How do you guys 'spread out' your Zoas?

[~RuSh~]

A month or so back I bought a nice little zoa colony. All of the polyps are on a nice piece of 3x4 inch lr. I've been trying to get them to spread onto my other LR, but I don't think there is enough solid contact. The LR the polyps are on is about an inch tall so right now they have begun growing down the sides and stretching out for light.

Can I use a razor blade to cut them off the LR and glue them to other places? How do you guys do it?

There is also two polyps that are green that I would like to see spread out and I'd like to maybe cut one off the LR but I really don't want to do any damage. Help?

 

[qfrisco]

Yes, you can definitely frag the zoas (with the razor blade) and glue them to a piece of rock and it will spread in no time.

Be sure, though, that that's what you want. When I first started 3.5 years ago, I wanted my zoas all over my rocks, then as they started to spread, I found out that I couldn't stop them from spreading. I then started to just keep them on little islands on my sand so I can at least control their spread.

 

[dcortes19]

Be careful when you frag zoas as you have probably know about palytoxin. Wear your safety equipment. Good luck.

 

[~RuSh~]

What kind of glue is safe to use?

My plan was to glue them to a sea shell that is in the tank so I can still move it around if it doesn't adjust well in its position - and also so that I can transport them to another tank (my brothers).

Palytoxin? If I use some gloves will I be ok?

 

[cody6766]

Superglue gel is perfect for fragging. Brand is not a factor.

Palytoxin is a toxin produced by some zoas/palys that some people have pretty severe reactions to. People recommend safety glasses and gloves for fragging. I don't mess with either one when I frag. Just be careful and dont cut yourself. If you have open cuts I'd recommend gloves, but I don't stress about it otherwise.

When I frag zoas I try to cut a little of the rock with the polyps so i don't harm the coral. It's just the very surface layer, but it helps with gluing and preventing injury to the polyps. I do this kind of thing with my zoas from time to dime with no issues

 

[~RuSh~]

Excellent. Thanks for the info. I'll probably give it a shot next week sometime. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

 

[A. Grandis]

I would place the rocks together and wait for them to grow on them, then cut a part with a very sharp blade. Normally would be better to dip the polyps after cutting to avoid bacterial infection. Up to you.

Yes, please be ware of the palytoxin! Save your mouth and eyes, as well as any exposed skin, from the internal liquids of any type of zoanthids.

Grandis.

 

[~RuSh~]

@ A. Grandis - The frag itself is constantly being bumped and moved around by one of my hermit crabs. The polyps themselves are growing down the sides of the frag, but I would have to find a really solid spot for the frag where it doesn't budge, and I just don't have a good spot for it at the moment. So I'll probably go with a razor blade and some super glue.

How long can the polyp be out of water? I assume I cannot glue it underwater?

 

[cody6766]

I have them out for several minutes when fragging them. Don't take a nap with them out of the water, but there's also no need to rush things. Take your time, do it right and they'll open back up. Some do it quickly, some take a day or 3.

 

[~RuSh~]

Excellent, thanks for the help Cody.

 

[CarltonsReef]

Fragging will help speed up the process but honestly leaving them alone they will cover the rock eventually.

 

[A. Grandis]

@ A. Grandis - The frag itself is constantly being bumped and moved around by one of my hermit crabs. The polyps themselves are growing down the sides of the frag, but I would have to find a really solid spot for the frag where it doesn't budge, and I just don't have a good spot for it at the moment. So I'll probably go with a razor blade and some super glue.

How long can the polyp be out of water? I assume I cannot glue it underwater?

I would remove the hermit crabs, if that's the case. Hermits will got any where to bug them.

They can be out of the water for a while. Not to worry. You need to remove the frag, place the glue and put in the tank, where you want.

Grandis.

 

[johnny]

As long as I don't butcher the zoas when fragging them, they always seem "healthier" after fragging. I think it has to do with having more space to open up which makes them look "fuller". When I acquire a new zoa, I like to frag it to keep a separate piece in case the main one melts. After a while, the frag gets large enough to frag itself and give away to friends.

Make sure your razor blade is new and sharp... if it's even a bit dull it won't let you slice under the polyps and you'll slice through them instead.

Nick

 

[Mr. Microscope]

Research fragging techniques if you want. There's tons of videos and forum posts about it.

But, +1 to just leaving them be. They will eventually grow off the sides and on to the rocks. It just take a while. Each time you touch them slows them down a lot. If you just place the rock in your tank and forget about if for a few months. You'll see the zoas start to settle in and eventually they will start to grow pretty fast (usually, some zoas a slow growers).

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Yes you kinda need contact with something they will not grow directly down as this would be a shaded area however mine tend to grow faster up then down. you can put the rock up against another and they will grow onto it then pull the rock away and they will grow in a 360` direction as long as new growth isnt shadowed by other growth it will continue to grow in that direction. This is what I mean by they wouln't grow down they will as long as there is light in that area