Do corals stings?

[Notsolostfish]

Im new to the reef world, and i bought myself a marine x60.2, its currently in the setup process. I was wondering to myself how im going to my place corals? I don't wanna die haha. Do they sting?

 

[DeniseAndy]

Yes, they all sting. They are related to jellyfish and contain nematocysts. Some are stronger than others. Some leave huge bumps on me, some nothing. Just learn to use gloves.

 

[Rmckoy]

Yes they all sting to a degree .
more common to sting other corals .
Best practice is to keep your hands out of the tank . And if you need to go in . Wear gloves

 

[Sharkbait19]

Most of the ones that are kept don’t have too strong a sting for us - but it can be detrimental to other corals so it’s best to place corals with a strong sting away from others.
Perhaps the strongest sting on any coral we keep is the torch and elegance - and they do hurt but the pain goes away pretty fast.

 

[Rmckoy]

Most of the ones that are kept don’t have too strong a sting for us - but it can be detrimental to other corals so it’s best to place corals with a strong sting away from others.
Perhaps the strongest sting on any coral we keep is the torch and elegance - and they do hurt but the pain goes away pretty fast.

Ritteri anemone leaves blisters on my forearm .
I didn’t know elegance stings hurt .

 

[Sharkbait19]

Ritteri anemone leaves blisters on my forearm .
I didn’t know elegance stings hurt .

Haven’t personally been stung but I’ve read they can kill a fish - I’d bet it would pack a punch (and I don’t want to find out firsthand).

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Yes they sting. I don’t go in tank often and no I’ll effects when I do. No gloves. Just b careful w zoas and palythoa. Toxins

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Yes they sting. I don’t go in tank often and no I’ll effects when I do. No gloves. Just b careful w zoas and palythoa. Toxins

They also sting each other. It’s how they compete for space on reef. Some have long sweepers like certain chalice corals echinopyllia or pectinia, torches just plan the aqua scape to coral specific needs and give room to grow. I just had a branching cyphastrea fall into my raja over nite and the raja lost. Lil recession. Happened before other lps but w healthy conditions they heal up and grow on. Good luck

 

[blaxsun]

Gloves are definitely recommended for zoas and palys.

 

[dakoop]

They sting, I think they just feel sticky.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Been in the hobby for a decade, and was only stung once by a coral that I actually felt it. It was a Euphyllia, and it DID hurt. However, that was definitely a one-off kinda thing. Most of the time it's not an issue.

 

[Uncle99]

They do, but you can place hammers and frogspawn touching, but not torches, but torch can touch torch.
Things of the same species can mostly coexist.
Zoa gardens you can just pack them together.
Never hurt me.

 

[Rmckoy]

Haven’t personally been stung but I’ve read they can kill a fish - I’d bet it would pack a punch (and I don’t want to find out firsthand).

Between a anemone and a foxface ..

foxface rabbit fish wins !
Messed me up pretty bad

 

[youcallmenny1]

I've been handling coral with my bare hands for almost 6 years straight. Some are slightly sticky but I've never had any sort of reaction and definitely nothing like pain. Bristle worms can be a little itchy if you grab a good ball of them though. Corals definitely sting each other to death. It's always a giant game of rock, paper, scissors.

I've never managed to get hit by my Foxface but I'd believe it would hurt. I had a long-spine urchin that I buried in my forearm though. I don't keep those anymore, they're weirdly sneaky and it stung pretty bad plus left broken tips under the skin that I had to dig out.

 

[vetteguy53081]

been messing with coral 3+ decades and never got stung, but large carpet anemones will as will SPS which have known venoms for protection from predators
Hammer coral also known to sting as well as other euphullia

 

[Andresnyc93]

Yep all of them do to some degree, got stung by a colony of torches and a couple of nems at once. Wear gloves.

 

[damsels are not mean]

They all sting but it depends on if you have sensitive skin or not. I have handled corals without any stings including torches but no anemones bare hand yet. I now use gloves any time I'm working anyways as it protects open wounds from infection and protects the tank from what's on my hand.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just unloaded 11 corals from Acans to SPS by hand and no issues- BUT . . . The smell on my hands !!
Lemon juice and ketchup and its still faint

 

[Spare time]

Elegance corals are the only one's that have actually irritated my skin. Large anemone species are sort of in their own ballpark.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I just unloaded 11 corals from Acans to SPS by hand and no issues- BUT . . . The smell on my hands !!
Lemon juice and ketchup and its still faint

That distinct acro smell.