Fragging zoas

[jlbzixxer]

i have being debating on fragging some of my mini zoa colonies

just wondering if its healthy for them to be frag once in a while or leave them to grow

 

i've heard of stories of ppl fragging piece of a small colonies and then loosing the colony

 

which makes me nervous fragging them.

 

any input would help

 

thanks

[Lalani]

To sell extras or to trim overgrowth are the only reasons to frag. Otherwise let them be. Cutting them does not help them grow.

[BulkRate]

You can take advantage of something's growth spurt by laying out some rubble/plugs/younameit around the colony in question (thus making it a quick, single slice to seperate), but I wouldn't risk losing something I valued by cutting up the original, hopefully stable frag.

 

Over propogation's where a lot of stories of small zoa colonies melting away come from. Especially in the case of popular "Limited Edition" zoas that are already too-frequently-fragged in many cases before they even come to you.

 

Then again, I'm running my tank for my own enjoyment... not as a potential revenue source. Someone who was doing this for a living would have exactly the opposite set of pressures and interests regarding fragging.

[Red_Blenny]

If you frag, make sure you do it safely. Don't want paly poison in your eye.

[Mr. Microscope]

The best way to frag zoas is the cut the rock or plug they are on instead of trying to dissect them off from the bottom. Then, just cut whatever is keeping it together. I usually just let my zoas grow off the side of a plug, then snip the plug with SPS shears. I then mount that piece to a new plug. They usually open back up within a few minutes to an hour.

[metrokat]

The best way to frag zoas is the cut the rock or plug they are on instead of trying to dissect them off from the bottom. Then, just cut whatever is keeping it together. I usually just let my zoas grow off the side of a plug, then snip the plug with SPS shears. I then mount that piece to a new plug. They usually open back up within a few minutes to an hour.

Sounds good in theory but not when you have a big fat rock that cannot be cut or sliced.

[jlbzixxer]

Then again, I'm running my tank for my own enjoyment... not as a potential revenue source. Someone who was doing this for a living would have exactly the opposite set of pressures and interests regarding fragging.

 

Same here i like to enjoy and watch everything, but i figure maybe i can

Some $ back to buy some more corals,

 

And like metrokat stated in theoy its easy to frags when there easy to

Get to not when there a on a big piece or rock lol

 

A side questions what is the going rate now a days

 

For tyree space monter and utter chaos pp ?

[Mr. Microscope]

Sounds good in theory but not when you have a big fat rock that cannot be cut or sliced.

That's when it's time to break out the dremmel tool with a diamond saw. It's the same basic concept of fragging an LPS.

[Shores805]

i have being debating on fragging some of my mini zoa colonies

just wondering if its healthy for them to be frag once in a while or leave them to grow

 

i've heard of stories of ppl fragging piece of a small colonies and then loosing the colony

 

which makes me nervous fragging them.

 

any input would help

 

thanks

 

Id let them grow. With that said, Ive attempted to frag some large colonies that have been growing for awhile and theres simply no way to avoid cutting through some polyps if the growth becomes too dense. The resulting squirt from being ruptured via saw or razor blade (mainly with Paly's, easily a 3'to 4' stream of liquid at times) is unnerving to say the least. If theres anything to be nervous about its the possible adverse toxin reaction. Good luck!

[metrokat]

That's when it's time to break out the dremmel tool with a diamond saw. It's the same basic concept of fragging an LPS.

It's going to make the showpiece look like chopped liver.

[BulkRate]

It's going to make the showpiece look like chopped liver.

 

Hence why I usually try to engineer my attempted frags by sticking small, easily broken off bits of LR rubble onto the colony-in-question's rock. Of course my tank's still so new that I've only seen growth take off well enough to consider fragging in the last couple of months.