palytoxin question...

[rxdoc_85]

hey, i know that zoanthids are poisonous, but just how poisonous are they? i know that after handling them i need to wash my hands, not touch eyes/nose/mouth/mucous membranes...but do i really need to wash my arm all the way up (my tank is really deep and when i'm all the way to the bottom i'm in water up to my pits)? and when i'm doing other things in teh tank, do i need to wash my arm all the way up?? i'll rinse/wipe it off with a towel, but right now i'm taking a lot of soap and sudsing my arm up like i'm fixin to do surgery on somone...is this really necessary?

 

[Amphiprion]

You really should wear gloves when handling zoanthids. Palytoxin has the potential to be deadly. It actually comes from the protozoan Osteopsis siamensis and is somehow absorbed by the zoanthids. It is, unlike the vast majority of toxins, a carbohydrate toxin (which makes sense coming from a photosythetic protozoan) and is exuded in the carbohydrate based mucus of the coral. Think of it as the second most deadly non-proteinaceous toxin known. It acts by opening sodium-potassium pumps and allowing everything to equilibrate, killing the cell and often causing lysis. Rough stuff.

 

[cav]

I never put my hands in my tank without wearing full length laxtex gloves, it not only stops me polluting my tank with oils and bits and pieces off my hands but also protects me. Palytoxin is a deadly neurotoxin. Certain tribes used to use on the tips of their spears to paralyze prey or enemies.
You should be really careful if you have even the smallest cut or break in your skin.

 

[Grins]

I didn't wear gloves when fragging them the first time...the metallic taste in my mouth the next day was not all that tasty. At the very least you're bound to deal with that.

 

[Catpicklesdog]

Well to help publicise the Monster Aquaria Network's new partniship with Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine here's a link on that same subject, Palytoxin and You.

 

[fsn77]

I don't wear gloves when working in tanks. While I understand the danger of palytoxin, from what I've been told not all zoas / palys contain it. It's also been explained to me that people have varying degrees of sensitivity to palytoxin. Please correct me if this is wrong, as this is certainly not something to be misinformed about.

I always at least rinse my arms off after being in the tank. Most of the time, I thoroughly wash my arms off with soap and water.

 

[cav]

Personally I wouldn't risk it, gloves all the way. Plus it keeps any nasties off your hands out your tank

 

[Amphiprion]

I don't wear gloves when working in tanks. While I understand the danger of palytoxin, from what I've been told not all zoas / palys contain it. It's also been explained to me that people have varying degrees of sensitivity to palytoxin. Please correct me if this is wrong, as this is certainly not something to be misinformed about.

I always at least rinse my arms off after being in the tank. Most of the time, I thoroughly wash my arms off with soap and water.

I think it has less to do with sensitivity (there probably are a small degree of varying sensitivities, but I haven't found anything official that says that) with the fact that only certain colonies collected from certain areas that have high concentrations of the dinoflagellate. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if it did come from one of those areas, so it is better to be safe than to be sorry.

 

[Sploke]

I don't use gloves when handling them in the tank, but I do when I'm fragging. I know a woman who has a bad reaction to even having her arms in the tank - if she brishes near her GSP her whole arm swells up. I guess a lot of it depends on your individual sensitivity.

 

[Amphiprion]

That sounds more like an allergic reaction to me. The effects of palytoxin are separate from an allergic reaction, but an allergy would definitely exacerbate any situation.