A warning about toxicity. A MUST read.

lol sorry, I don't mean to insult you, its just that I've seen so many people handle them and have no affects, and it seems like this thread is just to scare everyone. I know its really to inform people of the possible risk, but the chance of getting it from zoos, from what I've seen, is very low.
 
CrazyLionfish said:
lol sorry, I don't mean to insult you, its just that I've seen so many people handle them and have no affects, and it seems like this thread is just to scare everyone. I know its really to inform people of the possible risk, but the chance of getting it from zoos, from what I've seen, is very low.
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I'd say it could be like a bee sting; some people react, some don't. But the fact remains, some *do*, and those that have had a reaction are only sharing their experiences.

If you read the story of the poor dog that died the same day he chewed on a zoo rock, you'd be a believer. It's referenced in this thread, and it's a very sad thing. :(
 
A number of reputable people have felt the effects.. Anthony Calfo himself has been "tagged" at least three times, and I think he KNOWS what he's doing.. Like I said, I've handled zoanthids for a number of years, and only felt it a few times (couple that with the fact that I part-timed in a LFS for 3 years and touched thousands of colonies, never with gloves mind you).. Most didn't bother me, but when I got tagged, I KNEW I got tagged... I know what ones in my tank can do that to me, and 95% of my zoanthids don't bother me..

But it is like bee stings.. Some people may be more affected then others..

Not to mention, I certainly wouldn't risk the lives of my dogs on it.. They pick up lots of stuff on the floor and chew on it, so I put not one, but two doors between the "living" portion of the house and the fishroom.. Dogs are NOT allowed in there, I certainly don;t need the guilt of being the cause for one of them leaving us early..

This thread is a caution about the potentials, not a "Don't buy them cause they are toxic" thread. We give you the tools and knowledge, but only you can put that to work for yourself..
 
Yes I understand, thanks. Not to be rude, but you might as well have a thread about anemone toxicity, beacause some people are so sensative to their stings that they can prove fatal as well.

And me - as a new reefer, after reading this thread, appeared to be totally discouraged from every buying another colony. And I don't have any other pets besides fish, so I won't have to worry about that :) thank god

And how did you know you got tagged, what did you experience?
 
Well, this IS the zoanthid forum, not the clownfish and anemone forum LOL

As for what you feel when you get tagged.. Numbness, usually along the arm that I used to touch them (mind you I probably had some small cut too, thats how it got into my system, it really wont penetrate skin too easily).. Taste of copper in your mouth (toss a penny in your mouth for a few minutes, you'll know what I mean).. a little nausea too, luckily no heart rate increase, but that can happen to some people..

Just use common sense, frag in water (so you dont get squirted in the eye, thats even more direct that a cut on your hand), dont frag with cuts on your hands (even hangnail / cuticles are potential entrances) and wear gloves if you aren't sure..
 
Skeptics:
Fact 1: Some zoanthids carry a deadly poison
Fact 2: We keep zoanthids in our aquariums
Fact 3: Many reefkeepers report symptoms consistant with being poisoned

Maybe we don't keep the deadly zoanthids in our aquariums, and maybe the reported symptoms have nothing to do with zoanthids. Without being able to confidently say that the zoanthids we keep don't carry poison and aren't responsible for the symptoms reported, it is folly to not consider the possibility that something in our tanks can hurt or even kill us, family members, or our pets.

You can walk by a poisonous snake a thousand times without getting bit, but that doesn't mean it won't kill you the next time.

Ignoring the danger could get you, or someone you love seriously hurt.

To any who have stated that noone has heard about anyone getting killed by this:

If a zoanthid toxin caused heart failure and death in a reefkeeper who had no idea of the danger, what are the chances that it would eventually get traced back to his tank?

My money is on slim to none. The danger isn't exactly common knowledge even among reefkeepers, why assume that the medical trade would be better informed and spot the source? Perhaps more than a few have died and had their deaths attributed to other causes.

With all that being said, i would like to say that i don't promote getting rid of your zoos. Just please be responsible about keeping them. Wear gloves, clean up thoroughly. Be aware that anything coming out of your tank (including your hands) could be toxic and act accordingly.
 
just thought id add my sole experiece with possible zoo toxin. I have a fledgling 5.5 gallon reef tank with only lr, snails, and approximately 10 individual zoo polyps. I do a fair amount of work with my hands doing auto repairs and woodworking, so i typically have small nicks and cuts on my hands. When aquascaping the tank and doing maintenance i have used gloves mainly to keep the tank safe from me, not to shield myself from potential hazards in the tank. One day a small amount of water entered the gloves i was using, soon after finding its way down to a cut on my thumb. About five minutes later i was hit with a rush of nausea, confusion, and profuse sweating. It only took a few minutes for the sensations to subside, but the experience made a definite impression on me as to the potency of certain elements in the reef environment. I wish i would have read a thread such as this prior to purchasing zoos.

p.s. MY LFS NEVER INFORMED ME OF ZOO TOXICITY!
 
funkpacket said:

p.s. MY LFS NEVER INFORMED ME OF ZOO TOXICITY!
Click to expand...

Sometimes I really wish LFS would be a bit more responsible and Knowledgeable in informing hobbyists about dangers of certain species. When I was a really young (and before internet) I loved to keep Lion Fishes. Never ever knew (stupid I know, but I was a kid) that Lion Fishes can sting with their fins untill my mom got stung while cleaning the tank....... But that's another topic/thread.
 
Her ring finger swelled up to twice the normal size and it was purple! It was the most painfull thing she ever experience (except child birth). Good thing she was not allergic to the venom and there was no need to amputate. All was well after about 2-3 weeks.
 
itsme123 said:
Never ever knew (stupid I know, but I was a kid) that Lion Fishes can sting with their fins
Click to expand...
My good friend got a lionfish, and that lfs never mentioned the poison sting. They also tried to put both of the frags I bought in the same bag. No sir. ;)
 
My bad, I should clarify. They were acro frags, and yes they participate in chemical warfare. They might have survived, but why stress the animals? With zoanthids I have put several frags in the same bag with no problems. They're tough critters.
 
i just bought some zoos and will be putting them in the tank (GASP) barehanded!!! I shall report the effects in a bit. ps, i have 3 cuts, 2 on my left hand, one on my right forearm.
 
ok, just dropped in and no issues (except for me dropping the bag the colony was in creating an acclimation time of about 2 seconds.)

ok, now 10 mins later, still nothing.

ok, now 15 minutes later, still nothing, and i think it will stay this way.

(p.s., despite the quick acclimation some of the zoos have opened up already and I think they will be o.k.)
 
Maybe your dog died of salt poising, your dog would not have to drink much water to get sick and pass. Salt poisoning would be slow as you had mentioned. Sorry to hear about your loss
 
Excellent point Brian. If he was in the tub of water, he most likely drank some. And who knows maybe their was some type of weird bacteria in it that the dog could not handle.
 
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