Touching coral with your hands

[Lucky Lefty]

So.. let me start by saying that I am officially never buying another turbo snail.

They really like bulldozing corals and plugs that I've wedged into the live rock.
this morning I found one of my beautiful chalice corals on the sand bed, right next to a turbo snail.
the chalice has grown around most of the plug it's on so it's incredibly hard to pick up the disc without touching the coral.
I tried really hard to only touch this disc, but I could feel the slime of the coral when I was moving it.
make matters worse, I couldn't get it back exactly how I had it so it rolled off the rock once or twice.
is touching the coral going to kill it?
I was cursing the turbo snail this morning left and right and once I had the chalice set I could see some ribs of the skeleton along the edge (never saw that before).
When I get home I'm really hoping it looks normal, or the turbo is getting some cocktail sauce on him for killing a $100 chalice. (Mostly my fault, I know).

How about other corals? How bad is it to touch these corals with our hands, or any other instrument for that matter, while moving them?

[jrp1588]

They don't particularly like it, it might temporarily damage their flesh, but I've never killed a coral by touching it.

[ClownsRCoo]

we literally dunk these things in pesticides before we put them into our tanks. Touching them is he least stressful thing we do to them. Just handle it with care and you are fine.

[yaridong]

It wont do any damage to your chalice. I dont keep any turbo snails in mine. I clear the glass with a mag float and have sand sifters (nassarius snails and a conch) for the bottom.

[ZeeSparrow]

they don't particularly like it, it might temporarily damage their flesh, but i've never killed a coral by touching it.

+1

[Lucky Lefty]

Good to know.. Thanks a lot for the input. I try to be as delicate as possible.
the turbos seemed like a great idea in the beginning, they over stayed their welcome though.

Came home and chalice looked great where I left it. I moved it back to where I had it because it seemed super happy there, and I put a few dabs of super glue on the rim of the plug to attach it to the rock.

Thanks again

[Lucky Lefty]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/27/9e833bc04fde0a78740fcb1feccd40ca.jpg

Chalice after my horrible glue job.
I don't go crazy over aesthetics so the exposed glue doesn't bother me.
As long as it's happy and secure.. im happy.

[jrp1588]

Don't get too comfortable. I've had many a superglued frag broken loose by turbos. haha

[heathlindner25]

Is there anyway you could blow the picture up alittle....I'm having a hard time seeing it...lol
J/k I think you did a great job attaching it,and that white glue doesn't stay white for very long.

[Lucky Lefty]

Don't get too comfortable. I've had many a superglued frag broken loose by turbos. haha

Haha.. yea I'm kinda betting on that, but I have to at least try to be proactive instead of just laying it on the rock.

[Lucky Lefty]

Is there anyway you could blow the picture up alittle....I'm having a hard time seeing it...lol
J/k I think you did a great job attaching it,and that white glue doesn't stay white for very long.

Hahaha.. thats Tapatalk for ya.. I just went on the browser and was like :eek2: when I saw the photo so big and also rotated to the side, but o well it works.
thanks

[heathlindner25]

Hell tell me how you did it....lol , next time I post a FTS that would be nice!!

[Sk8r]

Our hands are rough as sandpaper to them --- and if they sting us, we rip their little harpoons out. If you wear nitrile exam gloves (your pharmacy) you can spare them this. If they're good enough for brain surgery, they're thin enough to do reef work in.

[RussIV]

Our hands are rough as sandpaper to them --- and if they sting us, we rip their little harpoons out. If you wear nitrile exam gloves (your pharmacy) you can spare them this. If they're good enough for brain surgery, they're thin enough to do reef work in.

+1

i have never touched a coral bare handed. gloves always go on. but i suspect minimal damage if you do.

[Spinelessspade]

Our hands are rough as sandpaper to them --- and if they sting us, we rip their little harpoons out. If you wear nitrile exam gloves (your pharmacy) you can spare them this. If they're good enough for brain surgery, they're thin enough to do reef work in.


Now if only I wasn't allergic to gloves like that...

[Lucky Lefty]

Now if only I wasn't allergic to gloves like that...

Allergic to nitrile? Dang. I've heard of allergic to latex, or the powder in the latex.
I thought everything went nitrile to prevent allergic reactions.
I guess you could be allergic to anything, really.

[Spinelessspade]

Allergic to nitrile? Dang. I've heard of allergic to latex, or the powder in the latex.

I thought everything went nitrile to prevent allergic reactions.

I guess you could be allergic to anything, really.


I can't were the latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves at work since I'm allergic to the powder in the gloves I think, but it makes my skin fall out on chunks, not the best outcome when you're working on a ecosystem with as many different toxins and bacteria as a reef

[Quiet_Ivy]

I can't were the latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves at work since I'm allergic to the powder in the gloves I think, but it makes my skin fall out on chunks, not the best outcome when you're working on a ecosystem with as many different toxins and bacteria as a reef

Yikes. If you're sure it's just the powder, you can buy powderless gloves from amazon. Runs about 8$/box. I use no powder nitrile gloves myself.

hth
Ivy

[Jrambo88]

I work in EMS we use the powder less nitrile gloves. I don't see why you can't use those I bet you would not have a reaction.

[heathlindner25]

I would never suggest anything but powderless in a reef.

[SecretiveFish]

I try not to, but sometimes it is just not possible to move a coral without touching the flesh. The corals have not appreciated it but have also recovered within a day or two.

I would not suggest moving frogspawn if you have an open cut... SO did that... OUCH!

[ZeeSparrow]

I brushed against my candy cane coral with my arm once, and have bumped it a few times with gloves on. Once or twice it's been touched by toothbrush bristles. :o Every reaction seems to be the same - shrivels up in the area touched for a day or two, but so far has always recovered.