I learned about Zoanthid toxin the hard way......

****UPDATE*****

Well, my airways are slowly opening back up. I'm still on steroids and an inhaler and will be for the next month. I have actually been contacted by the FDA for a sample of the offending polyp. apparently zoos contain more than one type of toxin and the FDA is looking at them and they ways they can affect people. Unfortunately we'll never know if it was actually the palytoxin that got me, but knowing that they contain multiple toxins will probably come in handy.
 
While I realize Steveoutlaw may have been saying this in jest (and probably was having chest pain at the time) DO NOT LIE about having chest pain to get yourself seen in the ER faster!

1) the complaint "chest pain" sets a whole series of (unesscessary) diagnositc tests in motion and may end up with you getting admitted (depending on you age and risk factors) even if everything is normal. This also adds a lot of $$$ to your bill.

2) ERs around the country are overburdened and we are all cranky. The quickest way to tick us off is to lie about why you are there. Give us the honest complaint of why you came to the ER.

3) The time the MD spends with a bogus complaint of chest pain = less time to spend on other patients = increased likelyhood of missing something. And the patient we miss something on may be you!

Gald you are OK!

sedgro- Board Certified ED Physician
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9614205#post9614205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abark

That being said I would not get the full arm gloves recommended by so many here. When I started in the saltwater side of fishkeeping I read a similar experience and I also got the same gloves. The problem with them is that they are so thick that it is very hard to get any dexterity when dealing with so many small things in our tanks. What I recommed is thiswww.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DR-PN11B&Category_Code=coralfrag
Click to expand...

We have those full-arm gloves I think you're talking about (I call them the Dexter's Lab gloves :D ) and I agree. We only use them for things that require no fine motor skills, like cleaning empty tanks. But these are great:

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/20918

They aren't heavy enough to stay waterproof for long, so I put regular latex gloves over them. They'll keep your arm dry and leave you some dexterity, too.

-Sonja
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9644592#post9644592 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sedgro
While I realize Steveoutlaw may have been saying this in jest (and probably was having chest pain at the time) DO NOT LIE about having chest pain to get yourself seen in the ER faster!
Click to expand...

I was saying that in jest. Although I was (and still am) having chest pains I was commenting on how fast they took my back when I mentioned that. I certainly don't want anybody lying about it to be seen.......cause that will just make me have to wait longer the next time I'm there!!:eek1:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9600777#post9600777 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vessxpress1
Man, here we go again. :rolleyes:

There's no reason to be scared to death of zoanthids. I've handled them with bare hands a lot. I've had one squirt me directly in the eye. Nothing has ever happened to me because of zoanthids.

If you have severe allergy problems, then yes, maybe it is a good idea to take extra precaution. If you're worried about this incident happening to you, just don't boil them and inhale the steam! Whether it was the cause or not.

If you get some zoos on a rock and you don't want them there any more, get a good chisel and a hammer. Break that part of the rock off and discard it.

There's no point in being terrified of zoos. Just wash your hands well after handling them.
Click to expand...


I got squirt in the eye and couldn't see for a week. Sorry but just because you haven't had any problems, doesn't mean you won't.

I would hate for someone to read your post and come to the same lackadaisical approach to zoanthids. They CAN cause problems, sorry you can't accept this.

Steve glad things are going smoother.
 
If this thread gets out of hand it will be closed. There is no need to flame or start attacks on anyone. This will be the only warning.
 
I don't think anyone is attacking anyone. Just stating our opinion about comments that people who have no personal instances with a deadly toxin or bad reaction try to push over as law.

"Since it hasn't happened to me it doesn't happen" is the exact mentality that people need to get over.

It sucks when you are telling people "This happened to me" and they say "no it didn't" even when the hospital says "yes it looks like it did". The FDA wants his Zoas.... that should be enough to substantiate that something bad happened.

I have stong opinions on the matter since I was blind for a week, who cares what caused it, it was caused. It doesn't really matter if its palytoxin or not. What matters is people understand the dangers that the animals they keep present.

Thanks for the warning, it would suck to have this thread locked.
 
Last edited:
"Well, my airways are slowly opening back up. I'm still on steroids and an inhaler and will be for the next month. I have actually been contacted by the FDA for a sample of the offending polyp. apparently zoos contain more than one type of toxin and the FDA is looking at them and they ways they can affect people. Unfortunately we'll never know if it was actually the palytoxin that got me, but knowing that they contain multiple toxins will probably come in handy."

well FDA.... great. now they are gonna stop imports of ALL coral because a few are deadly ( KIDDING KIDDING! )

What exactly does the fda want to do with the polyp? ( i hope you charge them for the polyp.. :) )

are they going to actualy look at teh toxins.ORRRRRRR are they going to grow it and use the fumes from it in iraq to "FUMIGATE" caves ???

keep up updated about this. i think its cool that the fda wants to do somthing. and i really want to know what they find
 
Steve,
Best of luck on your recovery! I have handled, cut, many different zoos, but the palyathoa seem to pack the biggest punch to me, which is what you boiled. I do not get a bad reaction from zoanthids but I wear gloves and the whole bit when fragging palys-they also seem to squirt more often. Good luck!!!!
 
Steve,

I am glad to hear that things are getting better. I wish you a speedy recovery.
FWIW, you essentialy had a chemical burn from the toxin (whatever it was).
The inhaled steroids will help remodel your lung "units" helping you to breath easier.

To everyone else: thankfully bad outcomes with zoanthids are very rare. However, when they do occur they can be very dangerous, if not deadly. We should all just be more careful when messin' around with them (no more closing my eyes and mouth, holding my breath, and hoping for the best!).
 
thats what i ususualy do ( except when i have cuts on my hands from handling birds)
look away close my mouth and if it is a real juicy one. put a bag over it or have some one else hold a bag infront of my face.... or ( ONCE) put a fish bag over my head :)

goggles... isnt that a search engine? ;)

anyways. hope ya get better fast. if you want to have some fun possiably threaten to sue the creator of the palys. there needs to be a warning printed on these things!

any one see the thread about the guy who had a friend offer to drink skimmate for 100 bucks... could you think how much toxins and bactiria are in that.
wonder what happens if you boil it?

a few years ago i had a dog die.
she was a 12 orso year old black lab. not sure if it was timing or what. but i had kent superbuffer DKH spill while i was cleaning the skimmer. of course i left both out while i went to get a dustpan. came back and some one messed with the stuff (not sure if some one sniffed what or drank anyting. but i know that the skimmate was on the floor now)

two days later (possiably sooner. 2 days later was the first time i saw it happen) my dog started having seizures.
now as i said. not sure if it is the buffer. the skimate or just bad timing...
but there is alot of junk you SHOULD ( but usualy arnt) careful around.

several of the big ones being
kalkwasser.
pvc glue
( to a lesser extent) florecant lamps (contain a small amount of mercury. seens that the uv sterilizer lamps contain more and after the life is up it collects on the glass.. .. dont see it hurting a adult but i could see some dumb kid using one as a sword and then deciding to lick up the magic juice after it breaks)

and the one im most worrried about and ALWAYS use gloves with. FRESH LR
there is a lot of threads of infections caused by the junk that comes in on LR ( not to mention the occasional mantis shrimp strike)
 
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If anyone is scared to the point of needing to get rid of their zoo's, contact me and i will properly dispose of them.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9644048#post9644048 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steveoutlaw
****UPDATE*****

Well, my airways are slowly opening back up. I'm still on steroids and an inhaler and will be for the next month. I have actually been contacted by the FDA for a sample of the offending polyp. apparently zoos contain more than one type of toxin and the FDA is looking at them and they ways they can affect people. Unfortunately we'll never know if it was actually the palytoxin that got me, but knowing that they contain multiple toxins will probably come in handy.
Click to expand...


I would think the DoD, not FDA would want one...:)


Hoping for a quick recovery for you.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9652763#post9652763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kryppy
I would think the DoD, not FDA would want one...:)
Click to expand...

Funny thing is, in doing research on zoanthids I found that back in the day warriors would smear their spear heads and arrow heads on these things to get them to release the toxin. One stick and the enemy dies!

The FDA wants to examine the polyps to determine how many and what types of toxins are in them. Now, I don't think they are going to ban anything, but I I'm glad they are analyzing them so we know exactly what we are dealing with. And look at the bright side, it's the ugly, uncontrollable polyps that seem to pack the punch.....I wouldn't mind those being banned!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9668173#post9668173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steveoutlaw
Funny thing is, in doing research on zoanthids I found that back in the day warriors would smear their spear heads and arrow heads on these things to get them to release the toxin. One stick and the enemy dies!
Click to expand...

I wonder what their propogation tanks looked like, what they were dosing with and if they used aragonite or crushed coral with more sucess!:p
 
That's sad, really. :rolleye1: People need to be careful of what they do with toxic corals, but even worse is that rather than find the corals a new tank to grow in he decided the best idea would be to boil them off the rocks. We all have environmental responsibilities in this hobby, and it bothers me to hear about anyone purposefully killing their aquarium inhabitants. We all know that the things we put in our tanks are going to grow... if you can't handle the rate at which something grows, don't buy it... or hook up with your local reef club who will always be there to take frags of your zoanthids and xenia and whatever else grows like a week in your tank. There's always a better solution.
 
Thanks for making that point puffergirl. I read this whole long thread and never once even thought of it from that regard - and I actually consider myself a friend of the environment.
I guess when you think about the fact that, especially in the salt water hobby, these animals are forcibly plucked from their free lives and made to live in glass cells for our pleasure, probably in their world humans "have it coming to them".

Anyway, I agree with you that we have a responsibility to our pets, whether they were intentional purchases, or unintentional hitchhikers.
 
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