splitting colony of zoas, where to frag SPS

[AlanM]

I have a large colony of eagle eye zoas that are growing up one of my rocks, across some other rock, on to a frag plug (that used to have a nice monticap that I wanted, but oh well.  It all got shifted around by an intrepid sea cucumber and now I'd like to separate them all and maybe sell off the parts that are attached to separate rocks.  The colony all links together at the base, however. 

 

Should I just pull it all out and razor blade between the connected parts or should I just try to kind of tear them and keep what sticks?  I've never fragged any zoas before, so it's new territory for me.

 

Also, since increasing my light intensity a couple of weeks ago everything SPS seems to have jumped into super-grow mode.  I have some corals that are interfering and I'd like to take a branch off here and there.  One is a nice acropora loisettaea with baby blue base and dark green polyps.  It's growing right in to a spongodes and a stellata that I have, though.  If I'm taking a branch off, is it good to take the whole branch including some of the coral where it branches off, or is it better to leave the part where it branched off and just take the skinny branch and let it encrust on to the plug?  Is it better for the frag to basically always take a bigger frag where possible?

 

Here is the branch I want to take, there are three branches there, and the largest one is what the arrow is pointing at:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AlanM]

Oh, and here's a terrible picture of the colony of eagle eyes, or maybe candy apples.  I don't remember.  I think they're the same?  I'm trying to get off all of the lower part and keep the part that is growing up on the left.

 

[scott711]

you can frag where ever you want.  The smaller the frag the longer it takes to grow The zoa's you can frag where ever too.  Just be careful because of the toxin (very poisonous).

[pizzaguy]

Eagle eyes

[Mattiejay6]

For the zoas a Razor blade would make your life a lot easier and tweezers... I find that just pulling ends badly.

 

The stick just break it where ever

Edited July 22, 2014 by Mattiejay6

[Sharkey18]

+1 a razor blade works really nice to separate zoas. Try to use the blade and separate them by cutting through the base.

 

However, it looks like the part you want to save is on a large rock that probably can't be removed for a surgical procedure. If that is the case you can do a combination razor blade / pull and tear.   Pulling and tearing always always loses a few zoas but you have enough there that it shouldn't matter.

 

Pulling them apart  also has the potential to release a lot more toxin, so be very careful. Wear gloves for sure, cover up any cuts or scrapes. I always work under water when fragging my zoas to try to prevent spitting and aerosolization.  

[AlanM]

OK, thanks.  Does it hurt the tank to release the toxin into the tank water? 

 

You're is right that I'd ideally like to not totally remove the larger rock.  I could get my arms down there with a razor and pull/cut while in the water.

[DuffyGeos]

Still wear goggles and scrub your hands when you are done. Can't be too safe, especially if they are out of water .

[YHSublime]

Alan, it's hard to see in the picture what is what. Is the lower rock with the zoas different from the top rock with the zoas? Personally, I would slowly pull the bottom rock out (if it is separate) and cut across with a razor blade at the same time. As with most things, I am pretty cavalier about it, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I have a scalpel that I use, but an ordinary razor blade will get the job done just fine. I wouldn't worry about releasing palytoxins into the water or your tank from the pull and slice, but again, my 2 cents.

 

As for the SPS, cut however you like, just keep what Scott said in mind, smaller takes longer to grow.

 

Those are Eagle Eyes btw, these are Candy Apple Reds:

[AlanM]

OK. Reefs2go sells them as candy apples. I found where I bought them.

 

http://www.reefs2go.com/product/C-ZOO-CANDYAPP/Candy-Apple-Zoanthids-Coral-Zoanthus-sp.html

[sen5241b]

Still wear goggles and scrub your hands when you are done. Can't be too safe, especially if they are out of water .

 

Goggles, gloves and mask. When fragging zoas sometimes they will squirt.

[AlanM]

I'll bring home a yellow suit from work and start tearing stuff out.  Guess I need a frag rack, heh.