Good morning America just contact me about my palytoxin experience

[Jeff.:P]

This morning on Good Morning America.. not me by the way, some guy on R2R

https://gma.yahoo.com/video/aquarium-coral-releases-poison-could-115719215.html

Original Thread. ::

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blo...-poisoning-almost-killed-myself-wife-and-dogs

http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/go...-about-my-palytoxin-experience.210603/page-10

 

[this is me]

Like any other hobby, this hobby does have some risk. Taking good precaution is the only thing you can do to prevent it.
This is one of the reason why I do not keep any zoas or palys. I'm about to throw out my goniopora as well since that's probably the most toxic stuff in my tank right now. My real interest in this hobby is SPS and Clams.

 

[this is me]

Btw,
"Wash your hand with antibacteria soap". But don't put your hand back in the tank. You don't think about it sometime but washing your hand thoroughly before putting it into the tank will save you some headache on coral issues.

 

[Jeff.:P]

Yeah, I have a nice tennis ball sized pink with blue tips goniopora. I haven't seen any adverse effects yet, but who knows. Have you seen anything specific that would make you take it out? I run carbon and sps/clams are growing like gangbusters.

In general, I would never boil live rock, god knows what you are releasing into the air in the house.
I've been lucky with finding a predator that will kill whatever pest I have.

 

[this is me]

Nope. I haven't noticed any adverse effect. Just don't want to keep something like that in the tank. Same way I don't understand why people who keep blue ring octopus, poisonous scorpions and king cobra. I don't get excited at all on these types of thing knowing that it can hurt me or someone else.

 

[STiTCH87]

I too have had my run with palythoa toxica. The winter before last I had some live rock with brown palys and hair algae. I did a hydrogen peroxide dip in a bucket and as it started to bubble off the algae, the palys gave off a strange odor. Not even an hour later I got a severe sore throat, yellow face, 102 fever, chills, and violently vomiting. I genuinely felt like I wasn't going to make it through that without medical attention. Now to compound the issue, this was during the blizzard of 2013 here in New England. There was a driving ban. Not fun. Needless to say, I still got the care I needed, and I am here today still to talk about it and have zero aftermath from it. I can also say I have not owned nor put my hands in a tank containing palythoas ever since.

EDIT: Goniopora are dangerous? So I shouldn't be moving my gold ball sized frag around with bare hands? -_- Oh jeez... I didn't know. What is toxic about it?

EDIT EDIT: I just read into it and it looks as though they are generally only toxic when there are more than one goniopora kept near another and they then release a bio-chemical to attack the other which in itself is toxic and MAY kill corals and fish. I'm no longer concerned. This might explain why my red one doubled in size while my neon green/yellow one slowly perished.

 

[Owen386]

I too have had my run with palythoa toxica. The winter before last I had some live rock with brown palys and hair algae. I did a hydrogen peroxide dip in a bucket and as it started to bubble off the algae, the palys gave off a strange odor. Not even an hour later I got a severe sore throat, yellow face, 102 fever, chills, and violently vomiting. I genuinely felt like I wasn't going to make it through that without medical attention. Now to compound the issue, this was during the blizzard of 2013 here in New England. There was a driving ban. Not fun. Needless to say, I still got the care I needed, and I am here today still to talk about it and have zero aftermath from it. I can also say I have not owned nor put my hands in a tank containing palythoas ever since.

EDIT: Goniopora are dangerous? So I shouldn't be moving my gold ball sized frag around with bare hands? -_- Oh jeez... I didn't know. What is toxic about it?

EDIT EDIT: I just read into it and it looks as though they are generally only toxic when there are more than one goniopora kept near another and they then release a bio-chemical to attack the other which in itself is toxic and MAY kill corals and fish. I'm no longer concerned. This might explain why my red one doubled in size while my neon green/yellow one slowly perished.

Still means its in them or they can produce it, heads up. Hear they have enough toxin to kill a human.

 

[Phinfan]

Stich you got sick from Palys and you still don't wear gloves?

 

[Bobbofin]

Got sick from Palys about 6 or 7 years ago. Fragged some then put the frags back in the tank. Went to do a water change and swallowed some water while siphoning into a bucket. Mouth felt numb and metal taste. The next two weeks were hell. If I rested at home I'd feel fine. If I went to work and exerted myself I would start to sweat and feel a little light headed. I went to the doctor. He had to look up palytoxin himself. I was told that there is no cure, drink plenty of water, rest and it will go away. I missed four days of work over two weeks and my body finally flushed it out in 2-3 weeks and I was symptom free.

 

[jokersplayground]

I had palytoxin a couple years ago also. I had just picked up a frag of aog palies and was getting ready to place it in the tank when it squirted onto my lip. I wiped it off and didn't think of it(I didn't know about paly toxin then). that night I went to work and I started to get a really bad neck pain along with server stomach and throat pain. I shrugged it off for the next few days and my temp kept rising higher and higher. my temp rose to 106.5 and I was shaking uncontrollably my mother brought me to my docs and he could not figure out what was wrong with me and he quarantined me in a room till a ambulance can bring me to the ER. they put me in a tub thing (from what I could tell as I wasn't really on this planet to much while this was going on) full of ice. they placed me in a room that was cut off from everything else cuz they could not figure out what I had. they had specialist after specialist come look at me. the also was coming into the room every 30min to draw blood from me( they was sticking me will new needles every time). I was there for 2 weeks with high fevers, shaking, not eating or drinking, they had my on sleeping meds(through iv) so I was out for most of it, I also had to wear adult diapers cuz I had no control. they finally figured it out because my mother did so research on some of the stuff we keep in our tanks and she came across the paly toxin. she told the docs and they did there research which led them to start flushing me hard with fluids and trying to keep me cool. once I broke the fever they released me to go home. ever sense then I will not look at palys or zoos up close. that is my story of paly toxin I hope it helps all of you guys too

 

[Bobbofin]

Wow Joker, I had it mild compared to you. I had all of the above too; fever, sweats, body aches, etc, etc. Never want to experience that again. I gave up fragging palys and zoas but still frag LPS and SPS.

 

[jokersplayground]

i never want to experience it again. for the longest time before my mom suggested paly toxin the docs was telling my mom i had a 15-20% chance of living. that was only cuz they could not figure out what was going on and could not keep my temp from rising to 106 degrees. i feel lucky to make it out of it. but i will never leave this hobby i just had to learn the hard way lol

 

[Jr22121]

I would never banish a coral from my tank due to it being poisonous. most of the corals you own are toxic/poisonous in some way. critters such as the blue ring on the other hand are moving unpredictable animals where the risk is not quite as easily mitigated compared to a stationary coral. RESPECT is key with everything in this hobby and that should not be forgotten when dealing with your tank inhabitants. With proper precautions there is no real reason to fear your corals in my opinion. BUT that is my, i will keep my zoos and palys

 

[ShelleyBoston]

I just read your experience with zoos, wow Im sorry to hear about what happened to you. I am setting up a new tank haven't had one in years and I was doing a little research on toxic corals to avoid, so zooas I will avoid for sure my question is are there any other corals that can be as deadly? or deadly for that matter? I am not concern about small toxicity I know all corals have a defense mechanism and I will take precautions when handling them like gloves, tongs, etc..just wondering what else to avoid other than zoos and palythoas ....
Thanks!

 

[Steviereefs]

Jeeze I'm up at this time in the morning because I woke up thirsty and I just had my hands in my tank working on it and I'm making home made juice for the thirst . I'm definitely going to wash my hands now !!! Crazy especially joker, good thing you have a mom that loves you buddy ,she saved your life . I'm washing my hands and probably my phone now too.

 

[jokersplayground]

Yes she did. I do love my mom.