Eeouch!!!

[Mak]

Watch out for them Frogspawns :twisted: , they pack a nasty sting and rash :shock: . I had about 25 tentacles stings up my wrist and it left red spots up my arm for about a day or two :shock: .

Anyone else recieve a nice sting or two from something :?: .

[Delphinus]

My carpet anemone packs some pretty nasty stings... Doesn't sting at the time of contact, but a day later I'll have red welts that feel like bee-stings where I touched the anemone.

Bristleworms aren't too fun either, if you happen to pick up a rock or something and there just happens to be a worm where your fingers are .... ouch. Not unlike stinging nettle.

[spikehs]

i got stung by my frogspawn, didn't notice anything untill a day later, was itchy more than painful.

[EmilyB]

I got an urchin spine pushed under my fingernail. :shock: I chewed at it until I was able to get it out. No, I didn't pee on it.....

[kgb]

some times after touching some corals in my tank (dont know what 2 of the types are and i also think it is the mushrooms ) if i have say like a slight cute or just a scratch in like a day or 2 it looks and feals like i burned my self

Ive got my arm wraped in a 18" solomons island green carpet anemone, that wasnt fun, face kinda went purple a little later, couple days later got stung by a 14" red volitian lion fish. also had my hands in some dirty tanks that week, few days later got a kidney infection, that created a bladder infection, and the build up of all the toxins led to all my vital organs shutting down one by one. Laying on your side in the emergency room at the hospital, having shaking cunvulsions with 5 people pushing on I.V. bags to give your system a kickstart is not very fun at all. I recommend everyone wear gloves when handling livestock, or putting their hands in a tank... Doctors said 1/2 hour later and I woulda been dead. Gloves are expensive but so are funerals

[smokinreefer]

DBA...glad to hear you are OK.
but the average reefer isnt exposed to the risk you were, an 18" carpet and lionfish!! those animals are known to be powerful stingers/poisonous.
i agree with you, anyone handling those types of animals should certainly where thick rubber gloves.

i however, have only had problems with bristleworms...and that was only a couple days ago!! i have an abundance of them in my system, and it seems like every rock has a big fat one living under it. i have been moving some things around in my display and my refugium and i got a whole bunch of bristles stuck in my hand...thank god for whoever invented the tweezer!!

now i know how my marron feels, though i am sure it hurts her more, as she always has them on her face!!!

[chicki]

deepblue...glad to hear your ok, that was quite the ordeal!!

I often wonder about gettomg the tank water in my mouth?? I suck on the syphon tube to get it started etc. I spit it out...but that can't be good for you?? don't know anyother way around it though?

[sumpfinfishe]

Chicki-to answer your thought in short, all tanks contain some type of bacteria. Some can be harmful to humans which in turn can cause many types of infections. I use an extra long siphon hose, that way I have plenty of time to see the siphon coming so I avoid a mouth full of water. I also use gloves when handling certain types of corals. Below I also cut out this section of an interesting article by Eric Borneman in the archives of Aquarium Frontiers. :shock:

The discovery several years ago of an unnamed Vibrio (type AK-1) as an agent of coral bleaching was the first record of Vibrio pathogenicity in corals. In a high temperature-dependent situation, this strain causes patchy bleaching in the Red Sea coral Oculina patagonica and perhaps others. Brown (1997) and Peters (1997) have both commented that, despite the implications of a Vibrio role in bleaching, the circumstances of this case are somewhat extenuating. Vibrio spp. are a unique bacterial constituent of marine and estuarine environments. They have become quite infamous because of their tendency toward virulence and pathogenicity in humans and ornamental fish. Certainly, they can be quite dangerous and care should be exercised when working with aquariums, specifically corals and substrates where these microbes tend to exist prolifically. Cuts and openings in the skin should be protected, with hand washing using a true antibacterial soap performed after handling or working in aquarium water. Any cuts or abrasions that occur from working in an aquarium should be immediately attended to with antibiotic applications. Lethargy, diarrhea or other unusual health problems following in-tank work should be treated seriously.

Not only are Vibrio spp. a potential danger in aquaria, but there are many other genera that have equally dangerous potentials for infection and disease. Nonetheless, it should be apparent that the thought of Vibrio spp. in the aquarium should not be met with trepidation, but understanding. These bacteria play a number of important roles in marine habitats, from denitrification to providing settlement cues and acting as trophical resources for many organisms. Their presence is normal to the environment, and, we hope that understanding these bacteria will allow them to be met with less fear and a greater appreciation of their role and presence both in the wild and in marine aquaria.

[PFisher]

Chiki,

I have a gravel cleaner that I bought for about $15. It has a one way valve in it so that all you need to do to get the siphon started is shake it up and down in the water. Works great, no tank water in the mouth, no mess (most of the time).

Patrick