Question on what to do when I get a zoa frag plug?

[pochaxoo]

I am looking at getting a couple of starter zoa frags and I have a plan with my aquascape to grow a garden of them on a large piece of dead staghorn coral that is separate from my other rock work. (see below)

My question is what everyone here does with the plug/disk it comes on? After you acclimate, dip, and QT do you generally cut off the plug and glue the disk to your rock? I am seeing a lot of videos where people don't seem to want to glue things to the foundation rock. Can I take a razor blade and scrape the frag off the disk and glue it directly to the rock? When I did this before I was seemingly always keeping the plug and found a way to put it in the rock but I am kinda questioning the aesthetic of the plug and disk for the first months of it's growth. Can anyone share what you do and the benefits?

 

[clifg]

I'm sure you already know, but I would be bummed if I didn't mention it and something happened, but please look up palytoxin before scraping at any Zoas.

 

[Oscar47f]

If the zoa is grown into the plug I usually cut as much of the plug away... if it’s not and it’s on a Little Rock or something I’ll pop that off the plug if I’m creating a garden I don’t like to have plugs anywhere if it’s for propagation I don’t mind I’ll usually try and replace the store plugs with fresh ones to reduce the chance of pests

 

[drewwCh]

i usually just leave the plug on and don't glue it to the rock, mainly because i may need to move it one day, if need be

remember to always practice good safety measures before handling zoas, wear gloves, goggles, and a surgical mask (this maybe overkill though but better to be safe than sorry)

 

[mwil79]

I have a rock that drilled multiple holes in just for that occasion so I can just drop the plug in when needed. When they grow off the plug and onto the rock I cut around the plug and move to another tank.