Huge zoo colonies......

[pitmam01]

I have two huge zoo colonies that I want to make smaller so I can free up some tank space. Both pieces are covering rocks about the size of softballs. Is it possible to make these guys smaller without destroying the coral???

 

[Brenden]

Sure. I use a xacto knife. Just cut off polyps and use superglue gel to glue them to another small piece of rock.

 

[pitmam01]

Sorry to be ignorant but I'm a female and we're usually not allowed to use exacto knives, lol!!! Anyway, cut the polyps off at their base, kind of like skinning an animal??? (Sorry for the gross example). Also,, is there an easy way to just cut the rock in half??

Sure. I use a xacto knife. Just cut off polyps and use superglue gel to glue them to another small piece of rock.

 

[twilliard]

The easiest way and the fastest is to break the rock

 

[twilliard]

Im sorry I should be more specific..

The rock we have is no where near the hardness of what we know as normal rock.

If you were to take a small flat blade screwdriver and a small woodworking hammer you can easily separate the rock.
It wont destroy the rock just take part of it with the zoas.
Its easy, and I feel less stressful to the zoas.

 

[mmkeeper]

Make sure you wear gloves and have eye protection. Zoa are poisonous.

 

[plack]

"Make sure you wear gloves and have eye protection. Zoa are poisonous."
Yes so true!

It would not be a bad idea to add some carbon to the sump (assuming you have a sump)
as the toxins from the splitting can be stressfull to surrounding corals.



Paul

 

[MarineTeng]

if you have to use a razor ideally scrape a tiny bit of the rock underneath the zoanthids, i missunderstood the cutting direction the first time i read them and cut the heads off, those zoos died, but if you get the rock just underneath the creature it'll do great

 

[Damsel13]

This for me has been really informative! I also need to do the same. as pitmam01. I love this website!

 

[fly guy]

If the rock easily splits that makes this an easy task and no remounting necessary. Like already said, take an exacto knife and cut in between the polyps to the size you would like each frag...then take the screwdriver and hammer and split the rock in between.

You may have a few casualties here and there where you pop a few open with the knife....but thats just the nature of the game. It doesnt sound as if you will notice a few gone.