zoa safety?

[JZ199]

Finally purchased something besides fish today, got a nice hardy coral, and a hardy zoa, I forget the exact name. The owner handled it with his bare hands and said just to wash your hands after touching it, not to touch your face or anything... but I just remembered reading about palyotoxin horror stories about reactions and respitory problems. I'm assuming it's fine since he was touching it, but just wanted to see how other people handle them in their tanks? I wore gloves to put it in but now do I have to wear them every time I do something involving my water or am I just worrying too much

 

[melypr1985]

Not every time you do something with your water. It's good practice to wear gloves when your hands are in the tank, or at least wash them before and after tank maintenance. Your real concern with the polytoxin is while fragging. Basically, if you tear the flesh of the zoa/pally you should be very careful at that point. And never EVER boil a zoa or paly.

 

[JZ199]

Not the best picture lol

 

[JZ199]

Thanks!! I definitely don't plan on fragging it... nice to have the piece of mind I won't be poisoning everyone lol

 

[trahelyk]

I worry about this a lot, actually. I have some sort of pest coral (very small brown polyps) growing between my zoas, and whenever I try to scrub it out, the zoas squirt stuff at me. Scares the hell out of me, to the point that I've started letting the stuff choke out the zoas. I've considered getting a face shield and wearing gloves to scrub the stuff out, but then it occurs to me that I might just be neurotic.

 

[melypr1985]

I worry about this a lot, actually. I have some sort of pest coral (very small brown polyps) growing between my zoas, and whenever I try to scrub it out, the zoas squirt stuff at me. Scares the hell out of me, to the point that I've started letting the stuff choke out the zoas. I've considered getting a face shield and wearing gloves to scrub the stuff out, but then it occurs to me that I might just be neurotic.

Yeah. dont do that anymore without protection. You could try just putting super glue over the ones your wanted to get rid of. If there arn't too many of them that is.

 

[trahelyk]

Yeah. dont do that anymore without protection. You could try just putting super glue over the ones your wanted to get rid of. If there arn't too many of them that is.

There are thousands of them... it's like a carpet of the stuff. I should take a photo at some point and see if somebody on R2R could ID them. Anyway, when I tried before I wore gloves, but when the zoas squirted, they got some pretty good distance. I could see the stuff getting in an eye or a mouth or up a nostril--which is why I was thinking face shield. You think I'm not just being paranoid?

 

[melypr1985]

There are thousands of them... it's like a carpet of the stuff. I should take a photo at some point and see if somebody on R2R could ID them. Anyway, when I tried before I wore gloves, but when the zoas squirted, they got some pretty good distance. I could see the stuff getting in an eye or a mouth or up a nostril--which is why I was thinking face shield. You think I'm not just being paranoid?

No your not being paranoid. Like i said.... Dont do that again without protection for your face.

 

[trahelyk]

No your not being paranoid. Like i said.... Dont do that again without protection for your face.

Fair enough. I just ordered this: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BO6RIE?redirect=true

Is there a problem Amazon can't solve?

 

[melypr1985]

lol. apparently not

 

[Stephanie11]

Yeah fragging and boiling rock are the major ways to get hurt! Never boil rock and take all precautions when fragging.

I got a little nervous when using my wet saw once. The water can jet out when cutting frags. Defiantly plans your cuts first.

 

[SROPE]

The face shield is a great practice. Safety first!