Can frogspawn sting a person?

[Reefmack]

This may be a dumb question, but can a lps like frogspawn sting a human? I was just doing a few quick things in the tank, and I brushed against my frogspawn and one of my fingers has a burning sensation. Not the first time this has happened, and it seems like more than just a coincidence.

[Sk8r]

Some people are hyper-sensitive to the stings of euphyllia and anemones, etc. Wear thin latex gloves such as surgeons use, never mind if water gets into them: they will protect you from exposure to these stings. If you go on letting it happen unprotected, you may see the day your whole arm breaks out and peels, and that you become increasingly sensitive not just to the stings but to the water in your tank....I know an lfs owner who was in this shape. A little precaution early will prevent this. You can get these gloves at your supermarket, usually in the cleaning products aisle.

[yellowslayer13]

no our skin is to thick for the barbs to penetrate they an only go in to fish tat dont have thick scales

[gflat65]

I've been hit once or twice, too, but Euphyllia and Bubble tip anemones. Any time it happened, they hit me on a scar between knuckles. The bubbletips (I've handled them frequently for years and have only been stung once) made my hand turn red for about a week in a section through the knuckles. It can happen, but I think conditions have to be right. I've also been stung by a black stringy sponge in a friends tank move. It got her a lot quicker than me, but it got me.

[Reefmack]

Hi and thanks. At least it sounds like it's possible. I do have the thin latex unpowdered gloves - I can get them for nothing from work. I usually do wear them, but once in a while I'm going to do something quick & figure I don't need them. Then I end up brushing a knuckle against the frogspawn and a couple minutes later I start to get the light, but quite noticeable, burning sensation - it's always a knuckle that takes the hit - probably because the skin on the bottom of fingers is thicker. I guess I'll try to remember the gloves, even if the do fill with water & are messy - that's why I keep towels under the tank and a small rug in front of it.

[waterfaller1]

You guys may have tough skin, but some of us women reefers get stung easily.

[thecichlidpleco]

I get rashes on my hands some times when I touch it too often in the tank. Nothing to bad, heels in a few hours, just best to keep cuts and open sores out of water or contained in gloves.

[Hormigaquatica]

Originally posted by Sk8r
If you go on letting it happen unprotected, you may see the day your whole arm breaks out and peels...

I can vouch for that one. If I handle too many of them through the day, Ill start to get what looks like white peeling on my hand (pleasant, huh?). It rarely hurts, though if you happen to get tagged right on a cut, it can feel like a small shock. Rarely a problem though unless you are handling it frequently.

I have not noticed the same severity of reaction when working with other Euphyllias, but then again I handle frog more than the rest too.

[Reefmack]

No more burning sensation - as before it lasted a few hours & has passed. Glad to know I'm not the only one to get tagged by these things. The first time I wasn't sure, but after a few times now I know that's what's happening.

[Sk8r]

Hot water is the sovereign cure for marine stings of all sorts, vinegar if there are barbs in the wound, but repeated sensitization is a pita! Use those gloves!

[Reefmack]

I agree - it is possible to get sensitized to these toxins after repeated exposures. I'll do my best to tell myself to put a glove on next time. They're right under the tank - not a major inconvenience to reach down & grab one!

[slukach]

Yes....yes they do.

[Sara B]

I have touched them with no issues over the past year or two, but I had some cuts on the back of my hand and I brushed by my frogspawn and it stung me real good! I'm going back to my gloves when going near them!

[capn_hylinur]

wearing gloves is good really for all work in the tank---zoos and other corals can release toxins that can cause anything from rashes to nausea

[bassist6108]

I managed to get stung by a bubble coral (not a BTA) and half my hand turned red and swelled. It's been about a month, and it's still clearly visible where I got stung - but I also have very sensitive skin. from now on, it's all gloves, all the time.

[Echidna09]

If you have a cut that touches them they will always get you.

[JimCata]

I get stung all the time by mine which is way to large for my 29G tank. Keeps it real!

[Bud's Reef]

When I first started just six months ago I got a bad rash all over my hand just from handling the live rock. Shortly after that I was at the LFS to buy more rock and got nailed by a bristle worm. Now if I'm doing any heavy work in the tank especially if moving live rock I wear heavy rubber gloves that reach my shoulder. For anything else even if its something quick I keep a box of gloves next to the tank and always put them on. If my hand is going to be submerged for a while I keep rubber bands in the box with the gloves and put one around my wrist. Keeps the water out a lot longer.

[Reefmack]

Now why didn't I think of the rubber bands! I should have read this first - I just brought a pom pom xenia frag home and put it on the bottom for now. This time I put a latex glove on though, but the rubber band would have helped keep water out of it. They get trashed anyway, but it would have been less messy. Thanks for the rubberband "glove mod". I have the arm length ones too, but they're too bulky for much other than moving big rock around.

[ACBlinky]

Originally posted by Reefmack
This may be a dumb question, but can a lps like frogspawn sting a human?

Absolutely, some of us are very sensitive to Euphyllia corals. This is what happens to me if I brush up against a hammer, frogspawn, bubble, or torch - it's the reason I bought shoulder-length gloves and wear them faithfully... most of the time

[conorwynne]

I get consistently burnt when placing LPS coral on LR structure. Its a crazy feeling, like a lighter under your fingers. Made me drop the coral a few times.

[Reefmack]

Great pic - looks like my knuckle did after touching the back of my hand to my frogspawn euphyllia (third time). Still a few little marks after several days. with all this response it's good to know my original question wasn't so dumb after all!

[Echidna09]

ACBlinky- My arm has done that a few times at work. I was never sure what coral caused it though because I handle so many. It itches and doesn't go away fully for a couple days.

[leoslizards]

Can anything in the common home reef kill you with a sting or bite or something? Example, jellyfish but they're not common in a home reef, I think. What about lion fish? This would help me avoid things when I start my reef system.

[ckoral]

I was working for hours and had pruny hands. I handle Euphyllia often but am never affected. As everyone says, I finally got hit. It was right on the knuckles of my pruney hands.
Described as 3 seperate hits, felt like tiny fish hooks going into my skin. 5 months later and I still have white marks on my skin where I got hit.

The 3 hits took about 1 second but all were seperated by a fraction of a second. It hurt like a bee sting, however it went away after an hour or so.