Zoanthids are they toxic?

I can't believe nobody asked what kind of zoanthids killed your dog?! WHat color where they? The article says that some carry the toxin and some don't, but doesn't say which ones are toxic. Am I missing something here? Seems like this would be some very important information.:confused:

I'm especially concerned because last night I was removing some zoanthids from a rock with some tweezers and one of them "popped" and squirted me in the face. Mostly on my chin, and maybe my neck. Needless to say, I washed my face for a long long time afterward. The zoos were pink with some green on the tentacles. WHat color were yours?! Please don't keep us in the dark.:(
 
Seems like this would be some very important information
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why it's important at all. Any of them should be considered dangerous and treated as such.
 
KorbinDallas said:
I'm especially concerned because last night I was removing some zoanthids from a rock with some tweezers and one of them "popped" and squirted me in the face. Mostly on my chin, and maybe my neck. Needless to say, I washed my face for a long long time afterward. The zoos were pink with some green on the tentacles.
Click to expand...
No reason. Nevermind. I guess its not important. Maybe its just important to me. I'll just report back here if I begin to have symptoms, gregt.:hmm5:
 
Sorry, didn't mean to minimize your situation, just saying it shouldn't matter. You should assume the worst and react accordingly.:spin2:
 
Well, its been almost 24 hours anyway. I think I'm in the clear. As someone said earlier, it seems like they should have some sort of disclaimer at the LFS if you are buying the most toxic organic substance known. Either than or exclude the nastiest species. There has to be a study done somewhere to find out which are most toxic? Anyone?
 
KorbinDallas said:
I can't believe nobody asked what kind of zoanthids killed your dog?! WHat color where they? The article says that some carry the toxin and some don't, but doesn't say which ones are toxic. Am I missing something here? Seems like this would be some very important information.:confused:

I'm especially concerned because last night I was removing some zoanthids from a rock with some tweezers and one of them "popped" and squirted me in the face. Mostly on my chin, and maybe my neck. Needless to say, I washed my face for a long long time afterward. The zoos were pink with some green on the tentacles. WHat color were yours?! Please don't keep us in the dark.:(
Click to expand...

I hope that you are ok.

The zoanthids that I was working with were green, plain brown, and orange. I really don't think that the color has any thing to do with how toxic they are. All of the reading that I have done does not specify colors. They are all of the same genius just different morphs.
 
Very, very sorry Kevin.
Some people who've never been close to a pet wouldn't understand, but losing one in any fashion really hurts.

Dave
 
Zoanthids

Zoanthids

Kevin, I am soo sorry for your loss. I also have a puppy that is always at my side when I'm doing anything. Tank maintenance included. I will be much more careful in the future and being a zooanthid fan I will defintely have more respect for these in the future.

A small warning to others , I have not always but should treat every coral as toxic. Ones I haven't paid attention to have walloped me good - a few months ago I was moving my Trachyphyllia brain in my tank and he started sliming up. Removed hands when I was done and rinsed them. About 15 minutes later my arm started going numb and I felt very dizzy. I would say the effects lasted about 2 hours but that was from less than 10 seconds of contact. Having been stung by all kinds of insects, bitten by a venomous spider , non poisonous snakes and generally leading a charmed life (aside from all the broken bones and scars) with regards to wildlife sometimes I overlook how nasty some of these critters can be.

I think these will be my next purchase:

http://www.marinedepot.com/a_mi_ag.asp?CartId=

Thanks for sharing Kevin and once again my condolences. It's like losing your best friend... no it is losing your best friend :(
 
wow...i'm sorry for your loss. i get sad when/if i lose a fish, but a lot of people get really attached to their dogs as well. i'm sorry you had to find out about this the hard way. :(
 
What horrible news!! As a fellow animal friend and owner of 3 cats who love to "hang around" the tank, my wife and I were speechless when I read your post aloud. So sorry to you and your family.

Reading this thread makes me realize how lucky I must be after moving 2 large colonies of zoos out of my 75 to a holding tank 2 weekends ago. I had my hands all around them, but I do not recall making any actual contact.

Thank you for sharing this painful experience, it may just be the most valuable lesson many of us learn here on RC.:(
 
I made a latex glove dispenser for my fish room tonight. In bourneman's (sp.?) book, he states an example of someone feeling the effects of the toxin quite sometime after the initial contact (like a few days I beleive). So korbinDallas, please watch out for yourself, and if you feel funny in *any* way go get some medical help!
 
kevin, from a fellow reefer, and a friend, i am extreamly sorry to hear of your loss. i was one of the lucky ones that was actually able to meet your dog, and to say the least this is a huge loss. it just won't be the same coming over to the house without your 4 legged friend there to great me. keep your head up. and my condolences to you and the rest of the family. jason
 
Anthony Calfo got "poisoned" by them three times (this is in his book on coral propogation)

The first time he wiped his hands in a towel after he was propogating the zoanthids and wiped his mouth with the towel when he finished. He said his mouth went completely numb and all he could taste was copper for two days.

The second time he was cutting the zoos with a razor, and as his hand was slipping he put the razor in his mouth... his sense of taste returned in a day.

The third time he ran out of clean towels and reached in his dirty towels bin and grabbed one... that time the sensation only lasted for a few hours.

written by Anthony Calfo
Palytoxin seems to be able to enter the bloodstream through breaks in the skin, is present inthe mucus of the polyps and is exuded significantly when a colony is harrassed
Click to expand...


This is a good warning to get out now. Id hate to hear of the death of a reefer due to getting palytoxin in their bloodstream due to a cut on their hand...

I am very sorry about the loss of your dog. :(
 
Last edited:
Sorry

Sorry

03/02/2003 05:37 PM

kevin_kramer


Sorry for your lost:sad2: And thank you very much for the information. It's made a change for the better.
Vic
 
Kevin, I am truly sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what you're feeling from someone who has had dogs for life and for much of that time beagles/hounds.

Not to change the subject too quickly to something commercial, but I got the Aqua Gloves that technoshaman was looking into to protect ourselves from such poisons. They are OK for "heavy lifting", but for the day-to-day work something like latex gloves would offer much more dexterity.

Sincerely,
RB
 
Kevin,

Sorry to hear about your dog. I did not know they were that toxic!! I will have to be more carefull in the future. Thanks for warning the rest of us.

Dave
 
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