Another story of palytoxin poisoning, recent experience

[Nemo&Friends]

Thanks for your story. I hope you and your family will feel better soon and will not get long term side effect. I do not have any corals, and your story will reinforce my decision to stay FWLR only. I never would have known that it could be that dangerous. I wonder how you can dispose safely of these toxins. Not sure burying in back yard as suggested is enough, as it could contaminate water?
How do the divers and the vendors of these palys avoid getting sick? Is it safe as long as it is under salted water?

 

[Snoopdog]

1) What kind of palys did you have on those plugs and 2) what happened to them that caused you to take them off the plugs and air dry the plugs

1) Nuclear Greens
2) They grow at an epidemic pace.

 

[Demon99088]

Firstly, I hope everyone gets to feeling better!
crazy thing is, I bought my first coral, a GSP, Friday brought it home, dipped it and acclimated it then put it in the tank. Washed hands real well like normally after handling anything in my tank. Wife made dinner and as I was eating, I was getting this crazy strange taste in my mouth like a metallic/vinegar taste. Brushed it off the whole time thought maybe my wife messed up something when cooking. Later that night I could still taste this weird taste. I was looking around at the coral because it was opened up at this point and noticed a couple of palys opened up that were on the back side of this rock and I guess I just completely over looked it. I’m starting to wonder if they are the reason I had that weird taste in my mouth. Craziest part is in total I probably handled the rock with these corals on them for a minute total. Crazy!

 

[Snoopdog]

Firstly, I hope everyone gets to feeling better!
crazy thing is, I bought my first coral, a GSP, Friday brought it home, dipped it and acclimated it then put it in the tank. Washed hands real well like normally after handling anything in my tank. Wife made dinner and as I was eating, I was getting this crazy strange taste in my mouth like a metallic/vinegar taste. Brushed it off the whole time thought maybe my wife messed up something when cooking. Later that night I could still taste this weird taste. I was looking around at the coral because it was opened up at this point and noticed a couple of palys opened up that were on the back side of this rock and I guess I just completely over looked it. I’m starting to wonder if they are the reason I had that weird taste in my mouth. Craziest part is in total I probably handled the rock with these corals on them for a minute total. Crazy!

More than likely yes. The first thing my GF noticed was a taste in her mouth.

So this is my first day back at work. I am definitely not all here mentally. Well good thing was I was raring to go on exercise and managed to get my morning workout in. But I have been doing strange things all morning. I left my phone on my nightstand which is a sure tell sign I am sick, only happens when I am sick. I tried to turn my car off when I parked by hitting the electric parking brake button. Once I was at work I remembered that I was going to bring apples to work, completely forgot. I tried to get into the security gates with my driver's license instead of my FAC card.

 

[Blumy]

@Snoopdog How are you guys doing?

 

[Snoopdog]

@Snoopdog How are you guys doing?

I feel 100% now. Everyone so far seems to be back to normal, GF does still have a bit of a cough. The one that is really ticked off is the cat, we got her back from the vet E.R and she is not happy, she did not eat the entire visit. This entire event has been very surreal, do not underestimate palytoxin and it's effects. We were lucky. For as small as these dried up polyps were compared to the square foot of my house, and it poisoning all of us is insane.

 

[Goaway]

I am glad to hear you and your family are feeling better.

An interesting story. How true or not, I don't know. I grew up believing the Hawaiians used palythoa to hunt their prey.

Legend of Palytoxin

www2.hawaii.edu

 

[Snoopdog]

I am glad to hear you and your family are feeling better.

An interesting story. How true or not, I don't know. I grew up believing the Hawaiians used palythoa to hunt their prey.

Legend of Palytoxin

www2.hawaii.edu

Normally the truth is somewhere in the middle.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I feel 100% now. Everyone so far seems to be back to normal, GF does still have a bit of a cough. The one that is really ticked off is the cat, we got her back from the vet E.R and she is not happy, she did not eat the entire visit. This entire event has been very surreal, do not underestimate palytoxin and it's effects. We were lucky. For as small as these dried up polyps were compared to the square foot of my house, and it poisoning all of us is insane.

palytoxin is crazy. glad you are feeling better. something like 41 milligrams is enough to kill someone.

 

[SaltyPotato]

Firstly, I hope everyone gets to feeling better!
crazy thing is, I bought my first coral, a GSP, Friday brought it home, dipped it and acclimated it then put it in the tank. Washed hands real well like normally after handling anything in my tank. Wife made dinner and as I was eating, I was getting this crazy strange taste in my mouth like a metallic/vinegar taste. Brushed it off the whole time thought maybe my wife messed up something when cooking. Later that night I could still taste this weird taste. I was looking around at the coral because it was opened up at this point and noticed a couple of palys opened up that were on the back side of this rock and I guess I just completely over looked it. I’m starting to wonder if they are the reason I had that weird taste in my mouth. Craziest part is in total I probably handled the rock with these corals on them for a minute total. Crazy!

I setup my mothers tank and got her an easy coral to grow and overtake an arch to look good, I picked two small GSP frags and glued them to the rock. In two hours I had a metallic taste in my mouth with chest pain, then a migraine and so did my mother, she never even touched the rock or GSP. I didn’t think it was possible with GSP but I experienced it before with a freshly fragged zoa at a lfs a year prior, it was the same exact feeling.

Idk if some people or specific genetics make individuals more susceptible to poisoning but I refuse to have any soft corals in my tanks now, that includes GSP, Zoas, and Goni’s. The risk isn’t worth it. I absolutely cringe when I see tanks or lfs overgrown with Polythoas, and it makes me extremely curious how others seem to be able to be able to hug & kiss them goodnight with no effect. I don’t believe gloves are enough, too many stories like this of the poison aerosolizing just by quick air exposure.

My friends in the hobby think I’m crazy as they’ve never experienced it handling their Zoas, can’t say I blame them. Feels like you’re yelling wolf!

Im happy to hear the OP and his family are feeling better, and appreciate you sharing your experience.

 

[Snoopdog]

I setup my mothers tank and got her an easy coral to grow and overtake an arch to look good, I picked two small GSP frags and glued them to the rock. In two hours I had a metallic taste in my mouth with chest pain, then a migraine and so did my mother, she never even touched the rock or GSP. I didn’t think it was possible with GSP but I experienced it before with a freshly fragged zoa at a lfs a year prior, it was the same exact feeling.

Idk if some people or specific genetics make individuals more susceptible to poisoning but I refuse to have any soft corals in my tanks now, that includes GSP, Zoas, and Goni’s. The risk isn’t worth it. I absolutely cringe when I see tanks or lfs overgrown with Polythoas, and it makes me extremely curious how others seem to be able to be able to hug & kiss them goodnight with no effect. I don’t believe gloves are enough, too many stories like this of the poison aerosolizing just by quick air exposure.

My friends in the hobby think I’m crazy as they’ve never experienced it handling their Zoas, can’t say I blame them. Feels like you’re yelling wolf!

Im happy to hear the OP and his family are feeling better, and appreciate you sharing your experience.

I will not get out of the zoa hobby, my tank is full of them. But I think I will be shying away from Paly's. I will probably keep some on the back glass, but never on rock again.

 

[EricR]

Dang man,,, just found this.
First and foremost, I hope the family (and cat) are doing well.
Quite a scary learning experience.

I only have 7 corals so far, all zoas, and I NEVER wear gloves or eye protection when dipping or moving/mounting frag discs,,, plus there are some palys at my LFS that I've been tempted to buy. (This story will be in my mind for a while now)

Good luck with everyone's recovery

 

[Snoopdog]

Dang man,,, just found this.
First and foremost, I hope the family (and cat) are doing well.
Quite a scary learning experience.

I only have 7 corals so far, all zoas, and I NEVER wear gloves or eye protection when dipping or moving/mounting frag discs,,, plus there are some palys at my LFS that I've been tempted to buy. (This story will be in my mind for a while now)

Good luck with everyone's recovery

Just take precautions, never underestimate them. I took all the precautions that I knew about. I had no idea dry crusty zoas were toxic, I found nothing in my research suggesting that.

 

[reeftopia_]

I setup my mothers tank and got her an easy coral to grow and overtake an arch to look good, I picked two small GSP frags and glued them to the rock. In two hours I had a metallic taste in my mouth with chest pain, then a migraine and so did my mother, she never even touched the rock or GSP. I didn’t think it was possible with GSP but I experienced it before with a freshly fragged zoa at a lfs a year prior, it was the same exact feeling.

Idk if some people or specific genetics make individuals more susceptible to poisoning but I refuse to have any soft corals in my tanks now, that includes GSP, Zoas, and Goni’s. The risk isn’t worth it. I absolutely cringe when I see tanks or lfs overgrown with Polythoas, and it makes me extremely curious how others seem to be able to be able to hug & kiss them goodnight with no effect. I don’t believe gloves are enough, too many stories like this of the poison aerosolizing just by quick air exposure.

My friends in the hobby think I’m crazy as they’ve never experienced it handling their Zoas, can’t say I blame them. Feels like you’re yelling wolf!

Im happy to hear the OP and his family are feeling better, and appreciate you sharing your experience.

After reading these stories, I don't think I'll get any for my tank either! But you said no soft corals now in your tank at all? Can every soft coral have this toxin in them?

 

[littlebigreef]

After reading these stories, I don't think I'll get any for my tank either! But you said no soft corals now in your tank at all? Can every soft coral have this toxin in them?

With all due deference to @Snoopdog this is the sort of thing that makes me nuts with this posts. Most zoas pose little to no threat to you at all.

 

[jabberwock]

Does anyone else read Snoopdogs posts in the real Snoopdog's voice in their head? Try it, it is totally hilarious!!!

 

[Snoopdog]

Does anyone else read Snoopdogs posts in the real Snoopdog's voice in their head? Try it, it is totally hilarious!!!

It's just the way I talk.

 

[Snoopdog]

With all due deference to @Snoopdog this is the sort of thing that makes me nuts with this posts. Most zoas pose little to no threat to you at all.

Correct.

I do not want to go into some type of fear mongering and have people dump their zoas. My tank is heavily dominated with zoas, paly's still. My entire back glass right now is a zoa garden. My entire post was about a small caution, just a quick pause saying be careful with zoas, there are things we still do not know and they can put you in your place.

 

[Snoopdog]

Dang man,,, just found this.
First and foremost, I hope the family (and cat) are doing well.
Quite a scary learning experience.

I only have 7 corals so far, all zoas, and I NEVER wear gloves or eye protection when dipping or moving/mounting frag discs,,, plus there are some palys at my LFS that I've been tempted to buy. (This story will be in my mind for a while now)

Good luck with everyone's recovery

It is still surreal to me. I am still fighting over the bill, yet again I got another bill say I owed money to the hospital and yet again I am having to contact the hospital since they cannot seem to send the right billing codes.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Hospital billing code: "P-a-l-y-P-o-i-s-o-n-R2R." (lol!)