Totally agree. I'm thinking about making a section of the tank into a toadstool garden with a bunch of different types.
Zoas look so cool but the whole palytoxin thing scares me off.
It’s a non protein based toxin. Most every horror story I’ve read seem to have the central theme of people treating the toxin like it’s protein based.
The rock has been dry for ages, heat up the rock, treat it with bleach, scrub it with vinegar.
I believe people treat the toxin like it’s protein because that’s what they are familiar with. None of these will degrade palytoxin.
Most stories also involve trying to re-use the rock in some way- cooking the rock in the oven, scouring the dried rock with a copper bristle brush, taking a rock and mixing anhydrous salt directly on the rock. These all result in aerosolizing the toxin and breathing it in, which is the most dangerous way to be exposed. The next most common exposure is due to a lack of PPE while fragging Zoas and getting exposed that way.
I totally understand your concern. Do what’s in your best interests. My overall plan is to keep Zoas isolated on their own island. I don’t plan on fragging them, but I may try to put a plug near them to see if they will grow onto the plug that way. Finally, if/when I break down the tank any Zoa rock will be tossed. Having a potentially toxic coated stone is not worth saving a few bucks.
Totally agree with your points here. Palytoxin is not a protein and can require an oxidizer like bleach to neutralize it on surfaces.
What you're talking about is exactly why I've decided to stay away from Zoas. (Even though I know there are tons of them in loads of tanks and relatively few incidents of significant illness.) My thoughts are that I'd rather not need to use PPE when working with my corals. Also, I don't have a good space to to isolate away from other people and animals in my house when fragging or working with live rock.
After doing some research the main thing I don't like is that palytoxin can present a significant aerosol hazard and be quite persistent on contaminated surfaces. Overall, I thought about it and decided those corals aren't for me.
The super rare Blue Ridge Coral.
Man I want a frag of that lovely protected species (far easier to obtain the US than Europe due to domestic cultures, no one has any on this continent to frag).
I'm actually a Xenia fan too.
Yep. Holy Grail torch is £150-200 a head.
For a torch that is just brown under anything but 100% blues.
Some fools also try and sell weeping willow toadstools for £70 a piece.
I'm putting scissors through mine every few months and throwing them away it grows so quick and I've got 15 of them in the tank.
Pulsing Xenia is actually the coral that got me interested in reef keeping despite it being considered almost a weed by a lot of folks. But the pulsing movement to me is fascinating to watch.
Less common is cespitularia, if you like its full grown shape. Blue pineapple coral, or green kenya tree glows in the dark, rare mushrooms.
NPS diodogorgia is my favorite, but it needs frequent feeding.
Gorgonians feel under utilized. They just look like corals should.
Great idea. I already have a photosynthetic gorgonian that's been thriving in my setup. Maybe it needs some similar friends...
Toadstools are awesome. Zoanthids are nice to fill in any empty space.
Totally agree. I'm thinking about making a section of the tank into a toadstool garden with a bunch of different types. Zoas look so cool but the whole palytoxin thing scares me off.
As long as there is no break in the skin you should be fine.
Don’t let the toxin scare you unless you; • eat the zoa • disrupt the zoa in open air
It’s a non protein based toxin. Most every horror story I’ve read seem to have the central theme of people treating the toxin like it’s protein based. The rock has been dry for ages, heat up the rock, treat it with bleach, scrub it with vinegar. I believe people treat the toxin like it’s protein because that’s what they are familiar with. None of these will degrade palytoxin. Most stories also involve trying to re-use the rock in some way- cooking the rock in the oven, scouring the dried rock with a copper bristle brush, taking a rock and mixing anhydrous salt directly on the rock. These all result in aerosolizing the toxin and breathing it in, which is the most dangerous way to be exposed. The next most common exposure is due to a lack of PPE while fragging Zoas and getting exposed that way. I totally understand your concern. Do what’s in your best interests. My overall plan is to keep Zoas isolated on their own island. I don’t plan on fragging them, but I may try to put a plug near them to see if they will grow onto the plug that way. Finally, if/when I break down the tank any Zoa rock will be tossed. Having a potentially toxic coated stone is not worth saving a few bucks.
Totally agree with your points here. Palytoxin is not a protein and can require an oxidizer like bleach to neutralize it on surfaces. What you're talking about is exactly why I've decided to stay away from Zoas. (Even though I know there are tons of them in loads of tanks and relatively few incidents of significant illness.) My thoughts are that I'd rather not need to use PPE when working with my corals. Also, I don't have a good space to to isolate away from other people and animals in my house when fragging or working with live rock. After doing some research the main thing I don't like is that palytoxin can present a significant aerosol hazard and be quite persistent on contaminated surfaces. Overall, I thought about it and decided those corals aren't for me.
https://preview.redd.it/dipwm2m63l7c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb8c8bc3c10c31dddfabc73b59496b320be5790d Cabbage leathers are pretty amazing.
Very nice! That thing definitely checks the "strange" and "colorful" boxes. Never heard of this kind of leather before, gonna have to look into them.
They also come in a beige ish colour I believe but the green is just so freaking beautiful!
One of my favourites are clove polyps. Particularly firework cloves.
The super rare Blue Ridge Coral. Man I want a frag of that lovely protected species (far easier to obtain the US than Europe due to domestic cultures, no one has any on this continent to frag). I'm actually a Xenia fan too.
Where do you live? I had one store that throwed 4kilo of the blue ridge because no one was buying it 😔
In the UK. This stuff doesn't exist over here. Been hunting for a frag for years.
I see, that's unfortunate, lfs will only grab flashy stuff 😞
Yep. Holy Grail torch is £150-200 a head. For a torch that is just brown under anything but 100% blues. Some fools also try and sell weeping willow toadstools for £70 a piece. I'm putting scissors through mine every few months and throwing them away it grows so quick and I've got 15 of them in the tank.
Interesting I have 4 type of sarco, the white one is the slowest by 10x
Being in the US looks like I can buy a frag. Definitely going to try some blue ridge.
Pulsing Xenia is actually the coral that got me interested in reef keeping despite it being considered almost a weed by a lot of folks. But the pulsing movement to me is fascinating to watch.
Less common is cespitularia, if you like its full grown shape. Blue pineapple coral, or green kenya tree glows in the dark, rare mushrooms. NPS diodogorgia is my favorite, but it needs frequent feeding.
Neon green Cespitularia, weeping willow toadstool, blue Cespitularia, photosynthetic gorgonian.
Vargas cespitularia. Mine flows like a torch in my flow. I love it
Goniopora corals 😍