So i poisoned myself and my family with palytoxine last night. How do i get rid of the palys safely?
- Thread starter Krissu
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ThatOneGuy2121
New Member
This doesnt sound like paly toxin syndrome to me. There would be difficulty breathing, elevated heart rate and you would experience hot flashes from the toxins breaking down in your system. Also you didnt do anything that would spread the toxins to others in your home like boiling one or a colony. The toxin has to be a direct exposure like getting into a cut, your eyes, nose or mouth. When boiled it becomes airborne and can be breathed in effecting multiple people. The only way i see you poisoning the rest of your family is if you didnt wash your hands after handling said paly and then touched food or something along that line. I think this was something else like food poisoning or a stomach virus.
ThatOneGuy2121
New Member
This doesnt sound like paly toxin syndrome to me. There would be difficulty breathing, elevated heart rate and you would experience hot flashes from the toxins breaking down in your system. Also you didnt do anything that would spread the toxins to others in your home like boiling one or a colony. The toxin has to be a direct exposure like getting into a cut, your eyes, nose or mouth. When boiled it becomes airborne and can be breathed in effecting multiple people. The only way i see you poisoning the rest of your family is if you didnt wash your hands after handling said paly and then touched food or something along that line. I think this was something else like food poisoning or a stomach virus.
themcnertney
Valuable Member
Here is my experience...
"I have recently (past year) have had palys take of my 220 mixed reef. Recently I have been transferring rock to rid the dangerous coral out of my tank. A friend of mine and myself have had a total of 4 different transfers that have all gotten me sick after working on the tank. Of these 4 times, I have experienced muscle soreness and spasms, fever, chills, sweats, sleeplessness, and on two occasions, vomiting. Since most palys have been removed, I have not had an issue. I will keep up with this to make sure they don't spread like before. This situation doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing or don't know what is in my tank. This is just part of the territory that comes with this hobby. I will use this as a learning experience and next time I work on my tank, I will address safety first to assure this wont be an issue in the future and to teach others."
I since haven't had an issue. Problem is some of the coral are making a come back so I will have to address the issue.
"I have recently (past year) have had palys take of my 220 mixed reef. Recently I have been transferring rock to rid the dangerous coral out of my tank. A friend of mine and myself have had a total of 4 different transfers that have all gotten me sick after working on the tank. Of these 4 times, I have experienced muscle soreness and spasms, fever, chills, sweats, sleeplessness, and on two occasions, vomiting. Since most palys have been removed, I have not had an issue. I will keep up with this to make sure they don't spread like before. This situation doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing or don't know what is in my tank. This is just part of the territory that comes with this hobby. I will use this as a learning experience and next time I work on my tank, I will address safety first to assure this wont be an issue in the future and to teach others."
I since haven't had an issue. Problem is some of the coral are making a come back so I will have to address the issue.
JCTReefer
Valuable Member
I love all the beautiful palys and zoas. But, having kids I don't buy them. Not worth it to me. Chances are next to nothing anything would ever come about. If your responsible when handling them that is. But sometimes thats not enough. And which ones are lethal? Well that's the question. There's no hand book on them. Some more so than others I've read. Some not so much. Hell, who knows.. I don't. Yes, yes, I've read lots of articles on palytoxin and the likely species to contain it.
Oh, I so want some bam bams, sunny Ds, Rasta s, fruit loops, and the list goes on.
Oh, I so want some bam bams, sunny Ds, Rasta s, fruit loops, and the list goes on.
Last edited:
playapixie
Community Member
Every time there is a palytoxin poisoning thread I’m always floored by the non-believers. It seems to me there are two types of reefers:
1) I’ve had it, it was awful, it’s real!
2) I haven’t had it (yet) so it must not be real!
OK there’s probably a 3rd type too:
3) Science says it’s real, there is ample evidence that it’s real, so I believe it’s real even though I have not personally experienced it.
The type 3’s might be a myth, as it seems like most people only believe in what they’ve personally experienced.
*eyeroll*
1) I’ve had it, it was awful, it’s real!
2) I haven’t had it (yet) so it must not be real!
OK there’s probably a 3rd type too:
3) Science says it’s real, there is ample evidence that it’s real, so I believe it’s real even though I have not personally experienced it.
The type 3’s might be a myth, as it seems like most people only believe in what they’ve personally experienced.
*eyeroll*
Fourthwind
Community Member
Absolutely correct. No boiling is necessary. With my family's run in with palytoxin is was simple as having a protein skimmer microbubble a tank that had toxin in it from some rock I should have bleached first. As a side note I would recommend ozone generators to kill all the toxin in the house. Must remove all pets and plants first. Tanks will be fine.
Can see them in the right side lower corner there. I know for sure have better pictures somewhere but... Sigh
reefer505
Community Member
The ones in the picture are the ones that produce the toxins but 1 on a pump is highly doubtful. If you had been messing with the rock covered in palys and had cuts then I can see it or if you had a very powerful pump hitting that entire rock in a bucket then yes
cracker
5000 Club Member
Please Sir show us a pic . It doesn't have to be perfect ! Very important we see what the color was. I personally have a rock overgrown with a dull green& yellow center that I want to get off this rock .
Stigigemla
Well-Known Member
The Palytoxin works different if You breath it or if You have contact with your skin (hands).
The first Palytoxin poisoning I had was contact and resulted in high fewer. I went to bed early because I was feeling sick. After 2 hours I woke up feeling a little better and stretched out arms and legs a few minutes. (they were bent first from the fewer) and took the temperature with a mouth thermometer. It showed 104,5 degrees. I felt better so I went to bed. In the morning I only had 100,0 so I went to work. In the afternoon everything was OK but the temperatur was a little bit on the low side - I believe it was 97,5. (Old fashioned thermometer so it is true)
The second Palytoxin poisoning was just bad luck. Using long gloves and protective glasses i felt like a drop on my forehead when I was taking out Palythoa. Took of gloves and glasses and went to wash my face. First I cleaned the hands and then the face. But I used the same towel and i believe i got poison in my eye that way. So I have reduced eyesight on my good eye now.
Bit funny at the hospital. The first doctor said I am pretty shore but I let my boss look at it. He came, looked at my eye and said thats interesting and called in 2 doctors more. I felt like being by doctor House on TV. The big difference was that they all agreed at the end. After a few months the eye stabilized so I could get try out new glasses.
The third time I again thought I did everything the right way but after a few hours the legs started itching. Took down the jeans and saw a big swollen spot on both legs of about 4 x 8 inches.
The jeans looked totally normal and dry but I must have had a drop or two on each leg. Went to hospital for a check. The pulse was 125 after being calm 2 hours of waiting. The first person didnt believe me but when he saw the legs it was clear that it had to be checked. I told the specialist about Palytoxin and he went away to read about it. After 4 hours with pulse monitor the pulse was sinking and and I went home.
A friend I have scrubbed live rock and got it in the lungs. 4 days at hospital (the first with breathing support) and 3 for his vife that was in another room. Today after 4 years he is not totally Ok in the lungs.
And it is true that not all Palythoa has the poison but on another hand: Nobody can tell for sure which are safe and which not. So be careful.
The first Palytoxin poisoning I had was contact and resulted in high fewer. I went to bed early because I was feeling sick. After 2 hours I woke up feeling a little better and stretched out arms and legs a few minutes. (they were bent first from the fewer) and took the temperature with a mouth thermometer. It showed 104,5 degrees. I felt better so I went to bed. In the morning I only had 100,0 so I went to work. In the afternoon everything was OK but the temperatur was a little bit on the low side - I believe it was 97,5. (Old fashioned thermometer so it is true)
The second Palytoxin poisoning was just bad luck. Using long gloves and protective glasses i felt like a drop on my forehead when I was taking out Palythoa. Took of gloves and glasses and went to wash my face. First I cleaned the hands and then the face. But I used the same towel and i believe i got poison in my eye that way. So I have reduced eyesight on my good eye now.
Bit funny at the hospital. The first doctor said I am pretty shore but I let my boss look at it. He came, looked at my eye and said thats interesting and called in 2 doctors more. I felt like being by doctor House on TV. The big difference was that they all agreed at the end. After a few months the eye stabilized so I could get try out new glasses.
The third time I again thought I did everything the right way but after a few hours the legs started itching. Took down the jeans and saw a big swollen spot on both legs of about 4 x 8 inches.
The jeans looked totally normal and dry but I must have had a drop or two on each leg. Went to hospital for a check. The pulse was 125 after being calm 2 hours of waiting. The first person didnt believe me but when he saw the legs it was clear that it had to be checked. I told the specialist about Palytoxin and he went away to read about it. After 4 hours with pulse monitor the pulse was sinking and and I went home.
A friend I have scrubbed live rock and got it in the lungs. 4 days at hospital (the first with breathing support) and 3 for his vife that was in another room. Today after 4 years he is not totally Ok in the lungs.
And it is true that not all Palythoa has the poison but on another hand: Nobody can tell for sure which are safe and which not. So be careful.
Melevs reef has a good video on palytoxin on youtube . Check it out for more information. Ive never been a big zoa or paly collector so i just keep em out of my 3 tanks . Only Sps and Lps for me these days. To me its not worth the uncertainty . Just my opinion i know people that handle em all day amd frag em and hav no problems...also know people who have gotten it in their eyes and on their hands and have gotten really sick. Good luck to u and ur family and i hope u all feel better.
Pola0502ds
Zoa Addict
I think the ones everyone needs to stay away from unless you know exactly what you are doing is protopalys, your grandis palys, green implosions, red deaths, purple deaths, anything in that family. Once you have been doing it for a while you will recognize them right away. These types produce a slim when they are disturbed and it is my belief that this is where the toxin lives.
Ulee
Active Member
To the O.P. glad u and your siblings are doing well. The best thing you can do in your coral tank is run carbon.
According to an article in coral magazine , different universities studies show the genus palythoa as having a bacteria that hosts the palytoxin itself. It's not just one type of palythoa, but all..zoas as well.
Knowledge is power, I feel safer being well informed on the subject. Again, having carbon handy is key, using gloves, eye protection, and gloves and even a mask since I frag zoas and palys
According to an article in coral magazine , different universities studies show the genus palythoa as having a bacteria that hosts the palytoxin itself. It's not just one type of palythoa, but all..zoas as well.
Knowledge is power, I feel safer being well informed on the subject. Again, having carbon handy is key, using gloves, eye protection, and gloves and even a mask since I frag zoas and palys
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Im sorry didnt see the part about the paly on the powerhead - but it still may not be the issue
. In any case - to answer your question: The toxin is inactivated by a concentrated bleach solution according to this article. (and high temp - very high)https://www.uab.cat/doc/toxin_deactivation
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