NOOb stinging question?

[brandolando4]

I know very little on this topic and i cant seem to find concrete yes and no answers. Do you guys handle your corals with bare hands or with gloves. i know zoa secrete a toxin that can kill u if ingested, but can any corals sting you? or should i just go and touch them with my hand..

 

THanks

[_reefermadness_]

I know very little on this topic and i cant seem to find concrete yes and no answers. Do you guys handle your corals with bare hands or with gloves. i know zoa secrete a toxin that can kill u if ingested, but can any corals sting you? or should i just go and touch them with my hand..

 

THanks

 

I always rinse before hands go in the tank, but I never wear gloves unless it is my zoas.

[brandolando4]

right of course i would rinse but do corals even possesses nematocysts capable of sting us?

[briansbelle]

I handle all my corals with no gloves...even zoas....only time I wear gloves or eye protection is when fragging them.

 

Only ones I don't handle at all are my mini nems, they are super sticky...lol

[burtbollinger]

ive been stung by hammers before...

[brandolando4]

ive been stung by hammers before...

 

 

Did it hurt?

[paneubert]

ive been stung by hammers before...

 

I just messed with a huge hammer colony for like 45 minutes and I did not get stung. If anything, I was worried I would kill it by running up against it so much.

 

I think it is luck of the draw as to if the coral is in war/stinging mode, or safety/retract mode.

[RichmondVA]

I just messed with a huge hammer colony for like 45 minutes and I did not get stung. If anything, I was worried I would kill it by running up against it so much.

 

I think it is luck of the draw as to if the coral is in war/stinging mode, or safety/retract mode.

 

I'm pretty sure the "stinging" from hammer/frogspawn/torch is more of a per person basis. The LFS was saying one of the employees can handle frogspawn no problem, but another gets welts if he even brushes up against one.

 

I would definitely go with extra caution, personally. The alternative obviously being to go through your tank and touch everything to see if it hurts you. Just seems easier to wear gloves.

[brandolando4]

Ok so can I wear like cheap walmart dish washing gloves or do I have to buy special gloves because at my lfs they sell gloves for 30 bucks I really don't want to spend that much money on gloves!!

[soccerdude3131]

I work at a LFS and I handle everything bare handed even the anemones and have no problem, but like everyone else was saying everybody has different reactions. I would just tell you to make sure you don't have anything like soap on your hands before you go into your tank and then wash your hands when you're done.

[GokesReef]

I've never worn gloves.. but I have been thinking of starting. More for the coral's well being then my own. Never really had any problems, though.

[reeftankguy]

I never wear gloves no matter what I'm doing or handling in my reef tanks.

 

I'm just hardcore fearless like that

 

But if it make you feel more confidant working in your tanks, by all means wear gloves

[paneubert]

Ok so can I wear like cheap walmart dish washing gloves or do I have to buy special gloves because at my lfs they sell gloves for 30 bucks I really don't want to spend that much money on gloves!!

 

Would probably be cheaper to get a box of non powdered latex gloves. Could be found in Wal-Mart or any drug store. I say non powdered because I assume the powder might not be good for the tank. That way you can toss them and do not have to try to dry them out like the dish gloves. Also, I assume water would be getting in your dish gloves if your tank is deeper. So it would suck to tr to dry out both the inside and outside of the gloves each time you use them. ALSO..........you will have much better feeling in your fingers with thin gloves. Big thick gloves = you dropping things and/or squishing them because you have no fine motor control when wearing big gloves.

[burtbollinger]

ive never been 'hurt' by a coral until the hammer...it caused a large welt and felt like I had been burned by a mild acid solution. The welt remained for two days.

 

I'm afraid to touch it now...i posted some pix in my thread last night...the hammer is the one on the top left.

[rdahlke1105]

I think it would also depend on if you are allergic to the toxins. Some people are going to be more allergic than others.

[paneubert]

ive never been 'hurt' by a coral until the hammer...it caused a large welt and felt like I had been burned by a mild acid solution. The welt remained for two days.

 

I'm afraid to touch it now...i posted some pix in my thread last night...the hammer is the one on the top left.

 

Awesome tank.....I love torch/hammer/frogspawn....

[RussianBoy]

I never wear gloves but I usually avoid getting any coral slime on me... the only time I have been hurt by my reef is not wearing gloves picking up a rock and taking a fireworm to the finger... that sucks...but wont kill you.