2017-09-01 Coral Magazine

fundamentals of marine aquarium keeping—DANIEL KNOP

ALL: D. KNOP

Thermoplastic beads

are typically used for

art projects, crafts, or

DIY repair jobs. It is

non-toxic and suitable

for mounting coral

fragments.

When heated, typically

in a warm-water bath,

thermoplastic beads

become transparent

and pliable and start

to bond.

Fragging stony corals

Part 3 • Stony corals may be more demanding to keep than soft corals, but they

can be propagated vegetatively in the aquarium much more easily. Here we

describe a new technique using thermoplastics.

n the previous installment of this article we showed

how frags can be attached to substrates using un-

derwater epoxy resin. A relatively new material can

now be used to attach them: thermoplastic beads,

which are readily available from craft and hard-

ware retailers, selling under names such as Friendly

Plastic, InstaMorph, and Thermomorph. Preis Easy

Glue is packaged for the aquarium trade, but the

term “glue” is actually misleading for this material.

Unlike glue, this material does not bond two pieces

with an adhesive, but attaches them via mechanical

anchoring: when warmed, the soft, pliable substance

can mold itself to any shape, and once it cools it be-

comes a rigid fastening device.

The advantage of this substance is its very low melting

point. At around 140°F (60°C), it starts to turn trans-

parent and becomes so soft that it can be easily kneaded

and molded without burning the hands. However, it

also cools and stiffens fairly quickly, so the window for

working with it is limited to about one minute. As it

cools the white color returns. To soften it up again, you

can simply put it back into hot water. Unused material

can be reheated and used again or saved for future use.

The water in which you heat the beads may be con-

siderably warmer than the recommended 150°F (65°C);

in tests, water well above 194°F (90°C) worked, but you

must always take care not to scald

the skin. You can use a hair

dryer if you need a small

batch for just a few frags.

See the comparison of frag

mounts on the next page

to see the different results

obtained at higher and

lower temperatures.

I

Beads measure about

3 mm in diameter.

cally

ath,

ds

nt

art

ing to keep than soft corals, but they

aquarium much more easily. Here we

new technique using thermoplastics.