Putting my foot in my mouth - Zoanthid Sting

Hey everyone,

A few weeks back there was a thread that I had a few comments on, it was called Coral Help, and one of my last comments was that it's ok to touch your corals. Another poster pretty much blasted that advice and even gave me a negative karma thing. Pretty stupid about the karma but whatever.

I must admit though, it was poor advice. I'm going to the doctor today because of some of my Zoanthids. I was moving rocks around this last Friday and one of them has a decent colony of Zoas on it. And I have another colony of Zoas growing in a couple spots in the tank, and my hands brushed against them both as I was rearranging.

Now I have a rash on both hands, although more so on my right. It's really itchy and my fingers are swelling. It doesn't really hurt, it's just very uncomfortable and VERY annoying! And Cortizone 10 does almost nothing to help.

So yea, touching your corals without knowing everything about them...bad advice and I take it back. What's weird though is I have touched these Zoas before with no reaction like this. But maybe there was something different going on this time. I'm convinced it was them though. It's the only good explanation and the rashes started developing around that time frame.

 

Zoanthids inpirticular contain palytoxin.

 

My wife and I are divers, when I see fellow divers touch corals I get rather p’d off to say the least. This past summer on a dive trip I explained after one of the dives to an older fellow that touching was bad for him and the corals – the second dive he continued to touch (I did not see it) but he found some fire coral and admitted that it was a bad idea to touch.

I hope your rash heals up quickly.

 

Did you smash some of the Zoa's, which would have released the Palytoxin and it got on your hand? Even diluted that is some really nasty freaking stuff and you have to make sure you tell the doctor that there was even a remote possibility of this happeneing.

I have posted this link many times on 3reef and other sites before but her it is again beaus I think it says it all. Palytoxin, a Hawaiian Spear Poison

 

I would have laughed so hard the reg would have popped out.

 

never any rash but when i handle zoas botton poly or mushrooms for more than a couple mins. i start feeling ill in my head for about 20 mins. or so after im done. i keep telling myself i need to get some gloves when splitting and dividing them up. ive heard about hammers how you shouldnt touch it bare handed but i fraged several and nothing. but thinking now one of these days im going to be in trouble. i think im going to get some gloves

 

Fire Coral(Millipora) is a great coral for teaching someone that yes, reefs beautiful to look at BUT, they are animals and can hurt you or worse.
I am with you Curt!!!

 

Yep. First thing we found out after getting a zoa frag was that they are poisonous. If the toxin gets into an open cut or something on your hand, then you could potentially die if you don't know what the heck is wrong with you. So, don't get stabbed by a foxface and decide to pet your zoas right after...bad move.

Some reefers don't even keep zoas in their aquariums simply because of this.

And alot of divers are stupid. I'm getting certified for diving come mid feb this year, all I have left to complete are my open water dives. (Done the classroom, written tests, pool work, etc) and common sense is key to diving. And having a SW aquarium meant I owned the face off of our fish ID course they let us take. Corrected the teacher a few times too... Maybe the guy touching them was narced. That's always an excuse. :

 

Well I got back from the doctor about an hour ago. I knew they would have no idea what I was talking about. The nurse lady who takes your information before the doctor asked me "What's a coral? Is that a type of fish?" I was stunned....

Then the doctor asked me what exactly a coral polyp was. It was very disconcerting. The doctor went out and called a dermatologist and a poison person or something or another. They prescribed me a steroid cream and suggested I try some Benedryl. Both of which I have applied right now so we'll see what happens.

Let this be another lesson/reminder to us all. I'm never putting my hands in that tank again without gloves. I mean that. This sucks. :-/

 

Doesn't surprise me at all....you live in Louisville GA too?? My dr told a buddy he had Gout, but his foot was broken in 3 places............

I hope you get well soon!!!