to mount or not to mount

[theshad]

I just picked up some frags of Montipera and Acropera.

The frags I have are not mounted and range in size from about 1" to some very nice branches of over 5"

Sorry don't have any pics yet as I just get them in the tank very late last night.

My question is because they are not mounted should I mount them?

if I mount them should I place them standing up in a vertical position?

If I don't mount them can I firmly place the base in the hollows of the live rock?

Is there any added benifit to laying the frags horizontal on the rock? will doing it this way create more of a base to be encrusted and thus down the line a larger coral?

[Carlos]

Most people, including myself, mount them in small rocks mainly to be able to put them in the sand and slowly acclimate them to the tank's lighting. Then, after a few days, I move the small mounted frags to their final location where I usually epoxy the small rock. It is easier to glue a frag to a small rock outside the tank and then mount the rock with epoxy than to try to glue the frag underwater or epoxy the frag. If you epoxy the frag, one tends to kill a big part of the frag. If you glue the frag, the loss of tissue is minimal.

In terms of vertical or horizontal frags, it is up to you. It really does not make a difference.

Carlos