Our Horrible Hands

[BigSkyRich]

Preface: Many of us have problems with our reef and fish. (Can’t forget the inverts!). Here’s a non sequitur for us: our hands!!!!

I’ve got a good friend that I visit frequently. He’s got a rather large display. He’s a seasoned reefer and yet he has had trouble keeping and growing corals; specifically SPS. We’ve tested his water, his maintenance regimen, lighting, flow and so forth. I couldn’t ever come up with an idea why his skills were inept until I observed that he repeatedly stuck his hands and arms in his tank after touching every and anything. He’d come home and wash his hands with antibacterial soap and the next minute have his hands in the tank. He wasn’t aware and didn’t care what he had touched before putting his hands in. For me, I’m always cautious about what I touch before sticking my hands in the tank. I used to RODI rinse my hands but there are times you’ll have an emergency and just need your hands in. I’ll usually wash my hands with tap water without soap and let them dry before going near my water. I even smell my hands to make sure there’s nothing obvious that will inevitably end up in my tank. You can do an ICP test to see what could be troubling you but an ICP test is very limited and won’t give us the full breakdown of everything in our tank.

For those that wear deodorant, it’s also important to make sure you don’t get that portion of your arm in your tank. Some contain antibacterials like triclosan and also the metal aluminum. Both of which can wreak havoc in your tank, especially with repeated exposure. Deodorant is just one example of what we can introduce into our tank. Even wearing sunscreen for example and touching your tank. The ingredients in many sunscreens can block the zooxanthellae in our corals from getting light for photosynthesis. Hand sanitizers, essential oils, lotions, to name a few more, are some others to be aware of. You may not see an immediate negative response but they can build up over time.

In conclusion, we post parameters and such when we have problems, all of which are typically in the green zone. Just be careful when sticking your hands into the tank and know where they’ve been. There are even gloves for reefing that cover your hands up past your elbows.

Agree. I use thin plastic gloves that go to my shoulder. One reason, of course, is to minimize contamination, the other is to keep my curious yet pesky clowns from thinking my fingers are something to eat. Oh, and they work great when gutting an elk

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Ooh I'm busted. I try my best to only work on my tank after I take a shower but many many times I've put dirty hands in the water.

Fwiw I occasionally use these awesome shoulder length yellow gloves I bought from Dr fosters and Smith, so if you need some just go check out their website!

 

[WvAquatics]

I just wash my hands in water no soap before reaching in the tank. So just 30 second of just water that way no chemical leach. After I use antibacterial soap.

 

[2BIGTANKS]

Preface: Many of us have problems with our reef and fish. (Can’t forget the inverts!). Here’s a non sequitur for us: our hands!!!!

I’ve got a good friend that I visit frequently. He’s got a rather large display. He’s a seasoned reefer and yet he has had trouble keeping and growing corals; specifically SPS. We’ve tested his water, his maintenance regimen, lighting, flow and so forth. I couldn’t ever come up with an idea why his skills were inept until I observed that he repeatedly stuck his hands and arms in his tank after touching every and anything. He’d come home and wash his hands with antibacterial soap and the next minute have his hands in the tank. He wasn’t aware and didn’t care what he had touched before putting his hands in. For me, I’m always cautious about what I touch before sticking my hands in the tank. I used to RODI rinse my hands but there are times you’ll have an emergency and just need your hands in. I’ll usually wash my hands with tap water without soap and let them dry before going near my water. I even smell my hands to make sure there’s nothing obvious that will inevitably end up in my tank. You can do an ICP test to see what could be troubling you but an ICP test is very limited and won’t give us the full breakdown of everything in our tank.

For those that wear deodorant, it’s also important to make sure you don’t get that portion of your arm in your tank. Some contain antibacterials like triclosan and also the metal aluminum. Both of which can wreak havoc in your tank, especially with repeated exposure. Deodorant is just one example of what we can introduce into our tank. Even wearing sunscreen for example and touching your tank. The ingredients in many sunscreens can block the zooxanthellae in our corals from getting light for photosynthesis. Hand sanitizers, essential oils, lotions, to name a few more, are some others to be aware of. You may not see an immediate negative response but they can build up over time.

In conclusion, we post parameters and such when we have problems, all of which are typically in the green zone. Just be careful when sticking your hands into the tank and know where they’ve been. There are even gloves for reefing that cover your hands up past your elbows.

I try not to as much as possible, I use an extension claw most of the time but when I place a new frag in I wash with warm tap water and dry with a clean towel before going in and then once done I wash with soap and water if I’m handling Zoas or coral

 

[dadnjesse]

I put my hands in my tank every day, unless my hands are noticeably dirty I don't wash them. Been doing the same for 12 years.

A Huge Problem IMO as to why tanks crash and we have so many problems with just about everything.

I am not the smartest fish keeper in the world, but I am probably one of the oldest. Being one of the oldest, I have also had more time to study this stuff and more time to make mistakes. Mistakes are one way we learn. A very good way. It's actually how they train you in basic training in the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[code4]

I just wash my hands in water no soap before reaching in the tank. So just 30 second of just water that way no chemical leach. After I use antibacterial soap.

This ∆∆∆∆

I try not to as much as possible, I use an extension claw most of the time but when I place a new frag in I wash with warm tap water and dry with a clean towel before going in and then once done I wash with soap and water if I’m handling Zoas or coral

Careful the towel does not have fabric softeners. I have some I use only when working on my tanks.

 

[WvAquatics]

Use paper towels to dry my hands.

 

[Raven09]

Curious if you could share what kind of gloves you use. I bought a pair and they were super hard to work with. Trying to find some that are good for fish tanks.

Try using veterinary examination gloves. They are shoulder length. Amazon, 50 for good price.

 

[Raven09]

Curious if you could share what kind of gloves you use. I bought a pair and they were super hard to work with. Trying to find some that are good for fish tanks.

Try veterinary examination gloves. They are shoulder length. Amazon 50 for good price.

 

[revenant]

Good write up @ScottR!

Always was my hands and arms with dawn dish detergent and rinse well before putting my hands and arms in the tank.

If I have to work on, let's say a car, I plan on any tank maintenance to be done the day before or the day after.

I find I do the same... I plan the tank maintenance on days I am not working with cleaners and oils and such.. I also switched all of the soap in my house to:


I am staying away from anything with fragrance.... and now that I live alone I can do all this stuff with zero arguments lol. I try and not use lotion the day of tank work but if my hands are really dry and uncomfortable I use fragrance free Aveeno - and just a little. I rinse my hands and arm well with salt water before I do the maintenance too. It seems to be doing the trick..

 

[Dkmoo]

I have sweaty and sticky hands - my wife hates it, but i guess that also means i have a thin film of hydrophobic layer that coats any potential toxins and prevents it temporarily from dissolving into my tank.

 

[Raven09]

I find I do the same... I plan the tank maintenance on days I am not working with cleaners and oils and such.. I also switched all of the soap in my house to:


I am staying away from anything with fragrance.... and now that I live alone I can do all this stuff with zero arguments lol. I try and not use lotion the day of tank work but if my hands are really dry and uncomfortable I use fragrance free Aveeno - and just a little. I rinse my hands and arm well with salt water before I do the maintenance too. It seems to be doing the trick..

Buy shoulder length gloves. Amazon has a good selection of many kinds. Just don’t buy those thin pink or clear plastic gloves, they leak.

 

[revenant]

Buy shoulder length gloves. Amazon has a good selection of many kinds. Just don’t buy those thin pink or clear plastic gloves, they leak.

I should probably do that too! Thanks.

 

[MnFish1]

I should probably do that too! Thanks.

bought them here... they are still in the wrapper lol. I just cant bring myself to doing it.

 

[Double monti 61]

No I do heating and air conditioning and my hands get dirt, oil, silicone, glue, solvents and other containment’s so if I have to put my hands in my tank I usually scrub them well and rinse them in hot then cold water, dawn dish detergent works well.