Palytoxin!!!

[sleasia]

Ok, I have been reading alot about palytoxin. I pulled out reefkeprZ old 2006 thread about it...I'm just a bit confused still...is palytoxin in all zoos or in only certain types of zoos....and if so what types? are they being sold to us from LFS's because if so they probably shouldn't be...or is the toxin in all zoos, and if that is the case, why then, or how is it that it is excreted from some zoos and not others? How is it a "rare" occurance... I guess what I'm saying is...if this toxin is in all zoos, why are we even messing with this risk???

 

[bronco300]

they are not in all zoos..not sure which exactly they are in, not sure anyone knows which exactly have it and which dont as some zoos are hard to tell which are which..sub speices etc....same reason we buy lionfish,,even though they can be very harmful...they're gorgeous...i love em...and you will be fine as long as you take the necessary precautions, like wearing gloves when messing with them, washing your hands after messing with your tank...wearing goggles when fragging them....

 

[ophiura]

It is particularly related to "button polyps" in the genus Palythoa/Protopalythoa, hence the name.

 

[nycbob]

its only toxic if u hv a cut on ur hands

 

[farslayer]

Not necessarily, our LFS guy frags zoas quite often and has to wear gloves because he gets sick and light headed otherwise.

 

[sleasia]

Well, some of the things i read say it (the molecule) can "seep" through skin, so if that is true, and the toxin is "excreted" somehow, unless it is very unstable when it hits saltwater, it can accumulate in the water....then it would seem we should have to wear gloves whenever doing anything inside the tanks and also wear gloves which are long enough to prevent water from getting in?...Also, if someone on this site goes to an ER with chest pain, I can guarantee no ER doctor is going to think of this as a cause unless the reefkeeper suggests it as a possible cause....in any event CP (chest pain) will likely be treated with nitrates (vasodilators) anyway whether it is known it is from palytoxin or not...the problem is palytoxin can kill you unless (and probably even if) nitrates are injected right into the heart muscle....the ER docs are definately not going to do this on a routine chest pain case unless they are convinced it is palytoxin induced and are educated about the protocol for treatment of palytoxin toxicity. this should definately be an episode on HOUSE MD

 

[murph145]

thjis would fit in house MD lol its a great show!
i was fragin some green people eater palys and one was cut and all the liquids spilt onto my fingers didnt think a thing of it cuz i had no cuts but man 15 minutes later i was so light headed and felt as thought i was guna pass out i had to sit down for a good half hour.... so yeah becareful its some serious stuff

 

[farslayer]

I'm sure that palythoa likely excrete it into the water at times, but it is diluted almost instantly and taken out by carbon or other filtration. If you touch it and it gets through your skin, it is now in you and you can get sick. There's no correlation between water dilution of a toxin and direct contact with the source of the toxin.