| Difficulty | Easy cutting, serious safety rules |
| Time Required | 15–30 minutes |
| Healing Time | 1–2 weeks |
| Best Method | Cut the mat between polyps |
| Coral Type | Colonial polyps on a shared mat |
⚠ Safety first: Palythoas and some zoanthids can contain palytoxin, one of the most poisonous natural substances known. NEVER boil, scrape dry, or handle them with bare hands or unprotected eyes. Always wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses, work under water, and wash up thoroughly afterward.
Overview
Zoas and palys are among the easiest corals to frag mechanically — and the most important to frag carefully, because of palytoxin. The polyps grow from a shared rubbery mat, so fragging is simply dividing the mat. You never need to cut a polyp itself, and you should not: cutting between polyps keeps toxin release and healing time to a minimum.
What You’ll Need
- Nitrile gloves and safety glasses (mandatory — palytoxin is no joke)
- Sharp scalpel or new razor blade
- Frag plugs and gel super glue
- Coral dip and a rinse container of tank water
- Work under water — never scrape or cut a dry colony
Step-by-Step
- Glove up, glasses on, and move the colony into a container of tank water.
- Identify natural gaps between polyps. With the scalpel, slice through the mat (and any thin rock crust) to isolate a cluster of 1–3 polyps.
- Peel or chip the cluster free. If the mat is on rock, a small chisel or flat screwdriver pops it off cleanly.
- Dip the frags, then rinse in clean tank water.
- Glue the mat (not a polyp) to the plug. A polyps-closed frag glues far easier.
- Discard the work water outside the house, wipe surfaces, and wash hands and forearms thoroughly.
Aftercare & Healing
Frags typically stay closed for a day or two and then reopen. New polyps bud from the mat edges; a 2-polyp frag can be a small colony within a couple of months in good light. Keep frags in moderate light and flow first — you can acclimate up later.
What Can Go Wrong
Polyps stay closed for a week+: usually dip irritation or a pest — inspect at night for zoa-eating spiders or nudibranchs. Melting frag: mat cut too small or a fungal edge; frag larger clusters next time. Any dizziness, metallic taste or breathing trouble after handling: palytoxin exposure — seek medical attention immediately, and mention palytoxin to the doctor.