Toxic or harmful coral ??
- Thread starter Charlie
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
The folks at the LFS I frequent never use gloves. However, I use gloves on ALL my corals when handling them. If nothing else, there's a ton of not-so-friendly bacteria that find the coral's mucous coat a nice home. They don't bother the corals, but there is always the possibility that they could bother YOU if they find a nick or cut in your hand.
Of the three you named, like melosu58 commented, I've heard/read of people having issues with zoanthids. They do have some fairly nasty neurotoxins associated with them, but having never handled mine without gloves, I can't speak from personal experience.
Of the three you named, like melosu58 commented, I've heard/read of people having issues with zoanthids. They do have some fairly nasty neurotoxins associated with them, but having never handled mine without gloves, I can't speak from personal experience.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've handled zoos without gloves, just don't go licking your fingers after you touch the zoos. That said, I usually always wear gloves when I handle my corals just to be safe.
Nikkiheartsfish
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2007
- Messages
- 51
I think it's restricted to Palythoa type polyps.. Hence being called palytoxin. But better safe than sorry 
As far as zooanthids go, that is.
As far as zooanthids go, that is.Palytoxin is a neurotoxin produced by all Palythoa and majority of, if not all, Zoanthus. If handled with open wounds or lesions, other infections can also take place. It would be best to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards in hot water with an antimicrobial soap.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just a follow up comment...
Tonight, I was just sucking out the last bits of my bubble coral that distintegrated on me (different thread)... ungloved.
The siphon hose got most of the gunk, but a couple strings of gunk were floating around. One of them must've glanced my finger or something because about a minute after I got my hands out of the tank the side of my little finger felt really really tingly. Needless to say, a good hand washing followed. The tingly feeling went away after about 5 minutes. Can't say I've ever felt anything like it. Not painful... just unsettling as I wasn't sure what was coming next!
Tonight, I was just sucking out the last bits of my bubble coral that distintegrated on me (different thread)... ungloved.
The siphon hose got most of the gunk, but a couple strings of gunk were floating around. One of them must've glanced my finger or something because about a minute after I got my hands out of the tank the side of my little finger felt really really tingly. Needless to say, a good hand washing followed. The tingly feeling went away after about 5 minutes. Can't say I've ever felt anything like it. Not painful... just unsettling as I wasn't sure what was coming next!MT79
Aquarium Advice Addict
Kurt the same thing happens to me w/ BTA's and Galaxy corals. Also a caution for everyone, people can develope a more sever reaction to the same coral stings. Something that was not too big of a deal can turn into something more serious with repeated exposures overtime. As said Charlie wear gloves if at all possible 
