Clean hands

[ficklefins]

I am very paranoid about putting my hands in my tank because of soap. I will only take a shower after I am done working in my tank.

I always wash my hands under the tap (mo soap) with a towel before working in my tank, but I was wondering if there was a better way. So how do you wash your hands before working in your tank?

 

[143gadgets]

I just wash up to my elbows with tap and soap.

 

[Pitcom]

I was my hands with dishsoap before and after. I havent seen any adverse effects that i can see in the tank. One story though. My LFS has a 1300 tank and they have to get inside of it to clean it. Well they kept having these long long strands of brown algae form after cleaning. One of the customers analyzed it and the algae was growing because of the persons hair gel who was cleaning the tank.

 

[J. Montgomery]

I don't bother washing before I put my hands in the tank. But I'm always sure to wash after my hands have been in the tank. Its just warm tap water and soap for me.

 

[twon8]

if my hands are dirty i'll wash them with soap, sometimes i just rinse in tap water; i try and always wash afterwards.

 

[surfn]

i try to use anti-bacterial hand soap (the stuff that squirts out of the bottle) right after i put my hands in the tank. but i always find myself having to do 1 more thing in the tank......so i just wash my hands under water for a little bit longer.

i think i got some anti-bacterial soap into the tank one time, as the skimmer started to go NUTS. i didnt see any negative side effects to the inhabitants though.....but i wouldn't be surprised if i still had a little soap on my hands which caused the skimmer to skim like crazy. i just kept an eye on the skimmer and kept emptying the cup every 5min for about an hour, then it stopped skimming so crazy once it had worked itself out of the system.

 

[Hypertek99]

I just wash my hands with tap water before i work on my tank. I use soap after i'm done with the tank. I have worked on my tank after i took a shower before didn't affect the tank any.

 

[Azurel]

I do about the same, no soap before just a 2-3 minute rinse under tap water and soap afterwards.

 

[edwing206]

I wash under hot water before and then soap and hot water after.

 

[IBMGeek]

I wash my hands inside the tank,Jk. I wash with regular tap before and then with soap and water right after messing with tank.

 

[gflat65]

I've always soaped and rinsed, then soaped and rinsed again after the tank...

 

[Smarsh]

I wash with just tap before up past the elbows and then with soap and water afterwards. I am afraid of getting soap in the tank as well.

Sandy

 

[salt newbie01]

I wash with anti-bacterial soap before and just try to rinse VERY well. I work at a car dealership in the service department and am always afraid there might be some sort of oil or coolant on my hands - and of course I wash again after being in the tank. I too have seen my skimmer go nuts when I didn't get all the soap off! Won't let that happen again!

 

[gastone]

soap and rinse before and after for me.

Though if I picked up a pair of aqua gloves it would probably be better/safer for me and the tank.

Garrett.

 

[Leishman]

I wash after, not before (unless I just finished using chemicals or oil based)

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Wash after unless I had my hands in something I thought would be bad for the tank.

Your just nasty like me Leishman!!!

 

[exspecialle]

what if?

You accidentily got some anti-bacterial soap in your tank? Would that have an adverse effect?

 

[edwing206]

If you got a ton of it in there. But if it was like after you washed your hands and then put them in the tank then no. Not that it's happened to me.