Controversy: Hands in tank

[rob2]

I can't remember where I read this so I'm posting a new topic...

What affect do our HANDS (sticking them in the tank water) have on skimmer performance or params. in general??

I never heard is was an issue until just the other day and would much appreciate some input.

 

[wombat1]

My skimmers have always stopped foaming immediately after putting my hands (rarely) in the tank. Something to do with the oils on your skin, I guess. Takes about an hour or so to buildup foam again.

 

[EmilyB]

All my tanks are hands-in ! :lol:

 

[2poor2reef]

Oils and soap residue. They do nothing good for your tank. The other thing I am told is that there are some nasty bacteria in our tanks that can lead to infections, particularly if you have any cuts on your hand. Personally, I think it's much better to get into the habit of wearing gloves when you work in your tank. My opinion only.

 

[BROKER]

I agree with 2poor2reef. My gloves though are big and bulky and are hard to work with. What kind of gloves do most people use?

 

[ReefLion]

I just use disposable latex gloves. Make sure they don't have any coating, powder or other substance on them, particularly any anti-bacterial treatment. They don't cover my forearm, but they provide decent protection from attacking clownfish and hopefully minimize the soaps and oils introduced to the tank.

Tim

 

[IcantTHINKofONE]

I use those 24" aquagloves. They cover my arm as well.

 

[rob2]

Thanks all. Sounds like pure common sense.

OK. So what happens to the skimmer (Seaclone) to make it "stop". (This is how I got to this point in the first place.) Mine hasn't produced FOAM in almost three weeks!!

I'ts producing a nice, white, fat tornado of bubbles in the chamber, but very little, if any of them make it up into the collection cup! The sludge is just collecting around the top of the chamber and the bottom (outside) of the collection cup. And it's not quite FOAM... the bubbles seem too large.

I kept thinking it was the pump or the chamber itself (and that my mods screwed it up) but the bubbles and water level go right up to the bottom of the collection cup and a little inside of it. Now I'm thinking it's the water, because the bubbles won't turn to FOAM.

Any suggestions?

 

[wade1]

I always wash my arms and hands well with plain soap (no antibiotic, etc) such as Ivory before placing them into the tank. Not only can the tank hold bacteria, but also there is evidence that links poor people hygeine to coral destruction/RTN/infection. So, I wash thoroughly first and make certain to rise twice as well. A slowed skimmer for a short time means little as it stops when I feed for an hour.

Wade

 

[oranje]

I'm for clean hands in the tank, but not gloved hands. Every time I've used gloves in my tank, I've come close to disaster... I personally think it's hard to feel around with the gloves, and a lot easier to misplace something.

 

[Sandyreef]

I wash my hands well with liquid baby wash (since it is so pure), rinse, slop some white vinegar to cut even more oils, soaps, etc and rinse well again. Pat dry with paper towl.

 

[reefland]

I rarely wash my hands before putting them into the tank. I don't work on car engines or anything so not much to get them that dirty.

I do scrub them when I'm done with the tank as dried salt makes my arms itch a bit.

I think some of you are a bit paranoid... but whatever makes you happy.

 

[LeoR]

A quick look at your skin and tank water under the microscope makes it obvious why exposing each other to alien microorganisms is not a great idea.

Aquariums are closed systems which differ from the natural environment, so this is not comparable to taking a dip in the sea.

Long tongs, scoopers, glass cleaners, basters and cups make putting hands in the tank completely unnecessary.

Hands are also psychologically stressful to inhabitants.

LeoR

P.S. I haven't put my hands in any tank in years.

 

[Emperator]

i try to keep my hands out of my tank as much as possible. when i do stick my hands in the tank, i wear disposable gynocologist gloves. the gloves are thin enough to allow the feel i need when workng with frags and cover all the way up to my shoulders.

 

[Nelliereefster]

You're all friggin nuts, just rinse the oils off with fresh water, dry real well with paper towels, and plunge away.

One guy's comment that differing organisms on hands and in tank will, by some biological miracle, interact and form some new evolutionary link is quite ignorant.

I suppose some of your wear gloves when you wipe your butt.

 

[tazdevil]

Sorry nelliesreefer, gotta go with the pack on this one. Many oils/grease we come into contact with; that aren't easily washed off, and are hard to detect if they are fully washed off, could do great harm in a reef tank. Saltwater has an amazing ability to dissolve things that freshwater cannot, which releases the oil/grease compounds. Why not spend a few bucks for gloves that cover up the arms, rather than risking the health of a tank that may have hundreds, if not thousands invested in it (plus the ethics of knowingly endangering your fish). If you want to take the risk, fine, but that gives you no right to call us nuts for using sense when dealing with our tanks. Also, they offer some protection from the corals/bristle worms that mean us harm.

 

[aquarist=broke]

FWIW, I don't use gloves when I am reaching into the tank. I do however rinse my hands really well with hot water before I take the plunge. If I have just worked on the car or something, then I wait a few days before I attempt.(car oil under fingernails really doesn't go away for a few days) I have a long grabber that can handle medium sized articles as well as feed my BTA. If there really is an emergency, I will bag my hand and arm with a 15 gallon kitchen trashbag. Seems to work for me. My tank's environment is too fragile to just put my hand in.....

 

[monkeyboy]

I wash my hands well with liquid baby wash (since it is so pure), rinse, slop some white vinegar to cut even more oils, soaps, etc and rinse well again. Pat dry with paper towl.

Personally, I think i'd rather die than go through that each time before putting my hand in the tank. 8O

My tank's environment is too fragile to just put my hand in...

That's reminiscent of the "don't touch the coral, it will die" talk when you go diving. These critters we have in our tanks are remarkably resilliant (sp?), when have you ever saw a "my hand oil killed my torch coral" thread? Having soap or other chemical residue on your hands or arms and knowingly diving in is bad news, but if you can't smell the soap any more and your hands and arms appear very clean, you should be in good shape. A nice pre-dunk freshwater rinse is a great idea, but I don't think it will be the end of the world (er... reef) if you go in w/out dipping your arm in sulfuric acid to remove skin oils.

Kevin

 

[aquarist=broke]

if you can't smell the soap any more and your hands and arms appear very clean, you should be in good shape.

Yeah, Monkeyboy knows what's up....

 

[IcantTHINKofONE]

I hear a lot of talk about these "grabbers" and "pokers" and clear "skewers" for feeding. Where do you get these items? I want some!