Worried about Palytoxins

[Tamale]

Well after an ER visit, family of four here, I can tell you personally do not underestimate these things. Case in point those nuclear greens in the picture. For a while I was not sure I was going to make it. I am not sure the cat is going to actually make it. This happened just last night.

I was the worst one, likely because my head was over them for a few seconds. While in the ER everyone else started showing similar but not always the same symptom. I would say we were in the ER around 6 hours.

I read past post on here about "unverified reports", or people squirting **** in their eye. I can tell you first hand that these little jerks were baking on frag plugs in the sun for a month and looked like dead leaves on those white plugs. After hitting water for a few hours in a bucket, even people 4-5 rooms away in a large house were in the emergency room. If anyone doubts this I will be sure to scan the hospital reports in and show them what is going to be a massive bill

Sorry to hear about the family getting so sick!! Did they come back with any toxicology reports yet? I’ve never heard of it going airborne/gaseous. It saying it didn’t of course!

 

[Snoopdog]

Sorry to hear about the family getting so sick!! Did they come back with any toxicology reports yet? I’ve never heard of it going airborne/gaseous. It saying it didn’t of course!

I know they spun my blood but they did not say anything before I left. The doctor seemed to say this was from inhaling. Just now I read this, may be of some use.

A Case of Palytoxin Poisoning in a Home Aquarium Enthusiast and His Family

Inhalational exposure to palytoxin is an extremely rare cause of respiratory distress. This little-known marine toxin has the potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Toxicity has been best documented in cases of ingestion but has also been seen in cases of dermal exposure and...

www.hindawi.com

 

[Chrisv.]

Well after an ER visit, family of four here, I can tell you personally do not underestimate these things. Case in point those nuclear greens in the picture. For a while I was not sure I was going to make it. I am not sure the cat is going to actually make it. This happened just last night.

I was the worst one, likely because my head was over them for a few seconds. While in the ER everyone else started showing similar but not always the same symptom. I would say we were in the ER around 6 hours.

I read past post on here about "unverified reports", or people squirting **** in their eye. I can tell you first hand that these little jerks were baking on frag plugs in the sun for a month and looked like dead leaves on those white plugs. After hitting water for a few hours in a bucket, even people 4-5 rooms away in a large house were in the emergency room. If anyone doubts this I will be sure to scan the hospital reports in and show them what is going to be a massive bill

Well this is terrifying. I hope everyone is okay.
Can you please clarify the details of the exposure? From your post, it sounds like you had palys on frag plugs that were left outside to dry and die, and then to reuse the plugs you brought them in and put them into a bucket of water. Was there any heating or surface agitation?

 

[Snoopdog]

Well this is terrifying. I hope everyone is okay.
Can you please clarify the details of the exposure? From your post, it sounds like you had palys on frag plugs that were left outside to dry and die, and then to reuse the plugs you brought them in and put them into a bucket of water. Was there any heating or surface agitation?

Not just water, vinegar also. Yes there was a pump churning it. I mean it is something I have done time and time again on rock, you think nothing of it. I mean I have had rock that dried out in a box and would not think twice about putting it back into water. Well this is a very cautionary tell from now on.

 

[pap2]

Well it is 6:50am here, it was a rough night. Our cat is not doing well but we are talking to our vet currently and I think she will be okay. For us humans we all feel like we were hit by a truck. Yes these are not to be messed with without putting lots of those into it. When fragging I had been wearing an n95 and hospital gloves but I really looked at these that had been dried outside in the southern heat as no longer a threat, I miscalculated. The nuclear greens are automatically going in a double tied bag in the garbage tomorrow, carefully.

bleach them first so no else gets sick

 

[Snoopdog]

bleach them first so no else gets sick

Well at this point, they are getting bagged multiple times and destroyed. I am treating those like they are cursed.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I have the zoas you posted on pic #2, I’ve fragged a bunch of times and nothing so far, do you kno if they contain paly toxin or is it a guess? Maybe I should start wearing gloves

 

[Chrisv.]

I have the zoas you posted on pic #2, I’ve fragged a bunch of times and nothing so far, do you kno if they contain paly toxin or is it a guess? Maybe I should start wearing gloves

The green ones in the bottom left of your photo look like "nuclear green" palys. If so, yeah, you specifically want to be careful with those.

Treat all zoas and palys like they could do you harm and avoid a problem...

 

[Snoopdog]

I have the zoas you posted on pic #2, I’ve fragged a bunch of times and nothing so far, do you kno if they contain paly toxin or is it a guess? Maybe I should start wearing gloves

The bottom left are the nuclear greens I had, the ones that were dried out for a month on the porch. Those are the ones that gave us a nice trip to the emergency room. Yep, tread carefully.

And yes, I had fragged them many times before with no problem. Likely 20-40 times. It is just that one time you do something wrong that is a problem. Hell these things were ash or it looked like.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Here’s a close up, they don’t look exactly like the nuclear green palys but I guess I’ll be careful with them

 

[Snoopdog]

Here’s a close up, they don’t look exactly like the nuclear green palys but I guess I’ll be careful with them

That top picture is absolutely them, no question about it.

 

[dvgyfresh]

That top picture is absolutely them, no question about it.

Well looks like I’m gonna get some store credit lol , just need to get nem off rock

 

[Snoopdog]

Well looks like I’m gonna get some store credit lol , just need to get nem off rock

A few things you will notice about nuclear greens. They will live under almost under any light condition, they also spread at a rate that would make Xenia proud. They also slime over while handling way more than a zoa or other paly will.

 

[dvgyfresh]

A few things you will notice about nuclear greens. They will live under almost under any light condition, they also spread at a rate that would make Xenia proud. They also slime over while handling way more than a zoa or other paly will.

Sorry about what happened man it’s horrible , definitely getting rid of these slowly

 

[Chrisv.]

Sorry about what happened man it’s horrible , definitely getting rid of these slowly

Might even consider just bringing the whole rock to your lfs and getting whatever credit you can get.

 

[Snoopdog]

Sorry about what happened man it’s horrible , definitely getting rid of these slowly

It happens. Just learn from it, pay the deductibles and insane copays, move on. I can always make more money, just need to be alive to do it.

 

[Elliott ll]

Guy down the street from me actually died last year from Palytoxins. Pretty wild. I just learned these were toxic. Nuclear Green Palythoas are the first corals I ever fragged. I used my barehand and never had an ill effects. I'm counting myself lucky and will use gloves and a mask from now on when handling any Palythoas.

Heartland man tragically dies of apparent palytoxin poisoning hours after cleaning aquarium

HEARTLAND, Texas — A Heartland man tragically died of apparent palytoxin poisoning hours after cleaning his household saltwater aquatic tank.

www.inforney.com

 

[WhySoSeriousDory]

 

[SBerry]

Hi all, bumping this thread to try to get some advice on the zoas in my tank. I work in the science department of a school with a few large aquariums, one of which is a reef tank. These get professionally maintained so I have minimal knowledge of the corals and don't do any serious maintenance like fragging or cleaning inside the tank itself.
We have quite a few bunches of zoa as per the picture below, and was wondering if this was a concern? The kids certainly aren't putting their hand in the tank (I mean it's possible, their kids, but unlikely). Anything else to be thinking about with these in the tank?
Thank you!

 

[Spare time]

I wouldn't worry. The issue is more if they are being ripped up.