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Which Zoas are Poisonous?


Wade

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I cannot answer definitively for you, nor have I seen a list like you're describing anywhere, but I would like to say it's best to probably play it safe with all zoas and palys just because our understanding of things in the ocean isn't quite 100% yet. It probably, also, takes a scientist analyzing the animal to see what it's flesh contains and as I'm sure you know there are thousands of varieties of each type of coral. I guess the "play it safe" idea would probably go for a lot of other corals in general too because a lot of them carry stuff that is bad for humans like the bacteria in their mucous. Sorry if that wasn't more helpful I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in soon as this site is full of helpful folks.

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I always play it safe when it comes to my DT:) I've read a couple of articles lately regarding people that have developed blisters and sores just from reaching into their tank. I always wear gloves whenever I reach in, but my arms come in contact with the water. I've not had any reactions in the past 10 years and I'm not expecting one anytime soon, but I thought is some types were known to be toxic, then I would just hedge my bets and avoid those entirely. I thought one of those articles specifically named Dragon Eyes for one. There's 100's of different zoas so I have no problem just not having the ones that are more likely than not to be toxic.

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I'll only buy a zoa if the person I'm buying it from reaches their bare hand into the tank to grab it to bag it. Then I act like I'm on a phone call for 30 minutes, but really I'm just watching that hand. If it gets red, I just say my mom fell and I have to go to the hospital, and sorry about not buying your toxic zoas.

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I did a visual comparison based on several of the tests in publications a feewars ago. Almost everything that tested positive was a texas trash type paly and almost every one had some variegated lighter color pattern in the center.

Basically something like these:

DSCF9090.jpg

I would take the position that any could potentially contain palytoxin, but I'd be especially careful of TT paly's.

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