Remove and preserve zoas from rock work

[Dave VG]

So how do I remove zoas from a rock and replant so to speak somewhere else in the tank. Do you cut sections and peal them off? What methods have you used?

 

[Jacwil]

People do different things. You can glue a plug or piece of rubble next to the colony and remove it after the zoos encrust it. You can also go in with the bone cutters and remove a chunk of rock with the polyps on them...as you nip the rock you will have the tissue of coral to contend with...a razor or zacto knife will make short work of them....good luck!

 

[Dave VG]

This is a huge rock with a huge colony like 4X6 and a smaller one 3X4. Really do not want to lose them. The rock was bought this way and unbeknownst to me is riddled with aiptasia. Lemon juice has been working well but it’s the ones I can’t see that are worrying me the most. So at this point I would like to remove the rock and nuke it to get rid of the aiptasia. My tank was pest free up to this point but I guess I’m going to have to be very vigilant keeping an eye out for more when they pop up. That sucks.

 

[Jacwil]

I see what you mean...I think in that case I would get as aggressive as I could with the aips using a syringe loaded with your ammo of choice. I also have taken a good sized rock and hit it with the torch...kinda stinks.

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

I would work at it pealing them away with a small 1/4" chisel or a sharp flat screwdriver. Right now I'm tearing them away with a tweezers from a rock I'm trying no make a mono polyp sp not caring if I loss the polyps I remove, and they still recover nicely. Propagators will usually use the chisel/screwdriver, or the nip just the heads off with scissors into a settling tray, but that method doesn't suit your needs.