Jynx

When you have fish in a tank and want to add another decoration, plant, etc, or take something out... is there any special way to do it? What I mean is, what do you clean your hands/arms with to ensure that there is no chemical or something like soap residue getting in the tank with the fish, or do you just go for it and stick your hands all in there?

~Jynx

COBettaCouple

You can use Betadine surgical scrub (iodine-based soap used by surgeons to scrub up before surgery) before & after going in the tank - ask for it at the pharmacy counter - with a good hot water rinse. The pharmacy might have to special order it for you. Or you could use a anti-bacterial soap with a very good hot water rinse. And a lot of people just rinse their hands real good with hot water. Definitely better not to just stick your hands in.. you can give them stuff and believe it or not, they can give you stuff.

Luniyn

I always wait till I'm ready to do a water change so that the level of the water is only half as much as a full tank (less of my arm actually submerged). All I do is throughly wash my hand/arm in tap water, but if you are particularly worried you could always get these.

Butterfly

I just wash my hands in warm water really well to make sure there isn't any soap, lotion or anything else on them. you really don't want to use anything strong to wash with before working in the tank because most strong cleaning agents are hard to clean off. Wash with whatever you want after.
Carol