Has anyone ever had saltwater aquarium poisoning, what were your symptoms?

[itelshot]

I’ve never been poisoned or affected by my tank that I know of.. I will say the only time I had any reaction was when I had my little cube and a dino outbreak! I got a rash on my arm every time I put it in from the Dino’s…

The whole humor is that I've been struggling with dinos since about October (a little after how this all started), but also have 2 Palys. Looking at the time frame, it's more likely to be Palys, but I don't know.

 

[itelshot]

I've had experience with palytoxin and what I experienced where welts where I touched the zoas/palys and a general malaise. I just wanted to sleep as I was very tired. Spent a day in bed and the following day I was feeling better.

That said, we had a local club member who had issues every time he put his hands in his tank. He blamed his palys. This went on for a good year or so with a couple visits to the hospital. His last visit to the hospital, they finally identified the issue. He collected local snails and the snails were "infected" with the parasite responsible for swimmer's itch (cercarial dermatitis).

So the cause was some kind of snail? I only have 2 turbos, 3 colubelids and small patellas. But thanks for the answer

 

[itelshot]

@DanyL @redfishbluefish Let's pretend I got rid of them (maybe give them back to the store guy, telling the reason). I know that palitoxin is a very nasty thing and non-protein in nature - so there is no antidote. I have fresh charcoal lying around. How difficult and what are the best ways to remove the remnants of this possible contamination from the aquarium after I give them away or throw them away?
@JAS927 waiting for your story

 

[Timfish]

Palytoxin is made by dinoflagellates in the genus Ostreopsis and is also known as Ciguatera poisoning. As a consequence of being made by a realtively common dinoflagellate it's been found to have a very wide distribution in nature. There is research suggesting acquired resistance which helps explain widely different responses. But individual differences in immune system responses certainly raises concerns about casual exposure. Here's some links:

Palytoxin congeners | Request PDF

Request PDF | Palytoxin congeners | Palytoxin, isolated from a zoanthid of the genus Palythoa, is the most potent marine toxin known. Intoxication by palytoxin leads to... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

www.researchgate.net

Molecular identification of Ostreopsis cf. ovata in filter feeders and putative predators

Ostreopsis ovata Fukuyo is a benthic dinoflagellate widespread from tropical to subtropical and warm temperate coastal areas world-wide. Since the spe…

www.sciencedirect.com

Clinical and laboratory findings implicating palytoxin as cause of ciguatera poisoning due to Decapterus macrosoma (mackerel)

A near fatal case of ciguatera-related intoxication following consumption of smoked Decapterus macrosoma is documented. In addition to some of the hal…

www.sciencedirect.com

DEFINE_ME

The mechanism of action and treatment of palytoxin poisoning

Palytoxin is one of the most potent coronary vasoconstrictors known, producing death within minutes by diminishing the supply of oxygen to the myocard…

www.sciencedirect.com

Suspected Palytoxin Inhalation Exposures Associated with Zoanthid Corals in Aquarium Shops and Homes — Alaska, 2012–2014

www.cdc.gov

Distribution and sequestration of palytoxin in coral reef animals

In the reefs off the Colombian coast (Caribbean Sea) and around Lizard Island, Australia (Pacific), palytoxin (PTX), which has been detected in zoanth…

www.sciencedirect.com

Palytoxin-Containing Aquarium Soft Corals as an Emerging Sanitary Problem

Palytoxin (PLTX), one the most potent marine toxins, and/or its analogs, have been identified in different marine organisms, such as Palythoa soft corals, Ostreopsis dinoflagellates, and Trichodesmium cyanobacteria. Although the main concern for human health is PLTXs entrance in the human food...

www.mdpi.com

Palytoxin and Analogs: Biological and Ecological Effects

Palytoxin (PTX) is a potent marine toxin that was originally found in soft corals from tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean. Soon after, its occurrence was observed in numerous other marine organisms from the same ecological region. More recently, several ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[dank.reefer]

I would like to listen to the full and detailed story!

I have a story about it.

I have experienced Palytoxin poisoning myself and it is very much not fun. I was doing a tank transfer back in 2005 from a smaller tank to a larger one and in this tank I was keeping the notorius green "death" palys. At the time people used to mention that they may be toxic but knowledge of how toxic wasn't quite as prevalent.

So back to my story. I had a fairly large colony covering about a softball sized rock in a 55g tank that I was upgrading to a 90g setup. I started the day as healthy as an Ox and excited to set up my new display. Everything went well with the tank transfer until just before I got finished refilling the water and starting the pumps. Suddenly I fell incredibly ill like the flu x10. There was fever, vomiting, muscle cramps and general body aches, dizziness, and weakness. This condition lasted for about 48 hours. At the time I chalked it up to just the flu. The biggest clue that it wasn't was that I lived with 5 other people at the time that none of them got sick, it was the middle of the summer(not flu season), and the tank was in my room.

Several years later I met a shop owner/tank maintenence tech who had poisoned himself scraping "death" palys off of the walls of a customers tank. He described the symptoms to me and they matched exactly what I had experienced years earlier, to my surprise I had most likely poisoned myself with palytoxin. The same man also informed me of a client who was keeping these corals and lost his dog to palytoxin poisoning after the dog stuck his head into a bucket during a water change. There are also reports around the web of people poisoning their whole house with the aerosols of palytoxin during tank maintenance.

Now I am quite hesitant to keep palys and zoas for this reason, though I do still have a couple. Any time I stick my hands in the tank for maintenance I wear chemical gloves. They can be purchased at harbor freight tools for less than $20. I also make sure to keep my dogs away from my sumps, water change buckets, or anything that comes out of the tank. I also make sure to open up the house and get lots of fresh air circulation when doing water changes or deep tank cleanings.

It only takes once getting sick from your tank to teach the lesson. There are many things in our tanks that could possibly harm us I just like to play it safe now.

 

[DanyL]

@DanyL @redfishbluefish Let's pretend I got rid of them (maybe give them back to the store guy, telling the reason). I know that palitoxin is a very nasty thing and non-protein in nature - so there is no antidote. I have fresh charcoal lying around. How difficult and what are the best ways to remove the remnants of this possible contamination from the aquarium after I give them away or throw them away?
@JAS927 waiting for your story

Personally I always used GAC 24/7 as it supposed to remove different toxins from the water.

For me it was always a good measure, but I didn’t know wether it works for Palytoxin or or not until recently, when Randy posted about the first professor that was able to synthesized Palytoxin in the lab, and in his research he confirmed that GAC indeed works and absorbs it.

 

[themcnertney]

Oh yea. I've got a few stories on here from Palytoxin when I had them in my 220. From 2018...

So i poisoned myself and my family with palytoxine last night. How do i get rid of the palys safely?

Lots of these stories seem to have holes...

www.reef2reef.com

I had a lot of them...

Also had a bad bacterial infection caused by bristle worms.

Bristle worn sting

Unfortunately I had to take down my 220 yesterday. Bristle worm got me. Should I be worried? Pretty swollen still and can’t move my 3 finger too well. It hurts but isn’t too bad of pain.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[itelshot]

.

 

[itelshot]

I have a story about it.

I have experienced Palytoxin poisoning myself and it is very much not fun. I was doing a tank transfer back in 2005 from a smaller tank to a larger one and in this tank I was keeping the notorius green "death" palys. At the time people used to mention that they may be toxic but knowledge of how toxic wasn't quite as prevalent.

So back to my story. I had a fairly large colony covering about a softball sized rock in a 55g tank that I was upgrading to a 90g setup. I started the day as healthy as an Ox and excited to set up my new display. Everything went well with the tank transfer until just before I got finished refilling the water and starting the pumps. Suddenly I fell incredibly ill like the flu x10. There was fever, vomiting, muscle cramps and general body aches, dizziness, and weakness. This condition lasted for about 48 hours. At the time I chalked it up to just the flu. The biggest clue that it wasn't was that I lived with 5 other people at the time that none of them got sick, it was the middle of the summer(not flu season), and the tank was in my room.

Several years later I met a shop owner/tank maintenence tech who had poisoned himself scraping "death" palys off of the walls of a customers tank. He described the symptoms to me and they matched exactly what I had experienced years earlier, to my surprise I had most likely poisoned myself with palytoxin. The same man also informed me of a client who was keeping these corals and lost his dog to palytoxin poisoning after the dog stuck his head into a bucket during a water change. There are also reports around the web of people poisoning their whole house with the aerosols of palytoxin during tank maintenance.

Now I am quite hesitant to keep palys and zoas for this reason, though I do still have a couple. Any time I stick my hands in the tank for maintenance I wear chemical gloves. They can be purchased at harbor freight tools for less than $20. I also make sure to keep my dogs away from my sumps, water change buckets, or anything that comes out of the tank. I also make sure to open up the house and get lots of fresh air circulation when doing water changes or deep tank cleanings.

It only takes once getting sick from your tank to teach the lesson. There are many things in our tanks that could possibly harm us I just like to play it safe now.

nteresting.... They looked just like mine?

 

[dank.reefer]

I recall mine looking similar to these

 

[JAS927]

@DanyL @redfishbluefish Let's pretend I got rid of them (maybe give them back to the store guy, telling the reason). I know that palitoxin is a very nasty thing and non-protein in nature - so there is no antidote. I have fresh charcoal lying around. How difficult and what are the best ways to remove the remnants of this possible contamination from the aquarium after I give them away or throw them away?
@JAS927 waiting for your story

I had a 100g reef all going well when there was a power outage from a winter storm. I had enough to worry about with potential freezing waterlines and trying to keep humans warm without any backup power so unfortunately the reef was just bundled up in a heavy comforter and it was a hope for the best situation for a while. The temp dropped and most corals including a very large colony of brown palys met their demise. Not being aware, I was in the “death water” peeling slimy palys off the rocks in an attempt to clean the mess up and start over. I was working in the tank for about 45 minutes and got mostly all of the mess scraped off and water drained when I started to feel a bit off so I laid on the couch thinking I was just tired from the stress of the days prior. It was soon after that I felt like I had the worst flu imaginable - muscle pains, joint pain in every inch of my body, a headache from the depths of fire and brimstone land, vomiting and racing heart/palpitations. It wasn’t until I recovered and was talking to other reefers that I put the pieces together that I had been touching, breathing, and all but swimming in decaying toxic mess.

 

[maroun.c]

Gey someone to take care of the tank for couple weeks and stay elsewhere or simply don't enter the tank room if symptoms.improve then go back to normal life handling the rank if u get the symptoms again then its the tank. I doubt it is .

 

[itelshot]

Gey someone to take care of the tank for couple weeks and stay elsewhere or simply don't enter the tank room if symptoms.improve then go back to normal life handling the rank if u get the symptoms again then its the tank. I doubt it is .

Of course I've thought about it. Rather I have such a life situation that I currently live with my parents and the only place where I can place my aquarium is my room, so of all possible options is only to get rid or give them away for a while.

 

[itelshot]

Okay, thanks everyone for the answers anyway. Maybe in time I'll post here how things work out later.

 

[Quintin]

No cases or issues with water or coral but got stung by a long spine urchin once in my old tank back in 2014.

Barbed spine broke off in the tip of my finger and a couple of hours later I had massive headaches and it felt similar to sun stroke.

Went to the doctor to have the barbs cut out and was told the reaction was similar to that of a bee sting or a couple of them.

Since then, I always wear gloves when working in the tank.

 

[RocketEngineer]

The guy with the 20,000g reef on Long Island had issues with paly toxins until he nuked the system and reset it a couple years ago. He did a MACNA talk about it, including having to shower before removing his masks. The talk can be found on YouTube.