Purchased some Zoa frags from a local Petco today. Manager stuck her hand straight in a tank to get them out. I suggested that she might want to wash her hands thereafter and she asked "Why?" My answer was "Well, besides the fact that it's called basic hygiene many corals are poisonous and some Zoa's might even send you to the emergency room. Palytoxin is extremely potent". She replies with "Never heard of this thing Palytoxin" and walked away to ring people up at the cash registers. With such ignorant approach to saltwater coral handling I hope she never actually encounters any Palytoxin barring Zoa's in her life. Would suck to be her if she does.
Petco manager does not believe in Palytoxin
- Thread starter izza1125
- Start date
Wow, then take this link with you the next time you're in Petco. Click on the 5th and 6th link in the link below and show her these pictures. There's more than just PT to worry about. Thsee pics will change her mind swiftly.
Mooch
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2063473&highlight=warning+the+dangers
Mooch
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2063473&highlight=warning+the+dangers
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Actually, my nearest store isn't bad at all. They got a really good saltwater guy who takes care of his department very well. The only other Petco that sells saltwater fish and corals in the area is a complete nightmare with dead fish and bleached corals laying there for days and sometimes weeks. BTW, Petco now get's their saltwater stuff from LiveAquaria.
Now, that's scary!
Thing is, most of the common smaller zoanthids species don't really have high enough concentrations, if at all, to cause much harm, its corals like protopaylanthoa and actual palyanthoa that really are a cause for concern.
Many of the common designer name zoos that are named things like "armor of the gods palys" are actually NOT true palyanthoa, they are usually Zoanthus gigantus which do not contain high levels, if any, of palyotoxin compounds.
Not to say proper precautions should not be taken, they should with as with any coral when handling and fragging should be taken with precaution but alot of it is hype.
Be careful, but again its blown way out of proportion and just because the "designer name" says "paly" does not mean its a true palyanthoa.
Many of the common designer name zoos that are named things like "armor of the gods palys" are actually NOT true palyanthoa, they are usually Zoanthus gigantus which do not contain high levels, if any, of palyotoxin compounds.
Not to say proper precautions should not be taken, they should with as with any coral when handling and fragging should be taken with precaution but alot of it is hype.
Be careful, but again its blown way out of proportion and just because the "designer name" says "paly" does not mean its a true palyanthoa.
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that Fish Guy
Frag Swap Crusader!
He is correct not all Zoanthids have the same amount of Paly Toxin.
Protopaly's have the Most Toxins.
Protopaly's have the Most Toxins.
LMAO. Like I said, my local Petco saltwater guy is actually very good and knows a lot. The manager - that's another story, but than again a manager doesn't really need to be an expert in saltwater fish. Their job is to make sure that the right person is allocated to that department. I got to give them props though, for posting signs all over the stores telling people not to buy Nemo or Dory unless they are ready to shell out thousand of dollars for a saltwater tank set-up.
organism
code monkey
In all fairness, you're the one with bad info considering there are 0 cases in history where someone was poisoned from touching zoanthids. As long as you don't eat them, boil them, get them in your eyes or in an open wound while fragging them you're good. She was doing none of those things and never will. The risks of actually ingesting palytoxin is imo the most overstated hysteria in the hobby, so ironically on some level you knew just as little about it as she does, but no one's belittling you over not knowing everything about everything.
Nice touch on "besides the fact it's called basic hygiene", real classy :rolleye1:
Agreed, Although I usually try to wear nitril gloves for the corals protection, Some do not like skin oil getting on them.
When Fragging I wear gloves and glasses, sometimes Zoa's spit saltwater on you that will give you a nasty eye infection.
Here is some actual info on palytoxin: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6431a4.htm
The vast majority of "palytoxin" reports on here are more likely bacterial in nature as they just do not fit the symptoms.
+1 OP was unnecessarily rude, and also uninformed.
Ingestion is about the only way to be poisoned from them, and it would basically only happen if you were cutting up ACTUAL Palythoa/ Protopalythoa and decided to stick you fingers in your mouth. Either that or like its been shared on here about a guy who was cooking a rock and apparently poisoned himself, wife and dog (they turned out fine).
Palythoa is actually pretty rare to see these days in the hobby because its usually ugly and brown.
Real Palyathoa
Protopalythoa though can be rather common to find in the hobby.
that Fish Guy
Frag Swap Crusader!
I have to say "Safety First" like the OP said.
But in all Honesty I have been to a Ton of LFS's and a Million Frag Swaps.
I have yet to see anybody there use Gloves or Wash their Hands After Touching Zoanthids.
And I have never heard anything happen to any of these people.
Sellers at Swaps are Picking Up Zoanthid after Zoanthid after Zoanthid with No Gloves and they Rarely Leave their Tables so I know they are not Washing their Hands.
Again, the pretty little zoas most people collect don't contain very high levels, if any of palyotoxin.
The two I posted above are ones that contain it in very high concentrations.
It is always best to err on the side of caution, and I recommend either wearing gloves during fragging any coral, not just for your health but the corals as well. If fragging sofites or corals that tend to squirt when cut protective eyewear is a good idea too.
But like organism and I said, risk of being poisoned is blown WAY out of proportion.
thelawnwrangler
New member
I get the placebo eye itch every time I handle my ZOAs - I wish that on her lol
