Zoas and toxins

I personally know nothing happens to me when I play in water and smoke a cig. BUT when I frag with no gloves touching them and smoke... ER visit.!

 

Yea thats no joke when i saw those picture s

 

Yes, the zoas would be more dangerous than others. Anyone can have a serious reaction to the zoas/toxins and, I would be concerned also. Infants and children are more likely to squeeze/pinch a zoa/put it in their mouth...rub their eyes, touch their mouth, etc which increases the risk. Shrooms can also provide a big risk IMO (because of the excess slime they can put off ) but also so can candy canes, etc. Even though zoas have the palyotoxin, any slime could have a toxin in it and cause a reaction, that's why there is chemical warfare. It's just a more potent/toxic toxin. Children have not worked up the tolerance to a lot of things and therefore I would be extra cautious. Better safe than sorry.........

 

I would have to say that it depends on the tank and on the parents. When you put a tank in your house with a small child I would not place it up beside something that would enable them to crawl up and look down into it. The # one reason for this is not a zoa, it is because of drowning, toddlers can drown in a bucket of water, hence that is why the buckets come with warnings on them. I have yet to have a child get into a tank. My 120 is too tall even with a chair for a toddler to get into and has a canopy. As for my JBJ 28 gal nano cube on the stock stand, by the time a toddler stood on a chair and managed to get their hand into the small opening for feeding their arm would not go in to the depth in the tank the zoas are at. Then you combine that with if you are watching your child the likelihood of that happening is extremely small. Now having them stand on the floor and look up and watch the fish and invertebrates, touching the bottom of the glass and point and talk about them...... that happens a lot : )

 

I don't think there is substance as potentially harmful as palytoxin commonly found in reef tanks. There is another toxin produced by some dinoflagellate species that is worse but I don't think the variety is very often found in our tanks, at least I hope not. I know it's the reason I don't eat any part of the fish other than the filet meat as it accumulates everywhere else if the fish has been exposed and doesn't get purged by cooking. I guess I never really thought about it in the tank before. I'll obsess about this for a while until I find out.

 

Short and simple...
I've been dumb/curious and have messed with all types of corals with no gloves and I believe that they all do something. Some have made me nauseated, some nervous system irritated, sting etc.
Dr.Duff says PLEASE keep the lil ones away from the tank/set away from climbing etc.
I have a 9 yr old and 6 yr old and planning on another soon... The tanks keep my sanity so we all have to live together in harmony

 

I agree with you Dr. Duff as everyone, children and adults, have the potential to have a reaction from corals, bacteria, etc inside the aquariums. This not only goes for the children and newbies but also those whom have been in the hobby for quite some time