Who touches what? Who avoids what?

[Vapour1ze]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

Here is a 12 hour span after a tangle with a sea urchin. One bristle pierced the skin between two fingers.
Drs said I came close to losing my hand and forearm

That looks crazy! Blood poisoning looking like its beginning with the red line yes?

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by Vapour1ze

That looks crazy! Blood poisoning looking like its beginning with the red line yes?

It was cellulitis . I was under the impression that I was on life time tetanus.. This is not so.
This should be a requirement of this hobby... Keep your tetanus shots up to date

[kybreos]

I was fragging zoa's once and I was wearing gloves but no eye protection. Guess what... Got squirt in the eye but I had the sense to rush to the sink to flush it. I still ended up with a bloodshot eye for about 3 weeks. Luckily I had no other symptoms.

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by kybreos

I was fragging zoa's once and I was wearing gloves but no eye protection. Guess what... Got squirt in the eye but I had the sense to rush to the sink to flush it. I still ended up with a bloodshot eye for about 3 weeks. Luckily I had no other symptoms.

More than once my glasses have prevented that

[fishhuman]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Hospitals and doctors absolutely know how to deal with it. Laying in the ER for 18 hours while the doctor talked to poison control is my experience. Researching the toxin for the next 2 years as I dealt with the longer lasting effects of my poisoning are also part of my experience. Wouldn't call myself an "expert" on it but I did wake up in a puddle of vomit and feces with just enough energy to call 911.

Allergies have nothing to do with neurotoxins and given you think they do clearly shows you don't know much about the subject. I'm no expert but I lived through it.

Well gosh, now I'm scared to go a foot near my tank. I am interested in the symptoms of a poly toxin like this, if you don't mind me asking what were the symptoms you had to deal with. The whole experience sounds terrible

[fishhuman]

I had a longspine urchin sting me a while back. I was foolish enough to think that their spines just hugged you like coldwater urchins. Took my fingers out of the water and I had five spines in them, didn't even feel it though. My finger tips were purple for the next couple days though.

[ReefCurrent2015]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Sensitivity has nothing to do with it. Not all palys have it, that simple. A gram of the stuff will kill 80 people. For perspective... that is ~80x stronger than the most venomous snake on the planet. Better to stick to facts then spread misinformation. Your experience is typical of reefers that are not exposed to the toxin.

True that.

The most common mistake I see is people who are noobs, and have a pest problem. Then they get the bright idea to "BOIL" their LR. Very Very bad idea. The "STEAM" can get you and your upstairs neighbors. This includes babies and dogs as well. When drilling LR, People have experienced zoo toxin like symptoms. Don't put your rock in the oven either. Always wear gloves. If you need to kill pests. Let the rock dry out in the sun OR soak the rock in bleach or vinager.


Wear gloves and EYE PROTECTION when fragging zoo/plays or any coral for that matter. It's just a safe practice.

OHH, HAPPY REEFING.

[ReefCurrent2015]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

More than once my glasses have prevented that

One guy nearly lost his eye here. Can anybody find that pic.

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by ReefCurrent2015

One guy nearly lost his eye here. Can anybody find that pic.

Here you go

[Vapour1ze]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

Here you go

[jay13]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

It was cellulitis . I was under the impression that I was on life time tetanus.. This is not so.
This should be a requirement of this hobby... Keep your tetanus shots up to date

Fyi cellulitis has nothing to do with tetanus. But yes, keep your shots up to date. Hurt didn't it? I had it on my hand and forearm from smacking it on an engine block and making one tiny little puncture. Pays to work in an ER. Antibiotics stat!

[Buzz1329]

10 or 50 threads ago, on this issue, I expressed skepticism about paly poisoning. After reading this and so many other hair-raising threads, I'm wondering why palys continue to be sold. If a reasonable mfr/distributor learns that a product has potentially life-threatening risks, the seller will stop selling it because, putting aside moral/ethical issues, the product liability litigation that will ensue will make it impossible to profit from the sales of the product and will threaten the continuing existence of the seller. So why are the major (and minor) coral retailers continuing to sell this stuff?

Mike

[jay13]

Originally Posted by Buzz1329

10 or 50 threads ago, on this issue, I expressed skepticism about paly poisoning. After reading this and so many other hair-raising threads, I'm wondering why palys continue to be sold. If a reasonable mfr/distributor learns that a product has potentially life-threatening risks, the seller will stop selling it because, putting aside moral/ethical issues, the product liability litigation that will ensue will make it impossible to profit from the sales of the product and will threaten the continuing existence of the seller. So why are the major (and minor) coral retailers continuing to sell this stuff?

Mike

usually, or should i say always, the problem is when some hobbyist decides to take a razor to them or blend them up or do some other weird thing to them in order to grow more faster and make money. retailers are pretty clear of liability at this point.

[Bryopsis]

+1 to wearing shoulder length gloves

Other than toxins as others mention, remember any random splash of a random chemical or odd thing on your skin could lead to problems in the tank.

I've always had puffers in my tanks, so if my significant other isn't around, I would rather not reach in to find my puffer torn up somehow and lay there next to the tank, with my last thoughts of, "where did I put those darn gloves".

[zoomonster]

Originally Posted by Buzz1329

10 or 50 threads ago, on this issue, I expressed skepticism about paly poisoning. After reading this and so many other hair-raising threads, I'm wondering why palys continue to be sold. If a reasonable mfr/distributor learns that a product has potentially life-threatening risks, the seller will stop selling it because, putting aside moral/ethical issues, the product liability litigation that will ensue will make it impossible to profit from the sales of the product and will threaten the continuing existence of the seller. So why are the major (and minor) coral retailers continuing to sell this stuff?

Mike

I've often wondered the same even years ago but for some reason you can buy pretty much anything you want for an aquarium that is not banned by endangered species etc. Paly's aside you can buy puffers, scorpions, foxface, lionfish etc. Almost amazed you can't buy a sea snake (probably because of lack of those willing to collect lol). Not too many pet stores where you can run out and pick up a coral snake, rattlesnake, black widows, gila monsters etc. although you could certainly catch and keep them legal or not.

Then again when I was a kid mole beans were a common fixture in the garden to keep moles out. Mole beans are also known as castor beans which is the source of ricin. It is obviously illegal to extract or possess ricin but most places you can still grow/possess the plants/beans.

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by jay13

Fyi cellulitis has nothing to do with tetanus. But yes, keep your shots up to date. Hurt didn't it? I had it on my hand and forearm from smacking it on an engine block and making one tiny little puncture. Pays to work in an ER. Antibiotics stat!

Nah didn't hurt a bit.. That's why it got so bad before I would go to the ER

[jay13]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

Nah didn't hurt a bit.. That's why it got so bad before I would go to the ER

You're kidding?! Mine felt like someone was smacking the back of my hand with a hammer every time i moved it even slightly. Well, glad you didn't have the pain.

[kelrn98]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

It was cellulitis . I was under the impression that I was on life time tetanus.. This is not so.
This should be a requirement of this hobby... Keep your tetanus shots up to date

Unfortunately cellulitis and most of our potential infections from our tanks cannot be prevented with a tetanus shot. Only tetanus (lock jaw from the bacteria clostridium tetani) can be prevented with a tetanus shot. While having a tetanus shot every 10 years is good, unfortunately we need to wear gloves.

[Vapour1ze]

I still haven't heard, powdered latex ok? Or something different? I have the aqua gloves but when I drag can I use latex?

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by kelrn98

Unfortunately cellulitis and most of our potential infections from our tanks cannot be prevented with a tetanus shot. Only tetanus (lock jaw from the bacteria clostridium tetani) can be prevented with a tetanus shot. While having a tetanus shot every 10 years is good, unfortunately we need to wear gloves.

My hands are in 6 different tanks a day. I've tried wearing gloves but just found it impossible to do my work. The ones suitable for moving rock are just too cumbersome to use on anything else. The latex ones last about one time and they leak. So I've chose not to wear them but be very wary when I put my hands in a tank.
I do believe in eye wear however and rubber soled shoes.

[Vapour1ze]

Originally Posted by capn_hylinur

My hands are in 6 different tanks a day. I've tried wearing gloves but just found it impossible to do my work. The ones suitable for moving rock are just too cumbersome to use on anything else. The latex ones last about one time and they leak. So I've chose not to wear them but be very wary when I put my hands in a tank.

I do believe in eye wear however and rubber soled shoes.

Why the shoes?

[firemountain]

After reading this post, and seeing the pics, that was enough to convince me to buy the gloves. Getting ready to start adding corals to the tank, so needless to say it's probably a good time to start !!

[Raptor72]

I'm sitting here at work with my right hand itching like it's been stung by several angry Fire ants. I just finished applying some Benzocaine and it's cut down the itching to about half.

When I first started out planning my tank, I wanted the back to be filled with various types of zoas and provide a colorful background. Eventually though, some paly morphs took over and now I haven't been able to put my hands in anymore without feeling some sort of effect. I am thinking of re doing my tank from scratch and leaving out the Zoas and Palys.

[AquariumNut]

I touched my carpet anemone once .... was 12+ inches across . Took me 40 minutes with the help of my brother to get my arm out lol

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by Vapour1ze

Why the shoes?

When I first started maintenance I got more shocks then stings from critters. My shoes are anti slip also due to ice and snow and the rear of some restaurants