paly and zoo question

[stormy78]

Hey everyone-

I'm not new to salt but I'm starting up a 30 gal and I really love zoos and plays. My question is are they dangerous in the tank or only when you frag them? I've heard a lot about palytoxin and its no joke. Is there any danger doing water changes or touching tank water in general when they are in the tank? Any information would be helpful, I know they are popular to keep but I don't want to take any chances.

Thanks All

 

[MrX]

Wear gloves / eye protection if you're that worried about having them in the tank. Don't rub your eyes/mouth/etc. Wash up when done doing anything in the tank (smart idea regardless).

I think day-to-day you'd have more to worry about in regards to all the other bacteria and such in the water than the palytoxin.

Buy yourself a 'grabber' and use that whenever possible; best defense is keeping your hands out of the tank to begin with.

 

[stormy78]

73 views and only one opinion??? Come on people, what do ya think?

 

[frank180reef]

I think it is just when you cut a polyp

 

[Overlook reef]

There are a few members on here who have had a bad experience with paly toxin. One member I can think of is Richardinma. Search for his thread "night in the ER".

 

[sfb911]

MrX pretty much summed up anything I would have said perfectly. Take proper precautions and the risk can be managed. Gloves and eye protection when handling. Wash your hands immediately when finished. Not sure what else you're looking for...oh and stay away from button polyps (personal opinion, just seems like a lot of the 'horror' stories come from people trying to clean those up since they grow like weeds and getting into trouble.).

 

[jason401]

Also running them under hot water and or boiling rocks (with Pallys on them) can be bad as well.

 

[P-Nut]

Rules to follow with every coral:
1. Wear eye protection when fragging - ALWAYS!
2. Wash your hands a few times after fragging
3. Don't touch your eyes

I frag get palys inside a tank. The key is to frag a few at a time. For example, in a 40 breeder, I wouldn't frag more than 10 per week. If I want to frag more, I would just remove the rock. Palys will survive out of the water for a while.

 

[ro_nicu]

nems are dangerous as well, they have a toxin, same goes for acans, bubble coral and torch, some fishes have poisonous spines, worms might sting you as well, heck, salt water is not good for you either, it washes off the oils your skin secretes, .....

none of the things most of us keep in the aquarium present a danger in themselves by just being in the tank, its the way we handle things that makes them not so safe. Just know what you have in your tank, handle them accordingly and you will be fine; make sure you don't leave the tank under the supervision of a neighbor that will think "those colorful mushrooms must be tasty",...

All these issues we read about stem from not realizing what one has in his tank and not handling it accordingly. Unfortunately the consequences in such a case CAN be DIRE.