zoa and Palytoxin Poisoning

[Reef257]

Hi all
Hope everyone doing good.
I'm Beginner reef . I have this huge question about zoa and Palytoxin Poisoning.

I have 120 gallon tank.
I recent got some zoa from a fellow reefer.

It was a huge rock.i think there were few green algae bit were present . After adding it the next day I noticed .few bit of zoa floating around the bottom of the tank.

Seems like my tang gang few after the algae.
Do you this that the zoa which the tang RIP off from the rock can cause aytoxin.

I could see quite of lot of pieces Of small zoa in the bottom of the tank.

I use red sea reef spc carbon. Do you think the carbon will help fight the toxins

 

[Jamesrup0411]

You and your tank will be ok

 

[Pistondog]

Hi all
Hope everyone doing good.
I'm Beginner reef . I have this huge question about zoa and Palytoxin Poisoning.

I have 120 gallon tank.
I recent got some zoa from a fellow reefer.

It was a huge rock.i think there were few green algae bit were present . After adding it the next day I noticed .few bit of zoa floating around the bottom of the tank.

Seems like my tang gang few after the algae.
Do you this that the zoa which the tang RIP off from the rock can cause aytoxin.

I could see quite of lot of pieces Of small zoa in the bottom of the tank.

I use red sea reef spc carbon. Do you think the carbon will help fight the toxins

Follow good practice when touching Zoas or Palys, always wash your hands after, no open cuts, preferably wear nitrile gloves. If working aggressively with them, ie fragging wear safety glasses and gloves. Not all have palytoxin, but we should assume they do unless you know better.
Something to be aware of, not fear.
I don't think the fish are at risk.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Far as I’m aware it won’t hurt your fish. It will jack your world up though if you get it in a cut or for some unfathomable reason were to eat some of them. Carbon will take care of the toxin (if there is any) in the water. I frag mine all the time and put them right back in the display. No problems with anything yet and I’ve got sensitive LPS coral all over.

Just FYI the only ones people usually warn you about are the paly grandis, nuclear green palys, and the super ugly brown death looming wild zoa that some pet stores keep for whatever reason. @footgal can tell you more. She’s the resident zoa expert around here.

EDIT: If you’ve got while polyps floating around be aware that they may end up attaching themselves to a rock if they land just right and you may have a whole new colony. My fire and ice did that. You can see the main colony in the back, one of my dumb dumb crabs tore a chunk of polyps off and it landed on that rock with my dragons eyes. Well, they attached and now I have the makings of a garden.

 

[footgal]

Far as I’m aware it won’t hurt your fish. It will jack your world up though if you get it in a cut or for some unfathomable reason were to eat some of them. Carbon will take care of the toxin (if there is any) in the water. I frag mine all the time and put them right back in the display. No problems with anything yet and I’ve got sensitive LPS coral all over.

Just FYI the only ones people usually warn you about are the paly grandis, nuclear green palys, and the super ugly brown death looming wild zoa that some pet stores keep for whatever reason. @footgal can tell you more. She’s the resident zoa expert around here.

EDIT: If you’ve got while polyps floating around be aware that they may end up attaching themselves to a rock if they land just right and you may have a whole new colony. My fire and ice did that. You can see the main colony in the back, one of my dumb dumb crabs tore a chunk of polyps off and it landed on that rock with my dragons eyes. Well, they attached and now I have the makings of a garden.

Resident zoa expert?? I’m flattered!

Remove the zoas that got ripped off and you can do a hydrogen peroxide dip (1:1 H2O2:tank water for 1-2 minutes) to kill the algae so the tangs aren’t tempted to mess with it anymore. You can keep running carbon just for safety but it probably isn’t necessary. The only way palytoxin will have any effect on a tank that big would be if you essentially just started hacking at a rock with 100+ zoas on it and slicing all the polyps in half.

Your tank and fish will all be fine. Your tank is so big that any toxin the zoas did release will be so diluted that nothing bad will happen. 5 or even 20 zoas being damaged by your tangs won’t have any effects so don’t worry, the only reason I’m telling you to remove the ripped off polyps is so your fish don’t eat it and so they can’t re-attach on the ground somewhere and start new colonies you didn’t ask for.

Make sure you don’t eat the zoas, get any zoa juice in a cut, or rub your eyes with zoa juice. Assuming you’re not allergic to the stuff, your worst symptom will probably be burning, itching, numbness, amd a headache for up to a day if you were to inhale a small amount of the poison. Always frag zoas in a ventilated area (bathroom with the fan on, a room with a fan, open a window, do it outside, etc. Just get some air flow) and protect your eyes. I prefer to not use gloves but I do if I have any wounds on my hands because palytoxin STINGS and itches for about a day if it gets into an open wound. Always wash your hands for at least 30 seconds with lots of soap and hot water after messing with zoas/palys even if you used gloves. It’s pretty simple, just act like you cut up jalapeños or something like that- the burning is about the same.

also, and I don’t think you’re gonna do this, NEVER boil a rock to get rid of zoas. This causes the palytoxin to become airborne (it evaporates in the steam) and you will breathe in large amounts which can cause death. This is one of the only ways to get seriously injured by zoas, if you’re not allergic so don’t do it!

 

[FreshwaterConvert]

Resident zoa expert?? I’m flattered!

Remove the zoas that got ripped off and you can do a hydrogen peroxide dip (1:1 H2O2:tank water for 1-2 minutes) to kill the algae so the tangs aren’t tempted to mess with it anymore. You can keep running carbon just for safety but it probably isn’t necessary. The only way palytoxin will have any effect on a tank that big would be if you essentially just started hacking at a rock with 100+ zoas on it and slicing all the polyps in half.

Your tank and fish will all be fine. Your tank is so big that any toxin the zoas did release will be so diluted that nothing bad will happen. 5 or even 20 zoas being damaged by your tangs won’t have any effects so don’t worry, the only reason I’m telling you to remove the ripped off polyps is so your fish don’t eat it and so they can’t re-attach on the ground somewhere and start new colonies you didn’t ask for.

Make sure you don’t eat the zoas, get any zoa juice in a cut, or rub your eyes with zoa juice. Assuming you’re not allergic to the stuff, your worst symptom will probably be burning, itching, numbness, amd a headache for up to a day if you were to inhale a small amount of the poison. Always frag zoas in a ventilated area (bathroom with the fan on, a room with a fan, open a window, do it outside, etc. Just get some air flow) and protect your eyes. I prefer to not use gloves but I do if I have any wounds on my hands because palytoxin STINGS and itches for about a day if it gets into an open wound. Always wash your hands for at least 30 seconds with lots of soap and hot water after messing with zoas/palys even if you used gloves. It’s pretty simple, just act like you cut up jalapeños or something like that- the burning is about the same.

also, and I don’t think you’re gonna do this, NEVER boil a rock to get rid of zoas. This causes the palytoxin to become airborne (it evaporates in the steam) and you will breathe in large amounts which can cause death. This is one of the only ways to get seriously injured by zoas, if you’re not allergic so don’t do it!

Is there anything I could do to ease the symptoms. I got some zoas today for the first time ever, I dipped them for 5 minutes in coral RX wearing nitrile gloves, a KN95 mask with another mask on top, and lab goggles. The package said to swish them so I did with a lid on the bucket. I had a window cracked but didn't turn my fan on. It's been a few hours, i've had on and off mild itching on my arm (i have a few cuts but I didn't get my arm wet), my chest feels a bit tight, my breathing heavy, and I'm a bit dizzy. Am I psyching myslef out? or do I have palytoxin? and how worried should I be?

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Is there anything I could do to ease the symptoms. I got some zoas today for the first time ever, I dipped them for 5 minutes in coral RX wearing nitrile gloves, a KN95 mask with another mask on top, and lab goggles. The package said to swish them so I did with a lid on the bucket. I had a window cracked but didn't turn my fan on. It's been a few hours, i've had on and off mild itching on my arm (i have a few cuts but I didn't get my arm wet), my chest feels a bit tight, my breathing heavy, and I'm a bit dizzy. Am I psyching myslef out? or do I have palytoxin? and how worried should I be?

I wouldn’t be too worried if I were you. My hands stay tore up from work and because no one in my immediate family or in-laws family knows how to do any electrical wiring or plumbing. Anyhow, since I’m always cut up I’ve had bad reactions to fragging some palys a few times. Now these weren’t nice pretty zoa or palys. They were in my first tank and my first coral and were the narly, ugly, look like they’re made of tree-bark wild type palys. I got a stupid savage migraine, could barely breathe, and if I stood up I was so woozy I went straight back down. My hands are still cut to pieces ans I’ve been fragging Mt big colorful zoa every other day for about two weeks to sell some frags. I wear nitrile gloves but no mask, ans no glasses except eye glasses. I haven’t had a single reaction. Unless you’re fragging big uglies like these with no protection I think you’re ok. That being said, if you’re feeling bad go to the hospital. Could be completely unrelated to the zoa but still an emergency.

edit: Second pic is of palythoa grandis. I actually have some of these but they’re white. These are desirable and commonly sold but also contain lots of palytoxin. If you ever frag these dudes wear protection.

 

[FreshwaterConvert]

I wouldn’t be too worried if I were you. My hands stay tore up from work and because no one in my immediate family or in-laws family knows how to do any electrical wiring or plumbing. Anyhow, since I’m always cut up I’ve had bad reactions to fragging some palys a few times. Now these weren’t nice pretty zoa or palys. They were in my first tank and my first coral and were the narly, ugly, look like they’re made of tree-bark wild type palys. I got a stupid savage migraine, could barely breathe, and if I stood up I was so woozy I went straight back down. My hands are still cut to pieces ans I’ve been fragging Mt big colorful zoa every other day for about two weeks to sell some frags. I wear nitrile gloves but no mask, ans no glasses except eye glasses. I haven’t had a single reaction. Unless you’re fragging big uglies like these with no protection I think you’re ok. That being said, if you’re feeling bad go to the hospital. Could be completely unrelated to the zoa but still an emergency.

edit: Second pic is of palythoa grandis. I actually have some of these but they’re white. These are desirable and commonly sold but also contain lots of palytoxin. If you ever frag these dudes wear protection.

Thank you for the reassurance.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Thank you for the reassurance.

Anytime. By the way the polyp that came off may attach itself to the rock where you set it if nothing messes with it. I’ve had several colonies just up and decide to push the eject button then take root on a rock somewhere else.