Zoo control

[Donmarco]

Three years ago I purchased a small green zoanthia. Today it's a beautiful large piece--no, it's really one large zoo colony and three smaller ones. A really beautiful coral, but now I'm concerned to control it's spread so that it doesn't encroach on the stony corals in my tank. What's the best way to curtail it's spread? I realize that this coral produces a toxin, so I want to be careful. Can polyps be scraped from the rock with a razor blade? What's the best method?

 

Thanks much!

 

Mark

[dshnarw]

Three years ago I purchased a small green zoanthia. Today it's a beautiful large piece--no, it's really one large zoo colony and three smaller ones. A really beautiful coral, but now I'm concerned to control it's spread so that it doesn't encroach on the stony corals in my tank. What's the best way to curtail it's spread? I realize that this coral produces a toxin, so I want to be careful. Can polyps be scraped from the rock with a razor blade? What's the best method?

 

Thanks much!

 

Mark

 

I would recommend fragging - cut the rock with a dremel, or use a screwdriver and hammer to break the rock. Use the razor blade to slice between the pieces of rock. Scraping them is just messy, and you can always get a bit of extra money for zoanthid frags. Another method would be to pile some rubble around the colony and as they colonize the rubble, slice the zoanthids on the rubble away from the main colony and sell those as frags.

 

You should be much less concerned about toxins than bacterial infections. Use gloves if your hands have cuts on them, cut the flesh of the zoanthids underwater to minimize spray from cutting, and wear eye protection.

[Jan]

I've used bone cutters and cut away at the base of the colony. chip away the rock underneath. I would not scrape or rip them off a rock. Scraping/ripping will cause them to release neurotoxins. You can see the release if you attempt to pull them off rock under water. They release powerful neurotoxins that can enter the body directly through open wound, absorption (mucous membrane. eyes, lining of mouth), accidental ingestion and injection (puncture wound). You should wear gloves and goggles when fragging them. There have been several horror stories from people who did not wear proper protection when handling zoas. I had a bad experience with them too. Other than that they're fine .

 

 

Three years ago I purchased a small green zoanthia. Today it's a beautiful large piece--no, it's really one large zoo colony and three smaller ones. A really beautiful coral, but now I'm concerned to control it's spread so that it doesn't encroach on the stony corals in my tank. What's the best way to curtail it's spread? I realize that this coral produces a toxin, so I want to be careful. Can polyps be scraped from the rock with a razor blade? What's the best method?

 

Thanks much!

 

Mark

[Jan]

+1 infection should be of concern as well.

I would recommend fragging - cut the rock with a dremel, or use a screwdriver and hammer to break the rock. Use the razor blade to slice between the pieces of rock. Scraping them is just messy, and you can always get a bit of extra money for zoanthid frags. Another method would be to pile some rubble around the colony and as they colonize the rubble, slice the zoanthids on the rubble away from the main colony and sell those as frags.

 

You should be much less concerned about toxins than bacterial infections. Use gloves if your hands have cuts on them, cut the flesh of the zoanthids underwater to minimize spray from cutting, and wear eye protection.

[zygote2k]

I use a hammer and chisel. If the chisel is sharp, it cuts through the flesh easily. zoas are super hardy and can take a beating. just don't lick your fingers afterward.

[Donmarco]

Actually I'm not looking to frag the colony. For one, the colony in the photo I posted is huge and it's on a very large piece of LR. It would take a considerable effort to break up the rock. What I want to do is control where the colony spreads. I fragged the colony more than a year ago and that's why I also have several small colonies, but the largest colony was too large even then to frag.

 

I actually have a beautiful colony on a piece of rock the size of my fist. It's absolutely beautiful.

 

Thanks for the cautionary remarks as well. I have heavy rubber gloves that cover my arms up to my shoulders. I never handle corals without them.

 

I suppose if the zooanthia become a problem then I may have to dismantle my tanks and frag what's there and try to isolate the offending corals. The zoo is the second coral I purchased four years ago when I was getting into reef keeping. It was a small colony then and I didn't know much about them at the time (a newbie problem).

 

I appreciate the advice. Is there any way to restrict or localize the colonies?

 

Mark

[L8 2 RISE]

as was suggested above, put rubble around the colony, then when the zoos grow onto the rubble, cut it off, sellbit or do whatever you want with it and then replace with fresh rubble.

[dshnarw]

or simply move the rock and surround it with sand. they won't spread as easily across a sand barrier.

[hbh]

Donmarco,

If you are going to frag it a little, There are many here, including myself, who would gladly trade you a frag for piece of yours. What about trading at the next meeting?

[lanman]

Three years ago I purchased a small green zoanthia. Today it's a beautiful large piece--no, it's really one large zoo colony and three smaller ones. A really beautiful coral, but now I'm concerned to control it's spread so that it doesn't encroach on the stony corals in my tank. What's the best way to curtail it's spread? I realize that this coral produces a toxin, so I want to be careful. Can polyps be scraped from the rock with a razor blade? What's the best method?

 

Thanks much!

 

Mark

 

Nice colony - very similar to dragon-eyes. They CAN be killed by injecting them with kalk, like an aiptasia - but it often takes several attempts. I agree with just keeping them out of contact with other surfaces you don't want them to grow on. If/when they grow out onto the sand in a mat, you can just snip off the excess with scissors, and trade/sell/give them away. The sand that sticks to them makes them easy to glue to a frag plug.

 

bob