Polyps? Dangerous to handle???

[idgy]

I always use gloves but are polyps dangerous to handle without gloves?

 

[spongebob lover]

if we are talking about zoos, yes they can be dangerous if you just handle with your hands and more if you try fragging them.
i don't think yellow polyps, green star polyps are dangerous or at least i have never use globes to move them around, but i think no matter what you are moving around the tank, it's always good to use globes because you never know and i think it hurts less to move rocks around than when you are not using globes, just my opinion dood.

 

[NaH2O]

idgy - I personally use gloves whenever handling corals. I seem to be more sensitive to touching coral than others, so I really don't go without them. Even SPS slime bothers me a bit. When handling palythoas and zoanthids, I feel it is always smart to have gloves on because of the palytoxins they contain. Its best to be safe, as sensitivities can develop over time, so if you always remember to have them on while handling livestock, it will become second nature to wear them.

 

[reedman]

It's person dependent as Nikki eluded to. I never wear gloves (wouldn't recommend that to others), but I have been zapped more than once by my hammer coral. There are several people I have heard of that have developed sensitivities over time with exposure. It's best to limit your contact by wearing gloves.

 

[spongebob lover]

yeah i agree, i mean i don't wear them but i should because i have been sting by my anemone and even though it wasn't bad, still, you don't wanna be zapped by a zoo or any other coral

 

[Clownguy]

I totally agree with what everyone has said it depends on the person and the typoe of immune response your body builds upto over time. I have never worn gloves and I have never had any reaction to anything. HOwever, I had a friend who got touched by a bubble tip anemone and his whole arm swelled up. It is best if have gloves to wear them.

Chris

 

[MikeS]

I always wear gloves when doing anything in my reef....aside from the potential for stings and venom, there are lots of bacteria in there as well...an open cut on the hand could be an invitation to a nasty infection. I learned that the hard way early in the hobby, I cut my hand on some LR and got a really bad infection from it, I had to take anitbiotics...my advice, wear those gloves!

MikeS

 

[Rock-N-Ruin]

I've been slacking off the past couple months..thanks for the reminder. I only wear them when handling rock and Zooanthids, I just find them bulky and they get a bad stink after awhile. I've got quite a few pairs, even a fresh pair . They are all the coralife Orange and Purple full length gloves. Does anyone know of anything less clumsey and restrictive that is full length???? not just latex gloves, cause those let water/bacteria in..

 

[NaH2O]

Those coralife ones are definately bulky....I like them for working with live rock. No matter what I've tried, I still end up with a little water in when I'm in the tank for an extended period (like scraping coralline for an hour or two). I put on a veterinary sleeve (goes up to the shoulder) and then a nitrile glove over the hand of that......but sometimes that even lets the water in...so I'll either put on 2 veterinary sleeves with a nitrile glove over the sleeve, or 1 sleeve and 2 nitrile gloves over that. The closer fit to the fingers allows it to not feel as bulky or clumsy as the coralife gloves.

Hope this helps.

 

[idgy]

Rock-N-Ruin you are so right about those gloves and the BAD stink they do give off.

 

[snobanker]

After years of sticking my bare hands in wet concrete, gasoline, pesticides, oil, solvents, glue, mud, blood, and beer I think I could get away with sticking them in molten hot lava now..(heck there is no original skin left on them that isn't some type of scar tissue)..but I do try and not directly touch any polyps without gloves, ....I don't like the heavy rubber gloves so use a thicker latex tight fitting glove extremely similar to the ones that we use to search people at work....they are tight fitting so no leaks and these particular ones are very thick, not like the cheapo hardware store latex gloves.

Mojo gave me my first polyps and when he did he said "you know these are poisonous right?" I said "of course I do tssss"....carefully noting to myself that I now knew they were

 

[spongebob lover]

lol !!
Stan you are lucky, i get to use the cheapo latex ones and that's when i dipped my zoos

 

[plack]

Cheap Quick And Effective :
I use the cheap surgical gloves But I also use a thick rubberband around the end at the wrist this way it does not get water inside its quick disposable and your hands I belive contain the most bacteria around the fingers anyway so this keeps it down to a minimum
Paul

 

[NaH2O]

Stan - are those the gloves from the galls website - the ones that prevent needle sticks when searching? I was wondering how they would work against sticks from vermetid snail tubes (you know the ones that cut your skin open anytime you bump into them).

 

[spongebob lover]

what !!! they can cut your skin ?

 

[snobanker]

I wouldn't count on these for needlesticks, but they are pretty thick. I am not sure where they came from i have had them for years. They are the same as the ones we use at work, but I got this box from a friend. I'll find out what they are and where to get them. The cheapos are fine too....I just don't like a particular box I bought because two out of three break when putting them on so I considered the whole box a waste.