Killing clove polyps?

Reefltx · Jul 22, 2012

I purchased a large frag of zoas which had some brown and blue clove polyps growing on them. From my experience with my old tank, these clove polyps can grow very quickly and I consider them some what of a pest. So, what's the best way to eradicate them without killing the zoas?

Kano · Jul 22, 2012

Depending on what it is you should be able to use a razor blade and scrape the cloves off without damaging the zoa. Use a peeling motion rather than a cutting. I've used this method to get rid of blue anthelia as well as xenia.

Reefltx · Jul 22, 2012

I was looking for maybe an easier route. Will dipping them in fresh water kill them?

uall8up · Jul 22, 2012

They say fluke tabs will do it also. But, I have heard that they also kill invertebrates.

Degener8 · Jul 22, 2012

+1 to fluke tabs. This is the only thing other than manual removal I have heard of. You could always frag off the zoas then just let the plug dry out if you want to reuse it.

Kano · Jul 22, 2012

Any "easy" fix with a chemical or fresh water will probably end up killing either both or neither. I learned that if you're buying a frag that you have to take things off to include that effort into the cost and decide if it's worth buying it. Not sure how big of a frag you purchased or how covered with cloves it is. You can frag off the zoas without the cloves and them and grow them out and sell the rest to a different LFS or to friends/online.

Steven R · Jul 22, 2012

baste the cloves with boiling water on a paint brush repeatedly for 5 min then scrub off with a medium tooth brush. the boiling water make's the tissue break down, and the tooth brush removes it. or go KANO route frag the zoas and sell the cloves there is always someone out there that loves any type of coral.

Young Frankenstein · Jul 22, 2012

Steven R said:
frag the zoas and sell the cloves there is always someone out there that loves any type of coral.

+1 why not ?

Aquaph8 · Jul 22, 2012

You can dip it in a fluke tab solution in a separate container before adding it to your tank. This way your only adding a very small amount of the chemical to your tank and its harmless to the zoanthids. One tab in about a gallon of water for 20 minutes should do it good.

Reefltx · Jul 22, 2012

Kano said:
Any "easy" fix with a chemical or fresh water will probably end up killing either both or neither. I learned that if you're buying a frag that you have to take things off to include that effort into the cost and decide if it's worth buying it. Not sure how big of a frag you purchased or how covered with cloves it is. You can frag off the zoas without the cloves and them and grow them out and sell the rest to a different LFS or to friends/online.

The zoas are fruit loops grown on a 3" disk. The cloves are grown all around, so I can't just pick them off as they are some growing on the zoas. I simply couldn't pass up the purchase as they are hard to come by in my area and for the price I paid for this colony ($40), it was a steal!! Also, by fluke tabs what do you guys mean, brand? I have API furan 2 and general cure.

Thanks guys for the advice so far.

Poseidon · Jul 22, 2012

Dremel? Take out the zoa's from the middle. A diamond band saw makes quick work of those frag disks.

Cl0ne1 · Jul 23, 2012

Well...if you cut the cloves off with a razor you can just send them my way. I have a designated spot in my tank for cloves as they happen to be one of my favorite types of corals. I can try to get them to grow even if they are mangled. That is also why I agree with others as far as killing them. If you manage to kill them, you will most likely kill the zoas too. Cloves are like weeds. You must surround them with things like torches and mini carpets to keep them under control or they will take over. I purchased a clove frag with 3 cloves on it. 2 never opened and the other looked terrible for about 3 weeks. Now, only 5 weeks later, I've got over 15 cloves and they are coming back brighter and healthier than the ones I originally bought.

Tank you for your time,

Kevin