SPS Mounting Question

[slingfox]

I am new to the hobby so apologies for what may be a basic question.

I recently got some free SPS frags from a local reefer. Some of those frags came from branches which were growing horizontally. The colorful areas grew on the side facing upwards towards the light. I have put those frags on plugs but now the frags are vertical (rather than horizontal) which means one side (facing forward) is colorful whereas the side facing backwards has no color.

When I mount these frags, is it okay for me to have the portion that used to face upward to forward instead? Or do I need to mount the frag sideways on my aquascape to mimic the orientation in the tank the frags came from?

 

[Stealthreefer]

The best thing is to try to match the way they were growing in the original tank. A lot of corals like to be mounted sideways or on a wall it turns out. It's okay to do whatever but for a newbie I would try to mimic the successful orientation as much as possible.
Welcome to the hobby, don't get frustrated when stuff dies. We've all killed coral.

 

[slingfox]

The best thing is to try to match the way they were growing in the original tank. A lot of corals like to be mounted sideways or on a wall it turns out. It's okay to do whatever but for a newbie I would try to mimic the successful orientation as much as possible.
Welcome to the hobby, don't get frustrated when stuff dies. We've all killed coral.

Okay, I will need to think about where to put them. Thank you!

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I find that if your tank is healthy, you can mount them anyway you want and they’ll color up and thrive. Sometimes acros like to be mounted horizontally and as a frag will do better if you mount them that way (ex. Table corals). The important thing is light and flow. If you have those, any discolored parts which were previously away from the light will color up. I wouldn't overthink it.

 

[slingfox]

I find that if your tank is healthy, you can mount them anyway you want and they’ll color up and thrive. Sometimes acros like to be mounted horizontally and as a frag will do better if you mount them that way (ex. Table corals). The important thing is light and flow. If you have those, any discolored parts which were previously away from the light will color up. I wouldn't overthink it.

I appreciate the input. Since my tank is pretty empty it would be nice to at least have the option of mounting vertically. I split some of the larger frags into two smaller frags so I may do some experimentation.