Reef tanks and kids with allergies

[ReefMP]

Our 5yr old son is allergic to pets (cats, dogs) and nuts. He breaks out with a crazy rash all over his body when he goes to his grand parents house where they had a cat (cat was 16 yrs old as passed away a few months ago). Seems like it's getting worse as he gets older, when he's at home it's not as bad but he's always itchy, sometimes to the point where he scratches his skin till some areas are scared. The dermatologist prescribed an ointment that we've been using with not much success, so when we read the possible side effects we stopped...included rare cases of cancer.

question: My tank is in the basement, we have no other pets...could it possibly be caused by the tank? I love my tank, but I would get rid of it in a second if it's the cause.

 

[mallorieGgator]

It's more likely caused by dust in your house. The reason people are allergic to cats and dogs is mainly from the dander and dust coming off of them. Also, the saliva from the cats cleaning themselves turns into a dust once it dries and causes allergic reactions in people allergic to cats. Is he itchy everywhere else he goes as well?

 

[swannyson7]

I'd have to agree with the above poster, but I'd confirm with an allergist to be sure.

 

[five O]

It is usually spread by your ventilation system. I would recommend buying a high end HEPA filter. The chances that the reef would be your cause is almost zero.

 

[returnofsid]

If your son were breaking out, after helping you with the tank, having his hands in the water, I'd say it's tank related. However, in your son's case, it doesn't at all sound like it's related to your tank.

There are bacterias, some very bad, in our reef tanks. Some people have quite bad reactions to them. I've had several reactions, after spending hours with my arms in the tanks. My symptoms come on VERY QUICKLY. I'll feel fine one minute and have a raging 103 degree fever the next. By entire body aches also. No rash anywhere though. Unfortunately, I forget what this reaction is called, but it is more common than I thought, when I first started researching it.

 

[Me z]

Quick way to test the theory. Rub some tank water on his arm. If he breaks out then you know your tank is irratating him if he doesnt then you know its something else. Its the same thing a dr would do, when they do scratch tests.

 

[ReefMP]

Thanks for the responses everyone. My son is with me by the tank a lot, never notice any reaction from touching anything but he never stuck his hands in the water. I don't think it's the tank, but I know the tank evaporates a lot, just wanted to make sure it wasn't a mold issue as a result of the tank. It's a fairly new house and I don't have any visible signs of mold. I do run a dehumidifier that I recently disconnected from the main drain to get an idea of how much moisture is being extracted...I get about 1.5-2 gallons/day, which is pretty close to my tank Top-Off daily volume.

We have forced-air heating/cooling from vents in the ceiling and what's interesting is that we get quite a bit of dust even when we first moved in to the house a few years back when it was brand new. At builder said it's just as a result of building dust. Recently at times I could hear things running around in the attic but it's covered with insulation so I can't see anything. I'm thinking it could be chipmunks or worse mice...but I never see any droppings...might have to call someone in to check. I'll also look into a better filter system for our furnace to see if that helps. Thanks for all the input and suggestions.