Home aquarist almost killed by palys

[cowfish]

Scary stuff. Familiarity breeds contempt which, in this case, almost killed the guy.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2140450&highlight=palytoxin

And an article about the toxicity of the stuff:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/n...adliest-poison-in-an-aquarium-store-near-you/

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I wish they could show the pics of the type of zoa/play they were talking about.

It's like mushrooms, people in the countryside know exactly which ones they can pick off and roast while I can only crave for them when I see them but too scared to have picked the wrong ones.

 

[fishman1069]

I wish they could show the pics of the type of zoa/play they were talking about.

It's like mushrooms, people in the countryside know exactly which ones they can pick off and roast while I can only crave for them when I see them but too scared to have picked the wrong ones.

LOL Thats a cool analogy! If you pick the wrong ones (or right depending on what you like) you could trip face!:lol2:
Im pretty sure all zoas have that palytoxin in them

 

[duke62]

they cant sell poisonous snakes so why are we allowed to have these corals if there is no treatment and can kill you in minutes?

 

[strgazr27]

they cant sell poisonous snakes so why are we allowed to have these corals if there is no treatment and can kill you in minutes?

Almost any of the Zoo's Paly's that we keep have the possibility of doing this. The reaction can differ from one individual to another and is also based on how they were exposed to it, how much were they exposed to and for how long. 2 BIG mistakes made. He left them overnight in a bucket. Not only did it cause their death but also helped release likely LARGE quantities of the Palytoxin. This combined with the steam is what likely caused such a serious reaction. This is a RARE event. Proper knowledge and practices make it very safe to keep/frag them.

As for why they don't allow snakes.... Umm... I've never seen a Paly/Zoo caught under someone's porch, in a garage, sewer system or in one case I read, curled up in a baby crib. There are a LOT of people who think snakes are cool. When the novelty wears off out they go, usually out the back door or car door. Pythons and Anacondas in the Everglades is a perfect example of why.