Tip of the Day – 3/27/2014

When fragging corals, especially zoanthid polyps, it’s best to use all of the appropriate personal protective equpiment (PPE). While it may seem like overkill to don glasses, gloves, or even a face shield, these quick tools can stand between you and a trip to the hospital. Besides the dangers of using sharp tools like scapels, bone cutters, and coral saws, the act of fragging can also lead to exposure to dangerous chemicals. Zoas and palys, for example, contain palytoxin, which can cause numbness, blindness, vomitting, and even death in some extreme cases. Other corals may not pack in these same defences, but it is likely that no coral will go down without putting up some sort of fight. So, be careful and use your PPE.