How to separate zoas

[Ds04384]

A local hobbiest recently hooked me up big time with a frag plug that had 2 WWC vivid rainbow, ~8 rastas, and probably 15 twizzlers. The problem is the vivid rainbow polyps are surrounded by twizzlers and I'm not sure how they will grow (and I'd really like these to do well). Is there a way to get those two off without cutting the plug and damaging the other polyps?

 

[cobraz]

My quick reply would be cut the plug stem..place in sand with other cut plugs next to it and let grow over or just cut the plug ..they will separate but you are going to loose some as they look very crowded.

 

[Psiber_Syn]

There was an article or post on here about cutting the stalk of tall paly/zoa to frag but not sure if that works though

When they are closed you can't see the mat to cut of the ones your trying to frag?

 

[danschoenherr]

They appear to be on the edge of the disc....you could cut the mat to separate them from the others then take a coral cutter or side cutters and cut the disc where you cut the mat. I've done this several times and it has worked well. Make sure you know what 2 polyps those are before they close up so you cut the correct ones......not that I've never done that.
And of course, read about palyotoxin and fragging zoas and palys to be safe. (legal disclaimer)
Or, as stated above, you could place it on top of other discs so these zoas grow onto the new discs .....I do this alot also on discs that are full. I've noticed my zoas and palys grow faster on frags with multiple heads versus 1 or 2 heads.

 

[Ds04384]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll try cutting the plug. And I'll take all necessary precautions

 

[Ds04384]

Thanks again, yesterday I was able to make two new plugs, one with the two vivid rainbows, one with 6 rastas, and the original now has all the twizzlers and a couple rastas. Everything is open and happy already today!

 

[kb1094]

See if they have a mat. If so, cut the mat off and carefully lift the mat up with a razor blade from the plug. Then glue it to a new frag. I did it last week with my rastas because they were growing on the side of the stem and I don't want them to grow on my frag rack.

 

[Ds04384]

See if they have a mat. If so, cut the mat off and carefully lift the mat up with a razor blade from the plug. Then glue it to a new frag. I did it last week with my rastas because they were growing on the side of the stem and I don't want them to grow on my frag rack.

That's kind of what I ended up doing. I used the scraper I use on the glass and peeled the mat off the plug and then reattached it to another plug

 

[kb1094]

They should open by tomorrow morning or even by tonight.