Eggcrate Grab-bag thing from swap

[ReefWidowed]

Hey y'all .....anyone else get one of these? I forget who was selling them. I thought it would be a cute neat idea, and that I would give it a try.......here's the thing


I have an irrational fear of zoanthid toxin. I went to a PMAS meeting last year to hear Anthony Calfo speak, and left wanting to set up an anemone prop system, and terrified of my zoanthids

Some of the zoas I got are kind of good looking, but they need to come off the algae covered eggcrate, but I'm not sure how to get these guys off.....should I leave them on the eggcrate and then glue the plastic to a rock, and just cut and paste a colony??

Any ideas would be appreciated....THANKS!!!

 

[CleveYank]

Cut eggcrate so that you can plastic zip tie it into place. Let things growout (yes I am aware it will look goofy for a while) and when they growout sufficiently you can just cut away from the rocks, remove zip ties and move elsewhere in tank or put back in prop tank sell or whatever. I would not glue the eggcrate to the rock.

 

[Charliegirl2u]

I just plucked those puppies off from as far down as I could, sew them together with some clear thread or fishing line and tie them to a rock ... it worked great for me

 

[Dtip]

If you're worried about the toxins or allergies to them and so on, I think the filter guys sell these super cheap disposable reef sleeve things that you can wear while mucking about in tank: a box of a hundred for like 20$.

 

[Charliegirl2u]

wait wait hold on here a second, back this truck up a minute, are you saying that they are toxic? Like can make you sick? or something along those lines? Why didn't anyone ever tell me this when I was buying them? Oh well, learn something new everyday .... guess I should fear more and tread less in the unknown ... oh well ya only live once right?

 

[itZme]

All I got in mine were red flatworms ... but there were lots of them.

 

[Dtip]

Yep. Some species of Zoanthids have palytoxins (and its safest just to assume that they all do). Not to freak folks out, because it's really not that common that there are problems, but everyone should know the dangers and the precautions.

And especially if you are going to do any sort of fragging or direct handling, you should probably invest in some sleeved gloves and eye protection in any case. Even you do have some poisonous ones though, you are not in too much danger for normal messing around in your tank. But if you rub the toxin it in a cut, get it in your eyes, or get it in your bloodstream in any way, it can potentially be quite dangerous.

There is some debate as to how common and how potent these toxins really are. But here's a famous thread about how the toxins supposedly killed someone's dog:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=158663

 

[zeppelin]

I have gotten sick twice after handling a large amount of zoanthids. Both times it was the bright green radioactive dragon eyes and what I think they call Green Bay Packers. Same symptoms both times. Nausea, joint soreness/stiffness, bad chills, 103 temp, then it slowly went away. Lasted for about 5 hours, I would guess. Both were from the same location, so I cant be positive it wasn't something in the water/dirt on the zoos when they first arrived. I did several dips on about 40 large rocks of zoos each time it happened.

I was at the swap when the guy got the call that his dog was sick. That was the first time I had heard of zoanthid toxin. It was a shame the dog ended up dying.

I think its the Palythos Grandis that some native tribes used to coat the end of their spears when they hunt.

I wouldn't worry too much handling a few small frags though. Just, if you start feeling even a little sick, stop. I'm sure the toxin effects everyone in a different way. I move little frags around all the time with no ill effects. :smokin:

 

[Charliegirl2u]

great I have two cuts on my right hand too, figures, well I guess I'll have to start using gloves from now on, going to go throuh a ton of them as much as my hands are in my tank, I have 6 kids I can't have a hobby do me in, no matter how great this new obsession is ... thanks for the info

 

[Norm R]

I get terrible bumps on my hands 48 hours after handling any zoas or palys. They itch, swell and hurt, lasting about 10 days. It's like clockwork. I handled them with no issue for several years and then one day that all changed. I also speculate that my vision is negatively impacted as well....but I have no sure way to link that to the zoas...other than it coincides with the bumps on my hands.

 

[Dtip]

There are lots of benefits to using non-toxic/non-powdered sleeves, including it being safer for the animals. At the very least it can't hurt.

 

[DirtyHermit]

The radioactive greens (the big ones) were the 1st frag I ever bought. After messing with them for days (w/cuts on hands) I noticed a shortness of breath, & a horrible METALLIC TASTE in my mouth.
That's when I found the aforementioned thread. I would suggest NOT reading it, as it will scare the crap out of you, & panic will ensue just as it has for most of the posters there.
Wear some gloves ladies. (says the guy with wet arms & hands)

 

[CleveYank]

For most folks. As long as you are not eating your zoas or trying to get extract from them for your poison darts or are careful not to hold fragging razor blade with zoa juice on it in mouth and slice your mouth or tongue...you really do not have too much to worry about.

If cuts are that bad you should worry about infections by specific warm water bacteria that live in the ocean and can be found in your reeftank. These bacteria not only can be sleepers that blow up out of the blue from initial exposure, but are extremely difficult to shake with even the most advanced antibiotics.

 

[Burgman]

Hi,

Getting back on track..................... Take the eggcrate and put it on your sandbed. Put rocks around the eggcrate and within a few months the zoos will grown onto the rocks. Separate rocks & eggcrate with gloves on of course. I don't know how you would scrape them off of the eggcrate?

Hey Kevin, are those flatworms the "SPECIAL" Tyre flatworms from Bali?(hint hint). Might be able to make some money off of them. LOL

Dave

 

[CleveYank]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12379289#post12379289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Burgman
Hi,

Getting back on track..................... Take the eggcrate and put it on your sandbed. Put rocks around the eggcrate and within a few months the zoos will grown onto the rocks. Separate rocks & eggcrate with gloves on of course. I don't know how you would scrape them off of the eggcrate?

Hey Kevin, are those flatworms the "SPECIAL" Tyre flatworms from Bali?(hint hint). Might be able to make some money off of them. LOL

Dave

I hear Kevin's flatworms are radiation treated for extreme kill resistance. IS that true?