Cleanliness is next to tankliness

[Ichthys]

I have been wondering about this since I started up my tank and have been afraid to ask what seems like a silly question, but here it goes…
What do you use to clean your hands and arms before reaching into your tank? I know some use those long gloves, and the grabber things are a good idea too, although I haven’t bought a pair as they are way down the priority list of things to buy for my system. I am a bit paranoid about contaminating my tank and so I want my hands to be clean and free of oils, yet I know soap residue is bad. What do others do?
I was doing yard work last weekend and spraying weed killer on the front grass, I wouldn’t go near my tank for 2 days afterwards, made my wife feed the fish… Also.. we have a hot tub/spa which we use several nights a week. Rather than chlorine/bromine we use a product called Baquspa in the spa. I am pretty sure it is some sort of algaecide / fungicide and it makes me nervous doing any tank maintenance on the same day I have been in the spa…

Is there anyone else out there that is as anal as I am about not contaminating the tank.

Ichthys

 

[ac7av]

The best advice I ever got about is to keep your hands out of the tank. This was a quote from Myteemouse back a years or so ago. Besides that you could ware gloves, lots of people use the gloves like for dealing with live stock, they go all the way up your arm to your shoulder. If you’re concerned about it that’s what Id do. There a lot of things in the average tank that if you’re allergic at all to them could prove to be deadly if the circumstance arises, since I’m sure none of the hospitals in the area deal with that sort of thing around here. You never know till it happens. Other then that any dish soap with grease cutter in it would work fine. You don’t want any oils in the tank.

 

[NaTe R]

i don't think your being anal about not wanting pesticides in your tank or anything else. i think thats just being smart. i try to not get anything foreign in there as well. I wash off with tap water to my shoulder and towel dry with my specific fish room towels i was with water no soap. (well water here) I also use as many tools as possible to do the in the tank stuff. I use a long wood dowel with a slit that i carved to hold a razor blase to do scrapings and i flattened out the other side so i can push stuff around. And if you search "long tweezers" on Ebay you can find some really long tweezers to help pick things up, like snails, frags, ect. I would recommend bending the tips inward a bit to strengthen there "pinch" a bit for the larger things.

 

[thatguy559]

i just make sure my hands are clean i have always been in my tanks never any issues.

 

[NaClH2Ofreak]

I where gloves whenever I'm doing anything that may get my hands dirty. I buy purple nitril gloves by the case. Then, I dont have to worry about getting contaminants on my hands in the first place. Then, If I'm going to get into the tank, I do a quick splash/rinse under the sink and towel dry. Has worked just fine for the past 11 years. And there use to be times I was in the tank multiple times daily.

Dennis

 

[reefbobc]

I where gloves whenever I'm doing anything that may get my hands dirty. I buy purple nitril gloves by the case. Then, I dont have to worry about getting contaminants on my hands in the first place. Then, If I'm going to get into the tank, I do a quick splash/rinse under the sink and towel dry. Has worked just fine for the past 11 years. And there use to be times I was in the tank multiple times daily.

Dennis

I also do a through hand and arm wash, but I also make sure to scrape and clean well under the fingernails because that's where dirt can be trapped and escape normal washing.

 

[marlinmero]

i just rinse my arm and hand off in water wipe it off and dive in

 

[Faciosity]

Definately wash and rinse well before and after, and gloves are a good thing. I'm stubborn, and don't use gloves, but have felt the wrath of coral/anemone/bristleworm stings on several occasions. They don't feel very good! Protecting your livestock is very important to us all, but nothing outweighs protecting yourself!

 

[Faciosity]

Oh, and if you do ever get a coral/anemone sting pour vinegar over it, and rinse with cold water. Stinging/burning will go away almost immediately. I have seen it used for jellyfish stings and thought, why not for corals? It worked! I keep a big bottle handy at all times.

 

[SpecialTang]

Rinse, Dry, and Dive here

On that note I will not go into the tank unless I HAVE TO, I have clamps for most of the time.

 

[Faciosity]

I was working on my car for the last couple days, and wont touch my tank for a few more until all the oil is gone. Don't wanna play BP with my tank:lol:!

 

[burning2nd]

i just dont put my hands in my tank if i have oil like moter oil on em... but other then that they come out nice and clean...

slows your skimmer down for a few hours... but no harm...

but i try to keep my hands outta the tank as much as i can... i hardly have to go shouldering diveing

 

[crazyfish253]

I just rinse mine off and dive in.

 

[ac7av]

That really is the best thing to just keep your hands out of the tank as much as you can. Invest in some tools or build them to do the work for you. I use some stuff I made and things I purchased from the store just for the job. BBQ tools work well, just get the stainless steel stuff. You can modify them any way you need or attach things to them for the need.

 

[NaClH2Ofreak]

Oh, and if you do ever get a coral/anemone sting pour vinegar over it, and rinse with cold water. Stinging/burning will go away almost immediately. I have seen it used for jellyfish stings and thought, why not for corals? It worked! I keep a big bottle handy at all times.

Actually, you want to use hot water.

Dennis

 

[NC2WA]

what is the difference between using cold and hot water??

vinegar I knew, but would like to know the decision behind using hot water vs cold.

Danke

Kirk

 

[marlinmero]

I think warm water helps open your poors and extracts the chemical "posion"

 

[Ichthys]

SUbject of Water

I think warm water helps open your poors and extracts the chemical "posion"

While we are talking about water, I don’t imagine many of you have full house RODI's. I read in another forum on RF about why people use regular tap water to rinse off items when such care is taken to only use RODI in tank. There is something I do not quite understand and am hoping for some opinions.
If we rinse in tap water, whether it is our arms, hands, tools, gloves, filter socks, whatever... Do the negative components of tap water go away once the item dries? I guess we are talking about chlorine, phosphates, and metals or whatever else may be in the tap water. I am pretty sure chlorine evaporates when you let the item dry, but what about phosphate? Does it disappear when the item air dries or does it just solidify like salt would and then go back into solution when the item is introduced in the tank? If that is the case, would rinsing your item in RODI water after washing it in tap water help dissipate the phosphate? I rhymed! Dissipate the phosphate, look out Eminem.

Ichthys

 

[NC2WA]

I have rinsed my arm with tap water and dry thoroughly for 12+ years with no ill effects..IMHO I wouldnt worry about this, just dry your arm/hand thoroughly with a paper towel (or dedicated fish towel) before you place it in your tank.

 

[mfinn]

what is the difference between using cold and hot water??

vinegar I knew, but would like to know the decision behind using hot water vs cold.

Danke

Kirk

What I was always told,
The use of hot water will help degrade/nutralize the chemicals in some fishes stings, such as lionfish stings. To really get any benefit out of the hot water, it has to be really hot water. Just as hot as you can stand.
You don't have to cause blisters, but the heat has to penetrate into your hand/arm, whatever was stung.