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02/10/2006, 05:11 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 119
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Most dangerous organism at LFS?
What's the most dangerous organism that has been listed for sale at your LFS? Last week, a Big Al's outlet was selling a tank full of cone snails of varied mixed species. Employees were nonetheless reaching into the tank to grab assorted snails, apparently unconcerned with the risk of envenomation.
 Same store was selling a blue-ringed octopus for $349.99 CAD in a 6 gallon nano...and not advising customers that it was extremely dangerous. I actually had to interrupt one potential customer and advise that it was neither best purchase (for a house full of kids!) nor the best aquarium (lid was secured with tape!) for such a creature. I got a glare from employee in return. 
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02/10/2006, 05:30 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Stoneville, NC
Posts: 6,169
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there really should be some type of permit or something involed there! atleast some type of class given. i probably would have blown a fuse if i seen that octopus in a 6gal tank. and it was for sale to the public! man i feel a lawsuit waiting to happen!
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Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently |
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02/10/2006, 05:44 PM
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#3 |
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Premium Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Okinawa, Japan
Posts: 1,299
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my LFS had some pirhanas the other day. I wanted one.
 (for a tank at work)
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55g::Tunze::Lifereef::Ice Cap::Euroreef Current Tank Info: 100% all Okinawan life |
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02/10/2006, 05:45 PM
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#4 |
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Occupy Reef Central
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Orbiting
Posts: 4,141
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One of the most toxic organisms you can buy are one of the most common. Zoas.
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Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas. Current Tank Info: 78"x36"x27" acrylic, 6 Orphek Atlantik V3+ Compacts, MRC Orca Pro II w/washdown, CalcFeeder Pro AC3, Emperor Aquatics 80w UV, 80/20 aluminum stand, Vortech MP60's, Theiling Rollermat, GHL Profilux 3.1T EX, Kessil H380 |
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02/10/2006, 05:46 PM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Belgium Europe
Posts: 526
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a long long time ago 18 years plus went to a LFS and was stunned to also see a Blue ring octo in an open tank!
Looking back i think they did not know what they had and were very very lucky. But must be a shock if you werk in an LFS and start to unpack a shippment only to find things that should not be there. |
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02/10/2006, 05:46 PM
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#6 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Stoneville, NC
Posts: 6,169
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Quote:
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Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently |
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02/10/2006, 05:55 PM
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#7 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: santa barbara, ca
Posts: 284
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there is shop here that has a Stone Fish
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02/10/2006, 06:00 PM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: OC, CA, US
Posts: 2,135
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I have see Stone fish and Blue ring octopus in the LFS. I was shocked to the the Blue ring octopus! There is no Anti-venom for this animal!
Simon |
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02/10/2006, 06:05 PM
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#9 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: santa barbara, ca
Posts: 284
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i just googled the blue ring - beautiful creature, wow. I want one. hahaha
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02/10/2006, 06:16 PM
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#10 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: kingman az
Posts: 560
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the lfs staff
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jan 9 howard stern on sirius satellite radio Current Tank Info: 228 gal sps tank |
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02/10/2006, 06:42 PM
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#11 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OliveBranch, Mississippi
Posts: 2,773
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Quote:
 i was wondering how long it would take someone to say that!!!!!!!!
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some things in life are not meant to be understood... just accepted.... Current Tank Info: 150 gallon mixed reef, 35ish gallon RBTA tank.. |
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02/10/2006, 07:55 PM
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#12 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 706
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I haven't seen anything dangerous at my LFS unless you count Lions, On a related topic this got me looking around and I found this thread from a few years ago http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...&pagenumber=1, poor dog. I do have some questions? Are all polyps considered Zoas (pardon my ignornce), if not are the ones that are not Zoas that toxic? It says they have the deadliest organic toxin know to man. This is getting me a little paranoid because I was planning on keeping a lot of polyps in my tank, I love them, and their easy to keep. Now im rethinking that. 4 micro grams can kill a person, Im a little nervous, Is there toxin in the water all the time, or do I have to rub up against them, or touch them with a cut? I wear gloves anyway, but just wondering.
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02/10/2006, 07:59 PM
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#13 |
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Moved On
Join Date: May 2005
Location: saugerties ,ny
Posts: 1,240
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so whats the deal with zoas? what can they give you and how sick can you get?
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02/10/2006, 08:19 PM
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#14 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mobile Al
Posts: 911
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I really Never heard of this BRO before until now. I did what someone else did and Googled it. Kinda scary what the poison will do.
"The bite of the blue-ringed octopus may be painless but it is definetly deadly. Its venom contains some maculotoxin which is more violent than any animals found on land. This poisen is 10,000 times more potent that cyanide. Upon being bitten, the victom's nerve conduction is stopped and paralysis sets in after a few minutes. Paralysis is then followed by death. Some symtoms are as follows: *Nausea *Blindness *Loss of all other senses http://www.earlham.edu/~sheedjo/blue-ringedoctopus.htm Just in case someone else is curious as I was
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02/10/2006, 08:31 PM
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#15 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Stoneville, NC
Posts: 6,169
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the toxin in zoa is Palytoxin(Palythoa toxica). its a neurotoxin. it can cause death. more so in children and small animals. but they dont just release it into the water! they can release it if they are attacked, or damaged. such as when propagating them. if you plan on handling them directly, say when you put them in the tank. wear gloves, or atleast grab a spot on the rock with out any zoas growing on it. this is why its more important to wash your hands/arms AFTER you put them in the tank than before. there have be horror stories with tanks, its not likely that many of us will ever have to worry about our zoas, but its better safe than sorry!
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Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently |
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02/10/2006, 08:33 PM
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#16 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Stoneville, NC
Posts: 6,169
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Quote:
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Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently |
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02/10/2006, 09:03 PM
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#17 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Stalewater Kansas
Posts: 408
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Quote:
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02/11/2006, 12:04 AM
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#18 | |
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Premium Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Waterbury, Ct.
Posts: 2,530
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Quote:
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02/11/2006, 12:50 AM
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#19 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Duluth
Posts: 99
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Blue ringed Octo. I heard the toxin stopped all nerve synapsis in the brain the only way to survive the bite is by being immediately put on a lifesupport (breathing for you and keeping your heart going etc.) for 24 hours as the toxin wears away. but the BRO is also so small typically that the bites are extremely rare. Saw that on National Geographic bout 2 years ago. pretty cool stuff.
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02/11/2006, 12:56 AM
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#20 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,261
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did everyone miss the comment about the cone snail? if im not mistaken it is one of the top 3 if not "the" most toxic animal in the world.
its a snail that uses a syphon like tube to shoot small dart like projectiles. they are almost microscopic and resemble a harpoon (long shaft with a single barb at the end). it uses this method of hunting to kill fish within inches of being hit. i heard about them years ago but just recently saw a story were a soldier in guam picked one up to take a photo with it (not knowing what it was). the cone snail "shot" him in his neck and was dead within literally seconds, right there on the beach with snail still in hand. kinda makes a blue ring wimpy lol |
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02/11/2006, 01:07 AM
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#21 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Arcadia, CA
Posts: 1,381
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damn. I have no idea what it looks like. One of the turbos in my tank might not even be a turbo. Scary for me to think i could walk inthere and buy one without knowing any of this.
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I think of one later. Current Tank Info: 28G JBJ Nano for sale |
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02/11/2006, 01:43 AM
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#22 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,261
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it doesnt have an acorn shaped shell if that helps at all. it looks more similiar to a conch with a flater more rectanguler shaped shell. do a google search for "cone snail pics"
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02/11/2006, 01:57 AM
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#23 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 58
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There are tons of different species of cone snails and only a couple are deadly. I only know of the deadly ones in Australia (someone else chime in if the deadly ones are elsewhere) and I know they are illegal to collect.
I've seen a Blue Ringed Octo at Big Als as well. It is one of the most beautiful creatures when it's angry (thats when the blue rings really show) but sure as hell wouldn't take a chance with it. |
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02/11/2006, 01:58 AM
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#24 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Los Gatos, CA
Posts: 3,502
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I think that Animal Planet's "The Most Extreme" listed the cone snail as the most venomous animal in the world, with the blue ring "only" ranking number 4. Not 100%, but I'm pretty sure that's how it went. Someone also mentioned seeing a stonefish, and that was ranked 5 or 6.
Me? I've never seen anything more dangerous than a lionfish for sale .
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02/11/2006, 04:07 AM
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#25 |
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Moved On
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: houston
Posts: 732
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red bug, coral eating nudibranch oh yeah flatworms also
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