Foxface rabbit fish stung me - ouch
My foxface recently got sick, after about 2 healthy years in my tank. I decided to take him out for disposal before he was completely dead, so he would not drift back in the rocks where I could not find him and foul up the tank. I forgot that the spines were venomous. The LFS sales person said its not a big deal, that is like an ordinary bee sting.
That was a flat out lie!!! Be very careful!!! That fish packs a wallop. I picked him up with my bare hands and lifted him out of the aquarium. About half way across the room, he started to thrash around. I was not expecting that because he was just floating around. When the spines are rigid, they are very sharp. They cut my right hand and little finger in four locations. You would not believe the burn, especially in the little finger. It was so intense that I thought about going to the emergency room. I was afraid that I was allergic to the venom. I was not expecting a sting like that. I used a cold pack first, and with my hand numb, it still burned. Then I tried as hot of water as I could stand. That worked much better than cold did. Its been over 12 hours and my hand is still burning some. My little finger is swollen to about the size of my thumb. The stings now feel more like bee stings. Twelve hours ago, it felt like I put out cigarettes with my right hand. I have been stung by a small house scorpion, and it didn't hurt any more than this does and a scorpion usually only gets you in one place. From my experience, the Foxface sting is worse than a volitan lion fish sting. The pain is more intense, last much longer, and has more swelling. Although I have never picked up a volitan lion, just bumped one while cleaning. I like the foxface because of the junk alge they eat, but I am re thinking getting another one. So be careful and don't let the LFS tell you that a Foxface sting is mild. They really pushed this fish to me, because of its alge eating ability. I have been having an alge problem. I just thought I would post this warning and maybe prevent another person from being careless around this fish and getting stung. I will probably have another one because of their cool nature and cleaning ability. I am just better educated on their sting now and will be much more careful when working with this fish in the tank. |
Sounds like you need to wear gauntlets when you play in your tank. I hope you aren't considering a shark next... =P
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Have you ever picked up a Bluegill? If I was to pick up a foxface (which I'd try to avoid) that would be the method I'd use. Basically slide your hand back from the face, so the spines are kept depressed.
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You should go see your doctor ASAP. Because of the bacteria in an aquarium, the stings can get infected very easily. Plus the spines can easily break off in your injury. Best to be safe and visit your doc today or tomorrow and get some antibiotics, and let him flush the wound and inspect it for spines.
And yes, they hurt very bad. Closer to a hornet sting than a bee sting. |
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I guess I will get another soon because he keeps the bubble alge well under control. Mine was not much of a hair alge eater. Maybe the next one will like hair alge better. I have not found anything else that will eat hair alge. I have tried sea hairs, which die quickly, and about every hardy snail and crab available. Is there anything I have missed? |
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Yes...... lower your phosphates |
An excess of crabs can do the trick. If they're hungry enough they will eat the algae, but if you don't have a ton of them, they fill up really fast since they usually end up eating the excess food for the fish. It's all about the numbers.
Kasey |
I have seen the aftermath of a rabbit sting, and it looks a lot like a fiddleback spider bite, which I have had. Blackening of the wound [tissue necrosis] as the blood supply gets shut down by the toxin, difficulty of wound healing, etc.
I don't want to be alarmist, but you might consult a doctor and talk with him at least. It may be too late for a Medrol pack, but if you get a lot of swelling and start to get tissue loss, it's hard to get the wound to heal. If it's already healing, great; if it's being slow about it, or if you're seeing a black area in the wound, you may need some medical attention. Perhaps the individual I saw was particularly susceptible, but I at least thought I should pass on a warning. |
ouch...
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lol.. buy one of these...
http://www.marinedepot.com/IMD%5C150%5CPY1111.jpg |
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Thanks for the information everyone. Be careful with your hands in the tank. |
I would take an anti inflammatory. Hope u feel better
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'yike's'
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Good to hear you are feeling better.
Umm, lets see the rabbitfish got you, the lionfish got you, the scorpion got you. Do you think with your history you should continue to get venomous creatures? :D BTW - Court jester gobies eat hair algae (and they aren't venomous ;) ) |
Why not get an algae blenny,, mine eats algae of rocks, glass etc.
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algae blennies don't do much for hair algae.
I've been stung ~10 times by a volitan lion, and it doesn't tend to upset me ( a quick muttering of expletives and then back to whatever I was doing in the tank). However, my brother didn't know they actually stung, and being the goofy guy he is he 'petted' it as I walked by with it in a plastic container. I was moving out, and he was being silly by saying goodbye. A 3/8" portion of his finger died. He doesn't have feeling there anymore. The stings affect everyone differently. Glad to see your reaction wasn't too bad. |
I would suggest good, thick rubber gloves when picking up things that are poisonous.
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