Zoa Propagation Ideas

[jd]

I've been getting this ready for my frag tank ( it should have water tomorrow! Thanks Wall_Tank!  ) and I've been playing around with some ideas of propagating zoas and other matting coral (GSP, pipe organ, maybe even xenia.) So I put together a few things too see if I can frag them easier, safer and to a polyp count.

So here the supplies




Building the 2x2 frag plugs.



Finished.



Next I coated the the plugs in a thin layer of GE Silicone #1





Then dipped them in sand


Finished





Another one glued to eggcrate with gaps between the tiles to allow me to run a razor between the mat of zoas.







My idea behind this method is as follows. The glued sand will allows the frags to grow out without crowding each other. The super glue is weak enough that I can cut the mat and snap the tiles giving me 4 frags without having to mount them by themselves. The smoothness of the tile should allow anyone that gets a frag to take a straight razor, slide it under the sand and cut the zoa right off the plug. You're new zoa flap should mount easily to your rockwork.

My next idea is similar to the previous but allows frags to be cut the size from the colony without having to remount them.


Take some needle point mesh



Cut squares, smear in silicone and dip


There they are, anyone want to have a few and test them out?

[ohioreef]

That is an awesome idea!!

[cyberwollf]

I like the needlepoint mess more.. It would allow you do pick exactly how many polyps you want to frag, then you can just glue that to a larger plug if you wish. But, those break away tiles are pretty sweet.

[UD Flyer]

Fragging made easy! This is a great idea jd. Also, wouldn't the needlepoint mesh with sand work as a good alternative to bare bottom tanks? 

[jd]

That is an awesome idea!!

Thanks!

I like the needlepoint mess more.. It would allow you do pick exactly how many polyps you want to frag, then you can just glue that to a larger plug if you wish. But, those break away tiles are pretty sweet.

I'm leaning toward it also. My only concern it that it might be too light and blow around in the tank. I might glue a tile to the backs of them.

Fragging made easy! This is a great idea jd. Also, wouldn't the needlepoint mesh with sand work as a good alternative to bare bottom tanks?  

Thanks. I think a lot of people who run BB use epoxy and lay sand on time of it. Its a little unwieldy to apply the silicon to a mesh, alot of it pushes thur.

[lazylivin]

How ironic, I was just got done making plugs myself not 15 minutes ago.

Josh just playing off your ideas. If we got some of the larger say 6" ceramic tiles and cut almost all the way through in a graph paper pattern with a tile cutter. That would be great for growing zoa's. You could spread the silicone on the non cut side and apply the sand. Then just snap them where you want. Same concept just gives a smaller tile.  Wish I had a tile cutter.

Your welcome to come by and make some rock plugs at my place. I have everything you need and plenty of it.

[jd]

Brian, I like that idea. I wonder if we can cut the tiles that many times without cracking it. Lowes has some smaller mosaic tiles also, I'll pickup a sheet and make some of those up to. I think they were around 1/4". Looking at these tiles now, it does look like it will take forever for them to grow out on them

Are your rock plugs cut pieces of liverock? I'll trade you one of each of the ones I made up for some.

[jd]

What if we just applied the sand to the large tiles, mounted frags then once they grew, cut their mat and peeled them off?

[lazylivin]

The 1/4 ones would be perfect.


They are made from Portland Cement Type 1 and Reef Grade Sand. I just ordered some white Type 1 this is suppose to be in this week.

[HUNGER]

wow nice jod thats a good idea

[lazylivin]

What if we just applied the sand to the large tiles, mounted frags then once they grew, cut their mat and peeled them off?

I think that would work pretty good.

[jd]

Now I wish I had some 4x4 tiles here...


Be back, I'm going to the bathroom with a screwdriver...

[HUNGER]

make sure u clean them first lol

[lazylivin]

Now I wish I had some 4x4 tiles here...


Be back, I'm going to the bathroom with a screwdriver...

Why not it is a rental right?

[Kenn]

This is a great idea JD. i think we are going to give it a try as well

[UDflyer00]

If you guys start getting some grow out and want a foster home for some frags let me know!!  I love the Zoa's!!   haha...

[ghurlag]

Meeeeeeee  too!

[HUNGER]

ill be 3rd

[jd]

If you guys start getting some grow out and want a foster home for some frags let me know!!  I love the Zoa's!!   haha...

No.

Meeeeeeee  too!

No.

ill be 3rd

No.

 

If you want to give this idea a try, let me know I'll hook you all up with some tiles


I liked Lazy's idea of larger tiles, but I was worried that cutting them that many times would end up breaking the tiles.  I played around with cutting a square on the 2x2 tiles and peeling the silicone off.





That works really well, the hold together nicely and are very pliable. So I made up a large (4"x4" tile that could have 3 or 4 different zoas on it.



My only concern is how well superglue will hold to silicone. I did a test and am waiting for it to dry to see how well it holds.



If the glue doesn't hold, I am going to try to mix up sand and silicone into a paste and smear that on them, that will leave sand on the bottom of the mat that glue will stick too.

 

[Rayman]

This is amazing Jd great idea,looking forward to more info, also i have a wet saw that i was given i have not even tried it out yet but if you would like to try it out let me know.

[jd]

Thanks Ray! I'm gonna frag up some zoas and mount them tomorrow

[lazylivin]

I want to give this a try Josh. Would sure beat cutting up frag plugs when it is time to propagate. I think we could probably cut right through the sand/silicone with scissors. Sure would be easier on the Z's & P's.

[jd]

I want to give this a try Josh. Would sure beat cutting up frag plugs when it is time to propagate. I think we could probably cut right through the sand/silicone with scissors. Sure would be easier on the Z's & P's.

Brian, do want some of the large tiles? I make you up a handful tonight if so. The glue is holding pretty well

[cyberwollf]

the Z's & P's.

Slinging the Propagation Lingo  

[lazylivin]

Brian, do want some of the large tiles? I make you up a handful tonight if so. The glue is holding pretty well

If they are under 4" then I would two of them. We can mount some zoa's to it tomorrow and I can send you home with some Djton Pink and Gold's for your trouble.