Nuclear green and purple death are still sold and traded and are of the toxic variety...just prettier.
I bought someone else's system and it had the toxic brown ones in it I am still plucking off.
I agree though most are not toxic or at least not very toxic but they are still out there.
Both of those were tested in the fda testing. Although they did test for toxin the levels were not overly considered to be high. Granted it doesn’t take much and at what level is it an issue is a bigger question. The research didn’t really delve much into this as they mostly identified 2 spexies know to have high levels found a dna marker associated to that toxin and then looked for the dna marker in other varieties. So in theory a coral having the Dna markers has the ability to create toxins but doesn’t mean it does. This is my one issue with the research. It’s like saying a child tests positive for say a diabetes marker yet never develops it in life.
This is what strengthens my resolve on the issue as although a handful test positive for possibly making some level of toxin how many of those ones actually do. I don’t like grays and this is definitely a gray area.
I think ones time is better invested in being able to tell Zoanthids and polys apart as of those with possible markers are almost universally poly and not zoanthids. Of the ones specifically identified as highly toxic regularly both are pally and not zoanthids.
Last part I found interesting in the results is these issues were only found in “wild caught” species. As though generations of fragging had altered genetics for the plants as I’ll call them as they are mostly a plant really.. to not feel the need to have this defense any more.
All that said... I always wear gloves when doing any work inside a tank where I may be near corals, or when ever dealing with corals. Mostly for their protection to be honest as I don’t want something in my hands to hurt them.
If fragging you can add to that a cheap full face shield and glasses under that. If had enough pieces of you name it in my eyes of the years from other sources.. I really have no desire to be blind for something that was easily preventable.
I’ll end this by adding that not one documented case I can find has ever ended in perminant health issues or death. so is it a concern.. to some extent it is to the point of further educating ones self and taking simple precautions. Beyond that.. I see the entire thing as highly over hyped and yet somehow this issue pops up almost once a year and gets over hyped.