can a corals sting hurt you?

[lilleahseafreak]

i woke up with these itchy white blistery things on my fingers this morning, all i can think it was caused by is my corals. the one that did it is likley one i got for free a while back, its a fleshy sps type nodulating/ridged coral that was fragged and given out for free, i do beleive the story behind it is the guy got it as it was confinscated by customs? any way it slimed reall good last time i moved it and it made my fingers feel a little funny then, i washed right away but now i got these white itchy irritaiong lumps under my fingertips and they are all a little puffy too....
was it the coral?

 

[Sk8r]

They certainly can. They can produce serious allergic reactions in some people, and some people who start out non-allergic can become sensitized over time. Wear gloves to limit direct contact, or you may find your skin reacting to any tank water, a bad situation for a hobbyist. Try benedryl, calamine (don't let that get into your tank!) and holding the afflicted hand under hot water.

 

[Nu2SW]

well it could be, really cant say... One thing I go buy was what was the last thing done or touched, if it was the coral then its probably safe to say it was. Zoanthids can do it also with other polyp type corals.

go to an auto store or a health store and you can buy rubber disposable rubber gloves.

 

[lilleahseafreak]

i got my fingers wrapped up in bandaids with neosporen. i think i'm gonna be using gloves, i don't like this. this kinda hurts but its more of the irritation must itch it compelled to rub it kind of hurt, its nothing seriously painful, just irritating!!!!

 

[MandM]

The frag that you and I got from Rich was a Pectinia put out stinging sweeper tentacles.
Euphyllia (hammer, frogspawn) can pack a nasty sting, fatal to some.
It is also possible you toughed that big bristle worm. Here is some info on general injuries:
Wound FAQ2
Get some blue nitrile gloves, they hold up well and can be re-used if you rinse them and let them air dry. You don't want powdered gloves, the talc is not good for you or the tank. Try Smart and Final for them.

 

[MandM]

If the skin is broken, watch the wound carefully for infection. Here's another link on an UK site, they poke fun at an "unfortuante Yank".
UK reef park site

 

[lilleahseafreak]

the skin is not broken, and its not a bristle worm, i know what those feel like and they do not bug me, i have never gotten a reaction from a bristle worm and infact i am used to such bristles as our yard is filled with cactus that have little needles just like a bristle worms bristles.

 

[funman1]

It may have been that coral you got from me last night..
A few people on the boards said those were nasty poison-es.

I just got gloves yesterday to Handel that frag I gave you..

 

[Wee-Reef Master]

Absolutely! I strongly recommend the use of gloves whilst working in the tank. I've not always followed this and have had odd reactions to stings and such. By the way, like your dragon drawing at the meeting!

 

[thereefgeek]

Yes, that's the Pectinia sp. I passed out several months ago. Very potent sweepers against other corals, and it irritates my skin when I get stung as well.

The first time I fragged it (with a Dremmel tool), a peice if tissue flicked up and hit me on the eyeball. It burned like a mad dog and I had a red spot on my eye for about two weeks!

Along with gloves, if you're fragging with power tools, always wear safety glasses!

 

[Nu2SW]

Fraggin with power tools.... One person comes to mind rich

Tim Allen....

 

[The Marmot]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7408712#post7408712 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nu2SW
Fraggin with power tools.... One person comes to mind rich

Tim Allen....

too funny, thats exactly what I was thinking when I saw Rich fragging with a grinder at the first meeting I attended. He had the video camera real timed onto the screen..omg, I was cringing!

Leah, get yourself some blue nitrile gloves. I have had a few bad experiences myself. I even passed out once after re-arranging some rockwork, yup, about 20 minutes after I was done I just got real light headed, and found it hard to breath, and then woke up about 5 minutes later with David and my wife standing over me. I try to wear gloves any time I'm in my tank now.

 

[bsaastad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7409789#post7409789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Marmot
too funny, thats exactly what I was thinking when I saw Rich fragging with a grinder at the first meeting I attended. He had the video camera real timed onto the screen..omg, I was cringing!

LOL -- that was my first meeting, too! Let me tell you, you weren't the only one cringing. I thought we were going to end up with a thumb in the frag bucket for sure!!! :lol:

Rich, glad all of your fingers are still intact ...

 

[thereefgeek]

I don't know which is worse, partial dismemberment or anaphalactic shock .

 

[bsaastad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7420876#post7420876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thereefgeek
I don't know which is worse, partial dismemberment or anaphalactic shock .

Not to mention working with power tools in water. So our pretty little corals can poison us, dismember us and -- just for good measure -- electrocute us.

Sounds like a new cult film is in the works: "Attack of the Killer Zoanthids," perhaps?

 

[Reefugee]

Yeah - Rich is a psycho. That's why he's our leader. :lol:

BTW - I use the disposable gloves available at Costco. They are really cheap.

 

[ReefRian]

I've had frogspawns and hammers for a couple years and then one day I started to have a reaction to them. It got so bad after cleaning the tank that my entire forearm swelled double size with those little bumps all over it and itched like crazy, last about 2 months. Now Arlan has to clean anything near these guys and I always wear gloves when working in the tank incase I touch them.

Calfo told me if you keep having contact with them and getting reactions it could eventually lead to shock and possibly death.

Rian

 

[lilleahseafreak]

i am so getting gloves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[H20Sidhe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7421415#post7421415 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bsaastad
Not to mention working with power tools in water. So our pretty little corals can poison us, dismember us and -- just for good measure -- electrocute us.

Sounds like a new cult film is in the works: "Attack of the Killer Zoanthids," perhaps?

Um -
It is actually us that are dismembering the pretty little corals. We call it fragging.
I've never yet had a coral even try to dismember me. They only try to poison me in self-defense.

Yup, they are pretty much at our mercy.
We control the water.

 

[H20Sidhe]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." - A. Carlson

Oh, and Bsaastad - That is about my favorite WKRP ever!