting to is glass before you start because the coral mount is very lightweight. It won't fall off at this stage, even when you turn your power heads back on. Still, it won't be strong enough to hold anything else until it sets, so avoid the temptation to put the frag in place now. Instead, you'll need to leave the silicon for between 24 and 48 hours to set completely.
Fast-forward 48 hours, and you can put the coral mounts in place. To attach the frag plug to the mount, you can either put a dab of silicon on the bottom to ensure it doesn't shift around, or you can attach a small cable tie at the back, which you then tighten when the coral is in place.
Then, you only need to put the coral onto the mount and gently pull the cable tie tight. Then, cut off the excess so it looks nice and neat. You can easily cut the cable tie-off later if you need to pull the coral out to give it a bit of a haircut.
These corals you've added will now grow into lovely branching patterns out of the tank's empty area. It's even better if you can get corals with complementary colors so they'll really pop and stand out next to each other.
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