Who else is scared of touching coral

[noobsauce]

I always use gloves and when i touch them i freak out. I love looking at them though.

[reefcam]

I used to touch them, but not anymore... now I wear gloves everytime. The stink up my hands. And the zoos make my fingers numb.

[Tasher80]

I used gloves for their safety but im not scared of them. They may have a support group for that if you need one.

[wanareef]

Jim


Your not suppose to put those paper cut hands in the tank with those zoos

[MaryHM]

I handle literally hundreds of corals every week, bare handed, and I always have little cuts on my hands from handling so much stuff. I've only gotten palyo-poisoned once and it was a mild case. Metallic taste in my mouth for a couple of weeks. The only thing that freaks me out is when I pick up a piece and a crab comes running out on to my hand. I've been known to scream like a girl and drop a piece of coral when that happens. Insta-frag.

[Doug1]

Mary, thats a funny visual

[bchnit1]

Thanks for the visual Mary. Truth be told I'd do the same thing.

What kind of gloves do you all use? I've not handled any corals other then Xenia and some shrooms. Don't you have to worry about getting stung by sweepers on some of the stonies? Planning on adding some in the next few months after I move (again) and finally get settled in the new house.

Are there any you should not touch at all bare handed?

Oh yeah, been wondering this too, does aptasia sting if touched? Just blasted some last night .

[Cosine]

Originally Posted by bchnit1

Thanks for the visual Mary. Truth be told I'd do the same thing.

What kind of gloves do you all use? I've not handled any corals other then Xenia and some shrooms. Don't you have to worry about getting stung by sweepers on some of the stonies? Planning on adding some in the next few months after I move (again) and finally get settled in the new house.

Are there any you should not touch at all bare handed?

Oh yeah, been wondering this too, does aptasia sting if touched? Just blasted some last night .

Naw aptasia doens't sting. You can just pull it out.

[Piero]

I fondle all the corals barehanded, daily...too lazy for gloves.

[TimmyG]

Originally Posted by Piero

I fondle all the corals barehanded, daily...too lazy for gloves.

LOL Me too.
The corals don't bother me at all.
or the crabs for that matter

What I hate is those da__n bristle worms

Timmy

[cath]

I was over at Tom's place once when he was fragging some button polyps and boy did he get stung. Got a migraine headache. Ask him about it.

[asmith]

I always handle them with my bare hands. My skin is pretty tough and I have never had a problem with a sting or even a bristle worm.

Andrew

[tdwyatt]

Cath is referring to working on some torch Euphyliids on the sting, and cutting up xome zoanthids on the headach. I even knew better but I was in a hurry...


had a headache that lasted for a week, couldn't feel my lips for a few days either. Palotoxins can be quite lethal, so I would suggest that you use gloves on them in particular, but everything else is usually not an issue (some Torches, and Carpet anemones require that you be careful)

Mary, the image of the crab wrangler in you made me laugh! The things that get me are the things I can't see when I have my hand in a tank up to the armpit (and I'm reaching blind) and something flitters across my hand or arm...

[Jeremy1973]

I handle corals all the time, and have never had a problem. Yes, becareful handling a coral that has a bristleworm underneath it. But even then, that doesnt' slow me down. You do need to be careful if you ever get in to SPS corals, I have heard that firecorals can be harmful if handled. But I don't know that many firecorals out on the market.

[drw94]

The corals have never stung me before, but the crabs make me itch all day long.....oooooopppppppsssssss wrong place to talk about that!