Fragging zoanthids

[Speg]

Exactly. This is why I say that you're not going to get sick or have a fever after playing with zoanthids..you're going to need serious medical attention.

Keep in mind that palytoxins are one of, if not the most dangerous toxins on the planet. They're supposedly studying them (and zoanthids) as a form of cancer treatment.

 

[NanoNano]

Do they have documentation that the zoanthids were at fault? Your first two friends who developed "serious infections" are more likely bacteria. You wouldn't develop an infection from palytoxins. and I'm not familiar at all with what "chemical conjunctivitis" is. What is it? :)

I almost responded this exact post. Agreed.

 

[emerald525]

Do they have documentation that the zoanthids were at fault? Your first two friends who developed "serious infections" are more likely bacteria. You wouldn't develop an infection from palytoxins. and I'm not familiar at all with what "chemical conjunctivitis" is. What is it? :)

Sorry about that Speg. Chemical conjunctivitis just means the white part of the eyes is inflamed and infected due to irritation from some type of chemical. In this case zoa juice LOL. It can be quite serious and I have seen people lose partial vision. It can be caused by many things and is just a reminder to use eye protection.

PROBABLY not due to palytoxin.


According to Wikipedia: Typical symptoms of palytoxin poisoning are angina-like chest pains, asthma-like breathing difficulties, tachycardia, unstable blood pressure, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), and an electrocardiogram showing an exaggerated T wave. The onset of symptoms is rapid, and death usually follows just minutes after.

I would agree it probably was not specifically palytoxin. Sorry in looking back that's what my thread was implying. I agree it was more likely the result of a bacterial infection as zoas and other corals are certainly covered with bacteria. That's the reason I recommend gloves not due to the rare risk of inhaling palytoxin as eye protection and masks really will not help protect against this.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Its an interesting argument to say the least, and like yourselves, in all the years I've been doing this I can't site a single "documented" case tied specifically to palytoxin. However, I could list more than a couple of dozen cases related to a chemical or bacterial infection that directly resulted from fragging zoanthids. That being the case, as Troylee said, why wouldn't you wear gloves and eye protection? Just because you don't think palytoxin is a "real" thread, doesn't mean you shouldn't wear protection. I'm sure that the number of surgeons that contract or pass AIDs or Hepetitis during surgery is also pretty minimal. Doesn't mean I want them messing around in my insides without a pair of gloves on.

 

[Speg]

I don't think that anybody would argue with wearing gloves just incase. It's always to be better safe than sorry. I think we're just trying to defuse the ALL ZOANTHIDS WILL KILL YOU FAST hype.

 

[Troylee]

never heard of dying but i have heard of people getting sick.... a good friend of mine got stung by a long tentacle plate coral and swelled his entire arm up and caused difficulty in breathing where he had to go to the er.... gloves are always a good thing to wear.... he has been digging in his tank for years and just got that frag and for what ever reason he has touched thousands of corals it got him!!! got him good lol....everyone is gonna have different reactions i think to each coral etc....

 

[FaviaFreak]

I have fragged a few zoas and plays in my day and have yet to ever get sick..just sayin.. dumb luck or coincidence??

but do the right thing and protect yourself

you don't wanna wind up looking like this fool--> :dribble:

 

[GeoHawk]

Thanks for all the replies. Its amazing how willing people are to help around here. Get off one day, and get on the next and there is loads of info and a friendly debate on your thread :bigsmile:. While I have fragged palys and zoas before using a hammer and screwdriver to break the rock I have never cut them off. I have a good razor blade and some goggles from a chemistry class that I will use. I don't have gloves so I will just wash my hands really well afterwords. I will be sure not to put any of the polyps in my mouth, or lick my hands afterwords, but maybe I could get the cat to :xd: j/k. Thanks for all the help!

 

[jascymcl]

got squirted once in an eye, washed it in an instance and still they eye swole up and itched for 2 days. other tha that i was allright.

 

[secretreefer]

a buddy of mines did get a squirt of paly juice in his eye while we were collecting. saw it happen and saw his reaction. major eye infection the next day and he had to go to the hospital. . so there is some truth to palyjuice being harmful. zoas HARMFUL YES, KILL NO.

 

[thewackyreefer]

a buddy of mines did get a squirt of paly juice in his eye while we were collecting. saw it happen and saw his reaction. major eye infection the next day and he had to go to the hospital. . so there is some truth to palyjuice being harmful. zoas HARMFUL YES, KILL NO.

Agreed, but in this case I would have to assume it was bacteria and not palytoxin.

 

[Gill Roy]

I have found easy success in removing palys from the donor rock or such like thus.
I get the tip of my pointed scalpel under the footing or mat of the polyp I want to remove and slowly work the edge of it.
Effectively peeling it away from the rock it is on. If the mat has more polyps connected than you want to mount at one time
simply trim it with small scissors for a more manageable size. Usually it takes a bit of grit or some rock particles up as well leaving a foundation for your glue to
adhere better.
Don't use tweezers on the body of the polyp. It will more than likely cause them to squirt or you could damage them from the "pinch".
I have very pointed tweezers and pick the polyp up by the edge of the foot where I "peeled" it off the rock it came from.
I also will use a dental pick, the needle pointed one to poke the edges into the glue so it will stay firmly as I bond the mount to the plug or disk.
Once you have it in place and want it to stay just dribble a bit of your tank water over the glue to get it to skin over and securely hold it till it cures fully.
Hope this helps some.
Good luck!

 

[Chorse Momma]

I have difficulty in keeping the freshly severed frag glued to the plug. I use GEL based super glue. How long can the zoa live out of water while fragging? I will be fragging up some of my yellow zoas. They seemingly grow and propagate like dandelions in the tank.

 

[btkrausen]

I just fragged out like 10-15 polyps from my Candy Red Apple colony using a simple razor blade. I didn't even take the colony out of the water. I used a little tupperware tub with an inch or two of water, put in the fragged polyps, and brought them to my work bench. Then, with gloves on, I glue individual polyps to rock rubble.

I have fragged many zoas in the past, and I did get quirt in the eye once. The outside of my eye got a little red for a few days to a week, but it didn't hurt, and didn't impair my vision during that time. Maybe lucky, who knows.

Good luck with the fragging. Its pretty easy, and my from experience, zoas are pretty hardly when being fragged.

 

[Seasonedreefer]

They are super easy to frag out. Use gloves and glasses. They like to squirt when they are cut open. Most of the have a toxic slime not all but most do. You can also dip them in iodine as this will help them heal clean and prevent infection also zoos heal super quick too! Good luck!