Help needed

[Steve rowland]

Newbie question
My reverse space monsters have gone wild !! Need advice on removing please and how toxic are they ? Can they just be plucked from the rock or should I remove the whole rock ?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Big G]

Welcome to R2R, Steve. Let's get some advice for you #Reefsquad

 

[Ron Reefman]

Welcome to R2R Steve.

I assume reverse space monsters are zoas? I'd pull the rock and put it in suitable size container with enough saltwater to cover it. Then you can work on them and not contaminate the display tank. You should be able pick them off. I use a small knife that I have squared off the tip to have a flat that looks like a small screw driver. It gets under the attachment point fairly well.

Be VERY careful, in fact, wear safety glasses while you work and keep a clean wet washcloth close at hand. When you put down your tools for any reason, the first thing you want to do is to wipe your hands. Some people are extremely reactive to the toxins and some (like me) don't seem to be much affected. But I have a friend who was working with zoas and then rubbed his eye and he had very serious issues with that eye for over 6 months! I became swollen and it looked like somebody had punched him right in the eye. It stayed that way for weeks! So please be careful.

 

[Mikedawg]

+1 and I'd wear gloves just to be extra cautious

 

[rkpetersen]

Also, don't do it if you have any unhealed cuts or other injuries on your hands.
Not just because of increased risk of palytoxin getting into your bloodstream, but also hard-to-treat microbes like Vibrio and Mycobacterium marinum.