Safe non toxic coral?

[gjustinj]

Hey everyone! Could you provide me some really nice looking but safe non toxic coral I could consider adding to my tank in the future? I recently accidentally purchased a Zoanthid (found out from you guys) and its gotta go after reading all the horror stories online and how it can be deadly (children in the house). I am going to get rid of it, but I did not find anyone who is willing to take it so I guess it's gonna have to go in the garbage I will call a few more LFS to see if they are interested before doing so of course!

But I cannot have something that can hurt my family so it has got to go. What are some good safe coral (beginner) that we could look at? Also, not interested in anything that is going to take over my tank in a few months - that will become troublesome.

Right now I have a Duncan (which I love) and the Zoanthid (which I have to get rid of)

Thanks!

 

[tinfoilsoldier]

You should probably get rid of the tank entirely if you are that concerned about your children reaching into the tank and touching the coral. The tank is also going to be full of bacteria that could be harmful to humans if ingested. Or teach your kids some ground rules about tank safety, which you should do anyway because kid hands tend to have stuff on them...

Zoas are toxic, but it's not like the poison is jumping out of the water or even filling the water with toxins unless they are disturbed which probably never happens unless actively fragging.

Most corals have toxins to help protect them from predators, most people refer to it as chemical warfare.

Don't get rid of the zoa, just know that you should be careful if disturbing the coral, especially while out of the water.

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[gjustinj]

You should probably get rid of the tank entirely if you are that concerned about your children reaching into the tank and touching the coral. The tank is also going to be full of bacteria that could be harmful to humans if ingested. Or teach your kids some ground rules about tank safety, which you should do anyway because kid hands tend to have stuff on them...

Zoas are toxic, but it's not like the poison is jumping out of the water or even filling the water with toxins unless they are disturbed which probably never happens unless actively fragging.

Most corals have toxins to help protect them from predators, most people refer to it as chemical warfare.

Don't get rid of the zoa, just know that you should be careful if disturbing the coral, especially while out of the water.

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what does disturbing the coral consist of? I mean i put my hands in the water to clean the tank/water changes/thermometer falls to the floor/etc all the time.

 

[tinfoilsoldier]

Disturbing the coral would be picking up the rock it is attached to and shaking it or pulling it out of the water.

Or touching the actual coral, with your hand or a tool.

Putting your hands in the tank, or water flowing past the coral wouldn't be any different than waves in the ocean and are not likely to trigger a response from the coral.

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[gjustinj]

Disturbing the coral would be picking up the rock it is attached to and shaking it or pulling it out of the water.

Or touching the actual coral, with your hand or a tool.

Putting your hands in the tank, or water flowing past the coral wouldn't be any different than waves in the ocean and are not likely to trigger a response from the coral.

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Not all Coral have this defense mechanism, or their poison is as harsh to humans or fish, is this correct? So there are 'safer' coral.

What are the safer coral if the above is true?

 

[JZinCO]

This is as much an issue as electrical outlets or having knives in the house (read: none if you take age-related precautions and teach your children to have a healthy fear of dangerous things)

As long as your children don't smash the zoas with their finger and then rub their eye, you'll be fine. If they're going to do that, then ditch the tank entirely because they'll find a way to get sick from it somehow. like electrical outlets you can take precautions (e.g. put a canopy with a lock on it).

 

[gjustinj]

This is as much an issue as electrical outlets or having knives in the house (read: none if you take age-related precautions and teach your children to have a healthy fear of dangerous things)

As long as your children don't smash the zoas with their finger and then rub their eye, you'll be fine. If they're going to do that, then ditch the tank entirely because they'll find a way to get sick from it somehow. like electrical outlets you can take precautions (e.g. put a canopy with a lock on it).

Oh okay. I read online that it can go into the air in the same room the tank is in and effect everyone in the room. This is what scared me the most - I also read about a family who almost died, and a dog that did, etc.

So as long as they do not touch the coral (even if they lets say put their hands in the water) they will be okay? This is really important because as much as I love my fish aquarium and all the life in it, my kids are more important...

I don't think they will, but you never know - kids can be dumb sometimes with curiosity - look at the kids on fb who thought putting a plastic bag over their face so they couldn't breathe for the longest was a fun activity.

 

[Tripod1404]

Not all Coral have this defense mechanism, or their poison is as harsh to humans or fish, is this correct? So there are 'safer' coral.

What are the safer coral if the above is true?

More or less all corals can sting if you touch their skin (of course you can hold them from their skeletons). For some people it is just a slight burning sensation but other people say it is the worst pain they ever felt or that they arms or hands got numb for days (that happened for me). I guess it depends on both the coral and the person.

I think you are safe with that coral. Unless you take it out of the water and boil it and inhale the vapor, it wont kill anybody.

 

[gjustinj]

More or less all corals can sting if you touch their skin (of course you can hold them from their skeletons). For some people it is just a slight burning sensation but other people say it is the worst pain they ever felt or that they arms or hands got numb for days (that happened for me). I guess it depends on both the coral and the people.

I think you are safe with that coral. Unless you take it out of the water and boil it and inhale the vapor, it wont kill anybody.

Thanks Tripod, more and more people on this forum are saying it is safe and I do want to eventually introduce an Anemone (several months away yet), and I know they are also a little dangerous.

Right now I am dealing w/ a possible Ich issue so nothing new is going in my tank

 

[Tripod1404]

Thanks Tripod, more and more people on this forum are saying it is safe and I do want to eventually introduce an Anemone (several months away yet), and I know they are also a little dangerous.

Right now I am dealing w/ a possible Ich issue so nothing new is going in my tank

Just keep in mind that these animals have impressive defensive strategies. As long as you dont poke them, it should be fine.

Just try not to put your hands into the water unless it is necessary and teach other people the same thing. Try to avoid touching the fleshy parts of the corals as that might provoke them to sting. Your hand going next to it or slightly brushing against it wont probably trigger this, but if you try to garb it, or poke it, or do anything that "hurts" it, it will sting.

 

[sde1500]

For every story you read about zoas causing problems there are hundreds and thousands of people that have no problems every day with them. I can handle any of my corals without issues. Supposedly to other people, and to corals for sure, torches have a very strong sting. I can pet the damn thing without feeling a thing. People make a living fragging (taking out of the water can cutting up into smaller pieces/single polyps) zoas. They don't die doing it.

 

[GimpyFin]

IMO, I wouldn't get rid of the zoas or be worried about your tank/family. There's also good information online about the toxicity of zoanthids/palythoas, and which ones to steer clear of if you want some good reading material. It's good to exercise caution with them, but many of them have little to be concerned about, IMO/IME. The ones you want to be particularly careful with tend to be certain types of palythoas.

 

[Sk8r]

Zoas aren't the problem. Palythoas are. And I kept palythoas for much of a decade with NO problem. before the hazard was publicized. I'm careful in general. I dispose of water, don't keep it standing about for pets to sample. I don't let people mess with my tank. I never tried to frag (break up) the cluster, and I kept the water nice.

Do I think we shouldn't keep them? I think we'd be better if they weren't on the market, because novices don't know how to handle them, and there is a serious danger if you mess with them. But they are out there. As a note, there is one species of palythoa that is the real problem, not even all of them.The specific hazard (which is the one I kept for years) is palythoa toxica. Everybody copy that name and google it so you know what it looks like. 'Kay? And the water from your tank does not aerosol and sneak down the hall to attack the dog. You have to rub tank water into your eyes or pipette it or otherwise expose yourself to it.

 

[Sk8r]

And, btw, go to your neighborhood pharmacy and buy a box of nitrile exam gloves and a box of rubber bands. Wear these: if brain surgeons can do brain surgery while wearing them, you can do your tank work successfully without exposing your hands to coral stings and corals to the roughness of your fingerprints. No, the stings don't hurt, but they sensitize you over time, and you will thank me for this after a number of years. What are the rubber bands for? put one on each wrist to keep the tank water out. Unless you plunge your forearms into a nest of coral you won't get stung---most of the risk is to your fingers, and touching coral is not nice for you, or for the coral.
Don't re-use the gloves: peel them off inside out and dispose of them where nobody and nothing is likely to dig them out of the garbage: the kitchen waste bin is usually such a place. Keeping a towel near your work assures you won't be dripping salt water all over.

 

[GimpyFin]

I'll also add to Sk8r's comment in that I have green button polyps currently in both my tanks (Protopalythoa) and have had no issues. I don't rub my hands in them and then itch my eyes or anything, but I've handled them and even fragged them since I got the original years ago and have not had even the slightest issue. Same has been true with zoanthids I've had in the past.

 

[gjustinj]

Zoas aren't the problem. Palythoas are. And I kept palythoas for much of a decade with NO problem. before the hazard was publicized. I'm careful in general. I dispose of water, don't keep it standing about for pets to sample. I don't let people mess with my tank. I never tried to frag (break up) the cluster, and I kept the water nice.

Do I think we shouldn't keep them? I think we'd be better if they weren't on the market, because novices don't know how to handle them, and there is a serious danger if you mess with them. But they are out there. As a note, there is one species of palythoa that is the real problem, not even all of them.The specific hazard (which is the one I kept for years) is palythoa toxica. Everybody copy that name and google it so you know what it looks like. 'Kay? And the water from your tank does not aerosol and sneak down the hall to attack the dog. You have to rub tank water into your eyes or pipette it or otherwise expose yourself to it.

So I understand this (because googling makes it look just like this).. this is not one of those really dangerous ones, right?

 

[gjustinj]

And, btw, go to your neighborhood pharmacy and buy a box of nitrile exam gloves and a box of rubber bands. Wear these: if brain surgeons can do brain surgery while wearing them, you can do your tank work successfully without exposing your hands to coral stings and corals to the roughness of your fingerprints. No, the stings don't hurt, but they sensitize you over time, and you will thank me for this after a number of years. What are the rubber bands for? put one on each wrist to keep the tank water out. Unless you plunge your forearms into a nest of coral you won't get stung---most of the risk is to your fingers, and touching coral is not nice for you, or for the coral.
Don't re-use the gloves: peel them off inside out and dispose of them where nobody and nothing is likely to dig them out of the garbage: the kitchen waste bin is usually such a place. Keeping a towel near your work assures you won't be dripping salt water all over.

I've got a box laytex medical gloves is that the same idea? Just use those? Also I still am learning heavily about coral (never expected to use them), so I need to go get a kit for testing some specific things.. what happens if a coral dies or is about to die, does it infect the water immediately (not wanting this to happen, but what happens if it does?).

 

[GimpyFin]

Here's a fairly good 2-part article worth reading as well:

https://reefs.com/2015/09/14/the-dangers-and-myths-of-zoa-toxicity-part-1/

 

[Smokey Stover]

The biggest danger in your tank to children would be the water itself. I.E. Warning labels on buckets. As long as they don't try scuba diving they should be ok.
Edit: Yes thats Anti-Freeze in the shed also. Dont drink it.

 

[gjustinj]

The biggest danger in your tank to children would be the water itself. I.E. Warning labels on buckets. As long as they don't try scuba diving they should be ok.
Edit: Yes thats Anti-Freeze in the shed also. Dont drink it.

lol