Fragging zoanthids is simple, but it should always be done underwater with gloves and eye protection.
Zoanthids are among the easiest corals to propagate. A healthy colony can be split into several frags in minutes, and each piece will usually attach and start budding new polyps within a few weeks. The main risk isn't to the coral. It's to you, because zoanthids may contain palytoxin. Read the Palytoxin Safety guide before you start.
What you need
- Nitrile gloves
- Wraparound eye protection (safety glasses or goggles, not regular glasses)
- A respirator mask that covers your nose and mouth (recommended)
- A sharp scalpel, razor blade, or bone cutters
- Frag plugs or small rubble
- Cyanoacrylate (super glue) gel, ideally a reef-safe brand
- A shallow container filled with tank water
- Paper towels
Step by step
- Set up first. Fill your container with tank water, lay out plugs, and put on gloves, eye protection, and a respirator mask before you touch the colony.
- Choose the cut. Look for a clean gap between polyps or a strip of mat you can cut through. Cutting through the mat damages less tissue than cutting through polyps.
- Cut underwater. Keep the colony submerged while you cut. This reduces the chance of spraying fluid toward your face.
- Cut cleanly. Slice through the connecting tissue with one firm stroke. Avoid tearing or squeezing the polyps.
- Dry the plug, not the coral. Pat the top of the frag plug dry with a paper towel.
- Glue. Put a small dab of gel on the plug, then press the base of the frag into it for 15 to 30 seconds. Keep glue off the polyp faces.
- Return quickly. Get the frag back into the tank within a minute or two.
- Clean up. Rinse tools, throw away gloves and paper towels in a sealed bag, and wash your hands well.
Aftercare
- Place new frags low, in gentle flow, for about a week.
- Expect polyps to stay closed for a day or two.
- Don't move or baste the frag until it has attached.
- Within a few weeks, new polyps usually start budding at the edges of the frag.
Things to avoid
- Power tools and dry cutting. Rotary tools and saws can send tissue and fluid into the air and onto your skin and face.
- Fragging out of water, especially if the colony squirts when squeezed.
- Working tired or rushed. A common way eye exposures happen is rubbing or wiping an eye with a gloved or unwashed hand.
- Fragging Palythoa casually. True Palythoa, including Purple Death, deserve extra care, and many keepers choose not to frag them at all.
Trading and selling frags
If you're giving frags away or selling them, dip them before they leave your tank. Label each one with the morph name, and tell the new owner what you know about its care. Many pest outbreaks come from frag trades where nobody looked closely.