I was trying to target feed a bunch of corals with phyto feast using a pipette dropper that came with my refractometer, however while doing so i accidentally poked a zoanthid pod (not very hard). Is it possible that it released some palytoxin when doing so and should I be concerned right now?
accidentally poked zoanthids
- Thread starter Shad_023
- Start date
bfraenza92
New member
mcgyvr
New member
(deep movie announcer voice)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water....
Oh my god... I lightly bumped a zoa... (womans horrific scream)
Just don't lick your hands after taking a band saw to them to cut the chunk in half and you should will be just fine..
Common contact in the water is not a problem at all..
As always just wash your hands after being in the tank and all is fine..
Its not like a scary monster living right under your bed waiting to pounce at any time..
The toxicity problems are few and far between.. Like .001% of people if that with zoas/palys ever have problems..
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water....
Oh my god... I lightly bumped a zoa... (womans horrific scream)
Just don't lick your hands after taking a band saw to them to cut the chunk in half and you should will be just fine..
Common contact in the water is not a problem at all..
As always just wash your hands after being in the tank and all is fine..
Its not like a scary monster living right under your bed waiting to pounce at any time..
The toxicity problems are few and far between.. Like .001% of people if that with zoas/palys ever have problems..
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
No need to worry. People freak out about "palytoxins", its only a concern when you're allergic to it. There have been a few cases in the news that have caused people to become more concerned about it. There are over 1 million saltwater fish tanks in the US alone... If this was a major concern there would be weekly stories in the news about people getting sick from palytoxins...
homer1475
New member
(deep movie announcer voice)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water....
Oh my god... I lightly bumped a zoa... (womans horrific scream)
Just don't lick your hands after taking a band saw to them to cut the chunk in half and you should will be just fine..
Common contact in the water is not a problem at all..
As always just wash your hands after being in the tank and all is fine..
Its not like a scary monster living right under your bed waiting to pounce at any time..
The toxicity problems are few and far between.. Like .001% of people if that with zoas/palys ever have problems..
+2
But I do like the way mcgyver explained it better. :thumbsup:
A lot of this palytoxin poisoning gets blown out of proportion.
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
LMAO, he is more animated about his responses to people than I am...
hkgar
Active member
Palytoxin is NOT an allergen, it is a poison. And yes people rarely become infected when coming in contact with it.
But, caution is advised. I made an ignorant mistake in handling a rock with palys on it and 6 hours later was in the ER after an ambulance ride and then spent 3 days in the hospital.
Palytoxin, PTX[3] or PLTX[4] is an intense vasoconstrictor,[1] and is considered to be one of the most poisonous non-protein substances known, second only to maitotoxin in terms of toxicity in mice
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
I assumed it was a allergic reaction since I have handle palys countless times without washing my hands and have never been poisioned... maybe I'm lucky
manilaboy1vic
New member
dont you have to ingest it ?? like drano, you drink it you die.. but if you spill some and wipe it up and accidently make contact with it your not impacted...
i accidentally touch zoas all the time if im moving stuff around.. not like i go eat chicken wings with those hands fresh outta the tank.. i wash up first.. it seems like its blown outta proportion.. but i really dont know..
hkgar
Active member
It needs to get into your system. Usually by breathing it in. That,s what I did when I scrubbed a rock to remove algae and wire brushed some Zoa,s. You can also get into your system via eyes.
hkgar
Active member
Kind of like drunk driving. Most of the time nothing happens, but when it does it can be bad, very, very bad.
Didn't you know the consequences before you started drinking though? It's not like you knocked over some wine bottles in the store and now you have to drink it all. Hmm. I handle/frag zoanthids/palythoas all the time with my bare hands without any problems. Sometimes thoughjust having my bare arms in the tank will bring on blisters in between my fingers and up my arms. Why is that? What's the difference between the poison from a rattle snake and the poison from a Palythoa? In the former your almost guarantied a trip to the doctor, but the latter not so much? An Allergen has no bearing here? Just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
BaleKlocoon
New member
As previously said, it is an organic toxin, not an allergen. It can get in your system through ingestion, inhalation, OR through a cut on your skin if you touch it with a cut on your skin. If you touch it with your undamaged skin you should be fine, but I still use latex gloves when I touch mine. Better safe than sorry.
teddscau
New member
It's strange how much misinformation there is out there about palytoxin. It is, in fact, an organic poison. Just like any toxin, different people will have varying sensitivities to it. For example, when your average beekeeper is stung by a bee, they just get a tiny welt. However, when I'm stung by a bee, let's say on my finger, I can't use my hand for a week. People have varying sensitivities to palytoxin, but that being said, nobody is "immune" to it.
Often when handling zoas or palys, the corals release very little, if any palytoxin, at all. It's when you damage them (scrub them with a brush, run them under boiling water, frag them) that they tend to react violently, releasing large amounts of toxins. This is especially dangerous when they are out of the water, as the toxin becomes airborne.
Basically, just because you've never had a bad reaction while handling them improperly, that doesn't mean it won't happen. It's vital that you wear gloves, a mask, eye protection, and work in a well ventilated room when working with palytoxin-producing corals. Like when working with any potentially dangerous animals, you can go for years without any problems, until one day something goes wrong. To quote Professor Malcolm, "Life, uh, finds a way."
Often when handling zoas or palys, the corals release very little, if any palytoxin, at all. It's when you damage them (scrub them with a brush, run them under boiling water, frag them) that they tend to react violently, releasing large amounts of toxins. This is especially dangerous when they are out of the water, as the toxin becomes airborne.
Basically, just because you've never had a bad reaction while handling them improperly, that doesn't mean it won't happen. It's vital that you wear gloves, a mask, eye protection, and work in a well ventilated room when working with palytoxin-producing corals. Like when working with any potentially dangerous animals, you can go for years without any problems, until one day something goes wrong. To quote Professor Malcolm, "Life, uh, finds a way."
Similar threads
