[badxgillen]

So in this thread I will cover a few ways I use to propagate or "frag" zoanthid and palythoa corals. First off I must state that the corals in these groups both contain palytoxin that is an extremely toxic substance that can have serious health consequences and even death if a toxic amount is introduced to the body via cuts or into the mouth from hands.The concentration of palytoxin can vary from each type so It is always recommended to wear surgical gloves when handling and especially cutting zoanthids and their kin.

 

[badxgillen]

I usually put down the glue that you have chosen down first as it can take a little while to get tacky and this can make alot of difference when it comes to convenience in the end.I also utilize a nice egg crate stand to hold all my frag plugs and such close at hand.

 

[ao]

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[badxgillen]

First off some tools of the trade :twisted:
I like to use some of the curled tip scissors for some of those close call cuts and I also use the angle scissors to make some of those hard to reach cuts.Make sure they are stainless steel and they have been sterilized the best you can I usually just use alcohol,rinse,then dry after every use. Prevent infections is a god thing as well as transfer of coral toxins.

 

[badxgillen]

I also have my good old wire cutters :lol: I have had thses bad boys for a while,they have outlived a couple of bone cutters.I cured them with alcohol and a number of rinses in between more alcohol baths to rid it of factory oils.Soaps and oils in reef tank is BAD!Any how these are my work horse,go to tool for fragging.

 

[badxgillen]

And don't forget the coral dip. After fragging corals it is always good practice to dip them in a form of coral dip. I use Melafix,Revive,and Iodine usually lugols. This time around I am using Revive as a preventative against infection or rapid tissue necrosis.Just follow the instructions and you should be fine,I usually do not dip for as long when I know the corals are just from one of my tanks wich have no parasites and conditions are good.

 

[badxgillen]

Here we have a subject that I need to frag,first you find a good point to make a break or fissure.Don't worry too much about being in a hurry as haste makes waste.

 

[badxgillen]

Make the Break,be careful that there is not pressure building when you do this part as it can cause the break to fly.Some times I will cover the cut with my other hand just in case.

 

[badxgillen]

At this point you will most likely have some flesh or polyps still hanging onto some of the live rock and a tear can be rather harmful so its time to make a surgical cut as to not harm the stalks or mouths but right between the fleshy mat.

 

[badxgillen]

Now we take the little fragments and dry them off on the exposed rock face,NOT the tissue as unnecessary contact will cause possible damage and slime coat removal.
This is important as it will not stick to the glue proper.Don't forget to wash the towel well afterwards or use a dollar store towel.

 

[badxgillen]

Gently place the tiny frag atop its pedestal and lightly press it into the glue drop.

 

[badxgillen]

Then its into the tank water that has the coral dip in it,set for a minute,rinse in tank water then back into the tank for some healing flow.Try not to blast them with too much flow or light as you don't want them dislodging or getting any photosynthetic shock during recovery.

 

[Chesh]

Awesome step-by-step, Bert! Thank you so much for taking the time to show us how it's done!

 

[RSully]

Didn't you recommend wearing surgical gloves and yet no picture shows surgical gloves being worn? Also, most commercially sold zoa's don't have the palytoxins you speak of.

 

[badxgillen]

Yes I suggested using gloves,especially if you have some cuts or abrasions on your hands.You are very observant that I do not have gloves on my hands and almost never do,that is the way I do things. From my understanding there is varying amount of paly toxin in all palys and most zoas and being as there is no listing document verifying the concentrations in these corals it would be wise to treat them all as being toxic,especially since there have been different degrees of reactions with different people. If you want to take the gamble then that is your choice.Just as it is mine to not wear the gloves. I will elaborate on how to get single polyps out soon,as well as the squatch method.:lol: