I hope I didnt do anything wrong!

clowns101 · Jul 22, 2010

Hello,
Today I was cleaning my frag rack like normal and when I was blowing of some of the palys,one had released a brown milky substance.So I called up DFS and LA and they told me it sounds like its slime coat(I thought slime coating was clear).But they told me that it probobly released palytoxins into my tank!Im not a paly and zoa expert,but I want to know what it did.And if it did releas palytoxin,is it going to hurt my tank?Is it going to hurt me if I need to put my hand in my tank?Well I know it will but you know what I mean!

Let me know!

Thanks!

Azurel · Jul 22, 2010

I wouldn't worry about it, I have had mine shead surface skin and have squeezed them and they relase a brown fluid which I think is just food in gut of the polyps.....I do not think that they actually release paly toxin in that manner but the toxin is in the tissue itself. The polyps of you cut them in half is full of a brown milky kaka like substance and have had it on my hands and never had an issue......You could add some GAC to pull anything out if your truly worried about it......Not to mention there is no idea what or which polyps contain palytoxin some do some don't, since there has never been any true research studies done on them.

clowns101 · Jul 22, 2010

Im worried about it but Im not at the same time.Get what I mean?I had known that not all have the toxin,bet as you stated we dont know which do and which dont!Corals seem fine.So do my anemones and fish!I think it will be okay!

Azurel · Jul 22, 2010

Yea like I said you can run a bunch of GAC to help take out what ever it is......Not to mention the amount if it was that was released now that it is diluted in the tank water I don't think would be an issue either......

Ericm1205 · Jul 28, 2010

i dont think it was toxin tht was released. it sounds like they brown stuff when they purge themselves. they will close up and it will look like they are throwing up or pooping. mine do it all the time. its like they are cleansing themselves of leftover food and waste.

nata · Jul 29, 2010

Sounds like pooping to me ..no worries!!!!

Breakin Newz · Jul 29, 2010

Nothing to worry about IMO......

drainbamage · Jul 29, 2010

+1 for the Z&P's saying goodbye to their latest burrito....

tate1 · Aug 2, 2010

I have had a polyp or 2 do something like this when they were dead and I put some degree of pressure on them which pushed the "stuff" out. I never thought any more about it and never had any issues neither to the health of my tank or the rest of the zoas on that rock. If it wasn't dead and it expelled what you described, I would have to say it was getting rid of some waste.

clowns101 · Aug 2, 2010

Its doing good.I honestly could care less about the Paly,I ws more woried about my SPS and my LPS collection.SOOOO,now I have a smaller set up for just extra little Palys and Zoa's!

caudill187 · Aug 3, 2010

Its fine, as everyone had mentioned. I think what you saw is exactly what others have said it is - the polyp expelling waste from food or excess zoanthellae. It is my understanding that the palys that do contain potent toxins don't routinely release them into the water but carry the toxin in the tissues to deter from things eating them. Absolutely no worries.