Palytoxin
- Thread starter Crimsontopper
- Start date
- Tagged users None
ZoWhat
10K Club member
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out I got I'll from my actions of scrubbing a rock full of palys with a toothbrush and feeling "weird" 12hrs later.
Sorta like eating potato salad sitting in the sun for 8hrs at s family picnic then getting food poisoning and then saying, "well...cant really blame it on the potato salad"
Daaaaah
I 25+ years I have never had any issues, but I do not heat them up and turn the toxin into aerosol. Don't be dumb and you will be OK. Without minimizing the issue (it is a real problem that truly can happen), most accounts are probably purely anecdotal or coincidental that we see posted about. There are no-doubt a few real issues, but they are outliers in the hobby.
If it makes you feel any better, have your health record indicate that you are in close proximity to Palytoxin... that way if you cannot speak (or forget) a medical professional can get you help. I had my PCP note this in my file. People who keep venomous animals do it all the time.
If it makes you feel any better, have your health record indicate that you are in close proximity to Palytoxin... that way if you cannot speak (or forget) a medical professional can get you help. I had my PCP note this in my file. People who keep venomous animals do it all the time.
One little note aside from what everyone else has said about not boiling, scrubbing, exposing to air etc. that is all correct. I have been exposed to palytoxins and the symptoms are exactly as described. I was the idiot what messed around with my tank with out the proper PPE. Aside from that, water is a very very good barrier, and if left a lone those toxins will never become airborne. Just think of this, I work at a nuclear power plant and we store used fuel rods that produce over 1million rems of radiation per year in spent fuel pools that are 30 ft deep. Your tank is a perfect barrier against palytoxins.
vetteguy53081
Well known Member and monster tank lover
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
RGB
Article Contributor
Tampa Bay Reef Keepers
West Palm Beach Reefer
Hospitality Award
Ocala Reef Club Member
305 Reef Club
Wisco Reefers
Midwest Reefer
Fish Medic
MAC of SW Florida
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
R2R Secret Santa 2023
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
Ive had various types for years and it comes down to two things:
Handle carefully and wash hands well when done. Safer yet is simply........ buy AquaGloves which are reef safe aquatic gloves for safe handling especially with sharp rocks.
Palys and zoas make up great color along with easy care and are a great addition to any tank
Handle carefully and wash hands well when done. Safer yet is simply........ buy AquaGloves which are reef safe aquatic gloves for safe handling especially with sharp rocks.
Palys and zoas make up great color along with easy care and are a great addition to any tank
Be careful when you wash out any container that might have had palys in it or old rock which had palys growing on it. You can aeresol the palytoxin if you use a spray nozzle to wash out the container. I've written about my palytoxin posioning before on the site. Washed out a 5 gal bucket I had used to soak some live rock I bought from a guy getting out of the hobby. Used a nozzle with a fine spray. Inhaled some of the blow back from the spray. Pulse went to over 180 in about 5 minutes. Hard to breathe. Drove 7 minutes to emergency room because I didn't think the paramedics could get to me that fast. Took about 4 hours for doctors to get my pulse under control. Doc said I could have had a heart attack. Pulse at 192 in emergency room.
Hans-Werner
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2016
- Messages
- 1,661
- Reaction score
- 2,560
If you I would like zoas I would stick with the genus Zoanthus and avoid the bigger Palythoas. Zoanthus has much lower Palytoxin concentrations and there are no incidents with Zoanthus as far as I know.
Over the years every time i have read about people having palytoxin issues it has been the same palythoa polyps over and over again...such as Grandis...Venus Fly Traps...Texas Trash Polyps etc...they all have a similar (evil) look to them like in the picture and can be easily avoided
I avoided zoanthids myself in my previous reef for a decade as the palytoxin fear took hold...now in my current reef it is a zoa dominated garden
I avoided zoanthids myself in my previous reef for a decade as the palytoxin fear took hold...now in my current reef it is a zoa dominated garden
While I have never had a problem with ours simply growing in our tanks in seven years and I roll my eyes every time this conversation comes up, be aware that the danger is very real!
The larger paly's are very prolific. If you decide you no longer want them, the best thing to do is simply remove the entire rock, wrap it in newspaper and throw some carbon in, double bag it and throw it in the trash.
Plan ahead !!!
Put them on their own separate Island that can be removed easily.
Adding them to the base of your main Rock work is a recipe for total disaster !!!
All of the horrible health risks that you have read about when you decide you no longer want them and try to remove them without disturbing the rocks are very real !!!
As several people posted earlier, it is extremely bad, and the hospital doesn't have a clue.
You are already more knowledgeable than most of the doctors you will meet concerning this toxin.
The larger paly's are very prolific. If you decide you no longer want them, the best thing to do is simply remove the entire rock, wrap it in newspaper and throw some carbon in, double bag it and throw it in the trash.
Plan ahead !!!
Put them on their own separate Island that can be removed easily.
Adding them to the base of your main Rock work is a recipe for total disaster !!!
All of the horrible health risks that you have read about when you decide you no longer want them and try to remove them without disturbing the rocks are very real !!!
As several people posted earlier, it is extremely bad, and the hospital doesn't have a clue.
You are already more knowledgeable than most of the doctors you will meet concerning this toxin.
