Mushroom Toxins?

[earman88]

Last night I got some new mushroom coral. i was threading them onto string to tie onto a seashell.

Anyways my left thumb has prolonged exposure to the slimy coating of the mushrooms. My thumb (starting last night before I was done with the mushrooms) became sensitive, like right by the tip of my nail.

Today it's still pretty sensitive and hurts a little when touched, just the outer layer of skin. I wonder if it has anything to do with the mushroom releasing any toxins? My other left hand fingers are calloused (guitar) so they may have been impervious to the toxins.

 

[Bifferwine]

Well all corals contain toxins to some degree... The vast majority of them are not strong enough to hurt a person. But I suppose if you got some in an open cut or wound, you could get irritated. If you didn't have an open wound on that thumb already, I highly doubt the mushroom could be bothering it. In any case, it's always a good idea to use gloves when handling corals. You don't want to rub your eyes or something after touching them. Plus they stink.

 

[Amba]

Zoas contain palytoxin, live rock has nasty bristleworms, mushrooms especially smell awful, plus all the bacteria and slime anyway, you should always use gloves when you put your hands in your tank.

 

[Waddi]

You should always use gloves when you put your hands in your tank.

I love how we all say this, but the majority of us dont hahaha

 

[bjohanson1234]

+1 Waddi :mrgreen:

 

[Amba]

I love how we all say this, but the majority of us dont hahaha

I never did until I got poked. I use inert dish washing style gloves, can get three pair for a buck at the dollar store. But yeah I never did either, but that's how things go, people dont take precautions until something bad happens!

 

[Ted]

Wait a minute....there are gloves we can wear???? what is this you speak of oh learned one...:shock: I dont wear gloves when I clean the 350 degree fryers at work...cant see me doing it in my tank.

 

[earman88]

Yeah I should probably wear gloves. Sometimes when I dip my hands in to the tank, I can see small film on top of the water, be it from hand soap or human oils.. w/e.

In a bigger tank... 50g+.. I don't think it's a huge deal as long as your hands are clean. In a smaller tank it is probably more of an issue.

As far as getting poked.. well that's a different matter.

 

[cvcdrk]

I get the film, too. I rinse my hands well before I ever put them in the tank but I don't use gloves. I would like to get a pair for the next time I move stuff around or really have to do something...

...but I also don't handle corals very often and when I do it's when they're on the frag plug.

 

[Mr.D]

If people knew all the things we are exposed to with our hands through our daily goings on, you'd want to wear gloves. Sticking our hands in our tanks is no less dangerous.