Hygiene??

[sedrostyle]

So recently I have had some deaths of a emerald crab today and a few hermit crabs over the past few days.

I am the first to stick my hands in the tank when moving things or looking for things.

Heres the deal, I am a smoker. Not in the house but im sure this is the reason for my recent deaths since all my other tests are just right.

So after i smoke i wash my hands with antibaterical soap, as i have a 5 month old girl.

Then when i see something in the tank i dont like, i rinsee my hands again with hot water for a good minute. Dry with paper towel, then dig in the tank.


Should I be doing something else since I smoke?
Or is this just something of my imagination, that im somehow killing off things by having my hands in the tanks.

Just my .02, ive never gotten a clear answer on having clean hands without using soap in our tanks.
Any oitments i can use at all? Like the germ killing sanitizer stuff?
Thanks in advance

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[Krish]

It's usually suggested not to put your hands in your tank without gloves on them, but who really does that? Lol. If you are using an anti-bacterial, I'd probably suggest just rinsing your hands with plain water before sticking it in the tank just to be safe. I doubt that it is what is killing your crabs as anti bacterials usually kinda evaporate out of your hands it seems in seconds leaving them with a dry feeling, but anything lingering, shouldn't be enough to harm anything unless you are running a pico tank with about 3 gals of water where not much dilution comes into play ( even if it still will affect anything ). I'd probably look elsewhere for the reason for your crab deaths. How's water quality in general?


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[josh88]

Sed I'm glad you asked that. Cause I do the same, And am also a smoker. Good to know it shouldn't affect anything

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[sedrostyle]

Tested it yesterday.
Ph was 8.3 or 4
ammonia was just barley .25 if any
Rites 0
Rates 0

I also have a fish problem now :/ i think hes been sluggish. Heres my other topic... I know ive been blowing up the forums but im just so glad i have a place to ask


http://www.reeffrontiers.com/showthread.php?t=63868
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[sedrostyle]

I even had a fello reefer ( haha ) reefer
Tell me that the api kits were not true 5ml
So i got a syringe that i measure it out with.

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[Krish]

Tested it yesterday.
Ph was 8.3 or 4
ammonia was just barley .25 if any
Rites 0
Rates 0

I also have a fish problem now :/ i think hes been sluggish. Heres my other topic... I know ive been blowing up the forums but im just so glad i have a place to ask


http://www.reeffrontiers.com/showthread.php?t=63868
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That's strange... The link you posted took me right back to this one lol. I found your other thread and see it is in Lee's forum so you will get the best help there.

As for your tests, how long has this tank been up and running? I'd double check your readings to be safe because ammonia is very toxic to fish and inverts and if you are actually reading ammonia then either the tank is new and is just starting the initial cycle (where no marine life should be in) or if the tank has already completed the initial cycle, then the ammonia spike may be from the dead inverts in the tank being left in too long. Let us know about your tank a bit more as in if it has cycled yet as well as how long it's been set up. If you aren't sure what I mean about cycled this is what i mean...

Usually on setup/start up, ammonia will rise first from decaying matter etc. Once the necessary bacteria responsible for converting ammonia starts to populate your tank, ammonia levels will drop and nitrites will rise as it is being converted. After this happens another bacteria will step in and convert nitrites into nitrates which means nitrites will start to drop off as well as the nitrate levels rise. Once you all this has happened and all traces of ammonia and nitrite (which are both very toxic with the former being the most toxic ) drop off to zero and remain there, then your tank is said to have completed the initial cycle.

Let us know though.


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[sedrostyle]

Well i have 2 tanks... My tank that has the clown fish ( i took out of my wifes cuz it killed 2 peppermint shrimp.)

My tank is a 29 gal
With a aqautic life dual t5 fixture
Ive always used coral pro salt.
Has about 50lbs of dead rock, and 15 lbs of live rock i got from my wifes already establised when we got it 20gal
Also used some biozyme a guy gave me when i got the dry rock from him..
Currently the tank has a maxijet 600 powerheaxd and a hydor 750 gph
100 watt heater i ekep at 78 degrees sometimes 79.
Our house is drafty and it fluxuates between 76 and 79 degrees during the day and night.
Hmmm what else can i tell you??

M.y tank has been setup for probably a month and a half now
During the inital cycle my ammonia did spike to about 2.0ppm
Then around week 3 they dropped.
Week 4 is when i did the inital waterchange and the nitrates were around 40

To this day i check my water around every 3 days or so just to make sure everything gravy, since i am new to this love of mine.

So i guess thats that... I did alot of research last year and alot of searching for parts and deals before i did any buying for my 29.
I shouldve bucked up and done the led because now i am kicking myself.

Im shooting for a full reef of whatever corals i lay my eyes on with minimal fish. The only reason the clowns in my tank atm is because he killed off my aptisia army in the 20gal.

Let me know if you need anymore stuff... I appreciate the help
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[sedrostyle]

Also just checked my 20..
Ph 8.2
Everything else is a for sure zero

And thats the tank i found mr crabs the emerald dead this morning.

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[Krish]

Everything sounds pretty good. I guess you will have to see what lee suggests about the fish. Possibly a disease killing off the inverts and affecting the fish. Can't quite grasp the fact that a little anti-bacterial on your hands is the culprit, but I'm not 100% sure of that. That's more if a question for Boomer our "chemist". I'll brain storm it some more and if it comes to it, may have boomer pop in regarding the anti-bacterial.


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[sedrostyle]

Yea its a heart breaker doing it right, everything being semi stable.
And boom losing inverts.

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