Question about fragging zoanthids

[rock_lobster]

Has anyone here ever experimented with any type of anesthetics for fragging? I have a large colony of VDM that I am afraid to frag because I have heard horror stories about losing 50% of polyps and entire colonies. Also while on the subject do any of you ship with tranquilizers for the more dificult to ship coral?

 

[m and m]

I think getting into the anasteziology to ship or cut is a little crazy. The amount you would have to give them would be so small you couldnt do it. Also along the line of do you know how they will react to it or how it will effect your water?

 

[thomasdo87]

not sure if anesthetics and tranquilizers for corals is even practical, but look at a human or animal that is given anesthetics or tranqs. Just because they are "asleep" doesnt mean cutting an artery or whatever wont kill them. Probably same goes for coral. Even if you can put them to "sleep" cutting and hacking them will kill them, if not that the stress afterwards. Im not a doctor though. I think adding anesthetics and tranq is a little overkill but thats just me.

 

[ca2or]

I use either scalple or dremmel depending on situation and delicate nature of the coral in question

 

[rock_lobster]

Well, when your fragging a 45 polyp colony of VDM anything is practical haha. I thought some of the large retailers already used tranquilizers to ship delicate fish maybe not though?

 

[cody6766]

I coudl see drugging a fish due to the fact that they have a brain and some level of 'reasoning' (for lack of a better word) beyond a reaction to a direct stimulus. Corals lack a CNS and do little (if any) more than plants when reacting to a stimulus. They take to shipping much like I'd imagine they take to a storm or a rock getting knocked over in a reef. It would be the chemical and thermal changes that kill coral. A fish can stress and die from those factors, plus 'understood' stressors, like a change in environment.

I use a scalpel when fragging. I cut the mat and then carve some of the rock under the polyps. It's hell on the blades, but better on the coral IME.