Beware zoas can kill you

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Palytoxin almost kills local reefer - Reef Central Online Community

Tommy (Tcat3rd) Almost died Wednesday evening after being exposed to the deadly Palytoxin from zoanthids left over night in a bucket. The zoo's were have dead from leaving them over night in a bucket so he decided to clean the rocks off in his utility tub with hot water and scrubbing them. He was full aware of the danger of the toxin, he used eye protection and full length gloves to clean the rocks. What he didn't protect was his lungs, the hot water and steam from the water made the toxin airborne. After 20 minutes of cleaning the rocks he went up stairs, feeling sick to his stomach. after another half hour passed he was ready to head to the emergency room but before he left he printed out articles on the toxin to take with him. In the waiting room he became almost paralyzed and started to cough up blood, his lungs were filling up with blood as well. The Dr's treated him with everything the could think of and were getting results, they called in the priest for last rights that evening and didn't think he'd make it through the night. Thursday morning they continued massive treat of antibiotics and steroids with little improvement. Today he's on his way back from his death bed and will be in the hospital for days to run tests and monitor his progress. We wanted me to post up to let everyone know and to remind them the dangers of our tanks. Thoughts and prayers go out to Tommy and his family, which also got sick from the toxin just not as bad as Tommy did being in closer range to the steam.
Erik
Click to expand...

BEWARE of the ZOA - it can and will kill you(if you not careful
 
Eish, hectic stuff
 
Yup zoas can easily squirt juices containing palytoxins when being fragged out of water. the ones that hide around the corner waiting to mug you. crafty lil buggers:lol:
 
That incident is unfortunately a good reminder of what we have in our Tanks...maybe we should put this Thread of Makaeel in the "sticky section"...no Newbie currently comes across this Thread as it's well and truely tucked away as it's a Thread of 2008..
Zoanthids - Marine Aquariums of South Africa
 
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Take heed

I saw that this has really spread and was amazed to see it was posted in Africa. I am out after 6 days in icu and blessed. Still weak as heck and in bed. I personally believe God has spread this message and please move to where it will be seen. I have updated a few times on reef central, clubs, northern Ohio reef keepers, I have been in the hobby a long time and still made what was almost deadly mistake. one minute I'm healthy and then Within a few hours my bodies system was shutting down and I'm in Cleveland clinic. I received documents from the USA center for disease control that I will try to attach links to when feeling better. Palytoxin has been scientifically documented to be in other corals and inverts that do not produce it naturally.

Bizarre stuff.

As my story stes, I was fully aware of it but made a stupid mistake.

Peace
Tommy

Btw-love the serenity prayer!!
 
Hey man... Welcome to MASA. What the heck actually happened? Was it steam induced or splashed onto you?
 
Tcat3rd said:
I saw that this has really spread and was amazed to see it was posted in Africa. I am out after 6 days in icu and blessed. Still weak as heck and in bed. I personally believe God has spread this message and please move to where it will be seen. I have updated a few times on reef central, clubs, northern Ohio reef keepers, I have been in the hobby a long time and still made what was almost deadly mistake. one minute I'm healthy and then Within a few hours my bodies system was shutting down and I'm in Cleveland clinic. I received documents from the USA center for disease control that I will try to attach links to when feeling better. Palytoxin has been scientifically documented to be in other corals and inverts that do not produce it naturally.

Bizarre stuff.

As my story stes, I was fully aware of it but made a stupid mistake.

Peace
Tommy

Btw-love the serenity prayer!!
Click to expand...
:welcometomasa2:to MASA...great to have you here...even under "bizarre" circumstances...hope you become a regular..:)..thanks about the Serenity Prayer...my Motto growing up use to be "What goes around,comes around"...trust me, I still live by it but with age comes WISDOM..:p
 
Thank heavens he made it through.
As a new guy I would also like this to be made sticky and a must read before entering the world of reef keeping. I actually thought coz so many ppl have them it's pretty safe bet to keep.
Well was I mistaken.

My word.
 
You can touch them yes, but you will be sorry one day when they nail you. I still have a scar 18months later where i scraped a ricordea on a cut on my finger. It never healed properly and was EXTREMELY painful.
 
Welcome Tommy!

Glad you pulled through! You had a angel watching over you that day!

I touch nothing inside my tank without gloves on!
 
Thanks all

Nice reeffing site here! I was using hot water and areosolized the toxin. I know of another reefer who got sick very sick for a few days who was hoseing off some palys from rock outside with cold water. I just made a bad mistake in haste, I knew better just didn't
Take time to think about it. hoping to go back to work on mon.

Im reposting the story a fellow reefer wrote for a local club the day after I was hospitalized to warn my friends what could really happen when we get complacent. I could not type at the time, could only speak in short sentences, that is why he wrote it for me.


Palytoxin almost kills local reefer
Tommy (Tcat3rd) Almost died Wednesday evening after being exposed to the deadly Palytoxin from zoanthids left over night in a bucket. The zoo's were have dead from leaving them over night in a bucket so he decided to clean the rocks off in his utility tub with hot water and scrubbing them. He was full aware of the danger of the toxin, he used eye protection and full length gloves to clean the rocks. What he didn't protect was his lungs, the hot water and steam from the water made the toxin airborne. After 20 minutes of cleaning the rocks he went up stairs, feeling sick to his stomach. after another half hour passed he was ready to head to the emergency room but before he left he printed out articles on the toxin to take with him. In the waiting room he became almost paralyzed and started to cough up blood, his lungs were filling up with blood as well. The Dr's treated him with everything the could think of and were getting results, they called in the priest for last rights that evening and didn't think he'd make it through the night. Thursday morning they continued massive treat of antibiotics and steroids with little improvement. Today he's on his way back from his death bed and will be in the hospital for days to run tests and monitor his progress. We wanted me to post up to let everyone know and to remind them the dangers of our tanks. Thoughts and prayers go out to Tommy and his family, which also got sick from the toxin just not as bad as Tommy did being in closer range to the steam.
Erik
__________________
LEAR.... Lake Erie Advance Reefers....Friends with Fish Tanks...

Thanks to Eric, even reefers in South Africa have been reminded!!

Save a reef, buy a frag!
Peace,
tommy
 
One more thing, my adult son, daughter and wife were in the room above me me and all had bad chills and were sick for a few days, my wife was sick for 4-5 days.
 
Sorry I reposted, still not clear. I answered a question without realizing the story was at the top of page. Like my kids would say, duhhh
 
Welcome to MASA. We probably almost all underestimate zoa's and their toxicity. I had so many zoa's in my bare hands over the last 17 years. I wasn't even aware of the danger. You on the other hand knew about it and made the mistake. In haste as you mentioned. That is where the danger lays. In haste and in routine. Maybe you are the chosen one, who had to experience it and to spread the danger even down to Cape Town, South Africa. These days, news are spreading so quick. When I started reef keeping, I didn't even have internet. Glad to hear that the nightmare ended with a happy end and it might save some reefers lives in the future. In everything negative we experience in life, there is always something positive in it. Sometimes it takes years to see the reason, why bad things happened.

It wasn't your time to leave. I've could/should have been twice gone towards heaven or hell. But my time is not over here.
 
When handling them beasties and you mouth taste like metal.... beter head of to the doc and put pedal to the metal !

I have read of a guy fraging in an enclosed room who had the same fate!!!!:eek:
 
I'd like to suggest again that this is made a "sticky".

I'm sitting with a bad headache since yesterday, thought I might be getting flu, but now I suspect another culprit.

Bought a frag tank yesterday and started to clean it. It has a egg crate "stand" littered with zoas. I started cleaning it, but had to stop and do something else and parked the major cleaning for today. Was hosing it down with cold water, but got quite up close and personal with the tank!

Was going to use hot water to get it properly clean. Thank Heavens that I read this before giving it the hot water treatment tonight!

I'm wondering if the zoas are the cause of my headache (I very very rarely get headaches!)

This should be on the "Read Before getting your hands Salty" list...
 
OMG!
 
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