How Careful Are You About Hands In The Tank?

This is a question I've been curious about for a while. How often do you put your hands (washed without soap, of course) into the tank?

Like, when doing a gravel vac with a vacuum shorter than the tank height, do you carefully maneuver it around using the silicone tubing (your hands don't touch the water at all) or just hold the part in water (hands are submerged)? When aquascaping the tank, do you hesitate to dunk both your hands in to perfectly position that piece of driftwood? Do you have no worries because you bought a pair of aquarium safe gloves? Or did the thought of getting gloves never cross your mind? If you just removed your hands from the water, do you shake your hands off above the tank (excess water falls back in) or do you have a towel immediately ready?

Perhaps that was too many questions, but you get the point. Also, do you not put your hands in the tank because you're scared of diseases transmitting (though it's pretty rare) or you don't want human skin oils/lotion residue to harm your fish?

I'd love to hear from people! I try to touch the water as little as possible during gravel vacs (snagged a pair of food-safe disposable gloves from the kitchen) and prefer to fish out a piece of decor or a plant using the net. I don't want soap residue to get into the tank. Maybe I'm worrying a little too much, but better safe than sorry!

- Also, I couldn't think of a proper forum for this to go into, but this seems to be the 'default' forum for many threads.

 

I have my hands elbow deep in one tank every day to stash tubifex worms for my elephant nose in the corners that my piglet ctenopomas can't reach. Both bettas hand feed and so do my ctenopomas, I don't like them to jump so betta tanks tanks get finger tips every day, while ctenopomas generally get a moving target to distract them while I hide the tubifex. I have no qualms going arm pit deep in a tank to fix a plant or something with the decor or filling in the holes my Feather fins carve under the hard scape when they get a little too ambitious on them.

I keep a towel handy so I don't drip on the floors and generally only rinse my hands afterwards in the tap. If I've been in a tank a while or have a sick fish I use soap.

I've had tanks for well over 20 years and I'm well aware of the possibility of parasites or disease. I do proceed cautiously with new fish especially if I've purchased something wild caught. There is some seriously sketchy stuff you can catch.

 

While I have heard stories of people getting very ill from their tanks, I worry more I will contaminate the tank. Particularly my large tanks where I am riding an armpit on the tank ledge and about have to climb in to do maintenance.

 

I'm in my tanks all the time. I have a 75 that I have to trim leaves and do stuff to plants as well as vacuum that can't be done without washing my pits and some of my other front parts (I am a female) unintentionally. If it can, I'm bad at it and somehow my front half ends up in the tank. I rarely use lotion and I don't use soap before I go in, only afterwards. My smaller tanks are easier, and I usually don't get much past a wrist or forearm unless I'm doing something to plants like inserting fertilizer or trimming. I'm concerned but I proceed with positive thinking that hopefully it will be fine.

 

I have my hands in the tank for about 5 secs everyday when feeding my bolivian rams. I have to shake the flakes into the water so that they sink.

Other than that, only during maintenance (once every week or two). If I have any open cuts, I try not to put my hands in the tank, just for contamination reasons. Other than that, I don't mind having them in there at all

 

Constantly in my tank. I'm always digging through the water, and trying to get things right, especially when it's new.

 

My hands are in aquariums daily.

 

My hands are in my tanks pretty much everyday. I really don't worry about it. Yes there is the possibility you could catch something, but if it's gonna it's gonna happen.
I definitely worry more about getting contaminants in the water than I do catching something from having my hands in there. I always rinse my hands very, very well with water before I even touch the tank water.
I keep a towel right by me so as to be able to quickly dry my hands. I have 2 towels that are my "fish towels" that use for water changes and whatever else I'm doing where I need to protect the floor and have something to dry off my hands.

 

I think a good rub on the arms with tap water is enough, that's all I do and I'm in my tanks maybe 2 times a week, once a week on the nano reef, even fragging corals bare hand sometimes the paly toxins could be rotting me from the inside out but I love corals lol.

 

I wash my hands before I put my hands in the tank so that I don't transfer something to tank, I try to remember to wash my hands after, But I usually forget. Hyper-aware that I can get them sick, but forgetful in terms of myself. Go figure.

 

I'm always putting my hands in the tank. It's necessary for hand feeding, moving stuff around, gravel vac and stuff. I always wash my hands well first and there is a "fish towel" by the tank so I can dry my hands and not drip tank water all over the room. I wash my hands after too. I am more worried by contaminating the tank than catching disease.

 

I have 42 tanks running and hate wearing gloves so my answer is YES I'm in the tanks a lot! I don't use soap most of the time to wash my hands until I'm done working in all my tanks for the day. I have been enjoying the aquarium hobby since 1967 and the only thing that ever hurt me is electric and water bills.

 

I'm in my tanks constantly, I make sure my arms are relatively clean (no soap, just hot water) that way I do not harm my fish (I am more worried about my cat trying to eat my live plants than anything I can put in there because she doesn't wash her paws as often as I do mine). My fish and shrimp "clean" my arms sometimes which tickles but doesn't hurt.

 

I wash my hands before and after messing with the tanks. My hands are in the tank at least twice a day to feed the fish, more then that if I am doing water change or messing around with plants that day. In my main tank I also have a chesnut snail who now runs..slithers...slides..up the tank whenever my hands are in it so she can attach herself to me. The other snails let go and float to the bottom lol.

 

I don't often touch the water only when I need to...like clipping some of the leaves in the tank or arranging some stuff around. Besides who wants to smell like fish water....EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW GROSS!

 

I don't often touch the water only when I need to...like clipping some of the leaves in the tank or arranging some stuff around. Besides who wants to smell like fish water....EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW GROSS!

If your tank water smells like fish you may have a water issue. My tank water can get an earthy smell to it, but not like a yukcy fishy smell.

 

I have my whole arm in there fairly frequently. I can't reach the bottom of the tank or the back. I would have to get in it to do that. Lol I rinse with water before I do anything tank related. After, I dry with my fish towel (I also have two I use exclusively for this) and then go wash with soap.

I Am much more concerned about me introducing something harmful than catching anything.

I don't often touch the water only when I need to...like clipping some of the leaves in the tank or arranging some stuff around. Besides who wants to smell like fish water....EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW GROSS!

My fish water doesn't really smell like anything.

 

Yeah I'm all fun and games here, so don't take my previous post seriously...

 

I'm short with short arms and a deep tank. I'm on a chair up to my armpits but not in my armpits because of the deodorant. I'm in the tanks once a week I try not to do both right after each other but that doesn't always happen. The shrimp and guppies like to climb on my and see if there's anything good to eat. I wash with soap afterwards because it's fish tank with poop in it.

 

Don't worry at all. My tank is 18" wide and 20" tall so I'm armpit deep just about. My tshirt sleeves get wet. While in not in it daily, I'm not worried about sticking my hands in at all. I just make sure I at least take a shower to get work dirt off before going swimming. I'll squeegee my arms on the edge of the tank so I don't drop water everywhere but I usually have had a dozen towels ready. (I make a mess...)

 

I have it easy currently with a 10 gallon betta tank. I do have my hands in the tank once a week, doing the gravel vacuum/water change. I also wipe off my plant leaves and I have root tabs I put in monthly. I'll remember to rinse hands before messing with tank. Sometimes remember after. Never considered gloves.

When I get my 55 set up I'll probably be using a step ladder or chairs up to my pits in tank water.

 

I know we take it light but rinsing off afterwards is always a good idea. People have gotten seriously ill. Hopefully I have built up an immunity by now. I'd hate to get the ich. 15 days of 86-90F would suck lol. I guess I could use Meds but then I would be smurf blue.

 

I don't put my hands very often in my tank my fishes aren't very special(platy,endlers,tetras and...) so I don't hand feed them also my tube for gravel vac is very long so there's no need for putting your hands in the tank but when I'm redecorating or planting new plants or cut them I have no problem putting my both hands in to my tank also I dry my wet hands when I put it in the tank and wash it very fast but I never consider gloves

 

I'm always going into my tank, I just have a towel ready, I normally don't bother with hand washing unless I'm just really nasty or been working with oil or grease or something. Really not a major concern for me. My fish are so used to it they will brush against my arms affectionately as I also hand feed them, they generally expect some sort of treat as well and will wait staring at me at the feeding spot of the tank. I also find it fine to pet your fish, some enjoy it while others shy from it. No matter what most believe, fish do have their own unique personalities and some get rather affectionate towards humans. Anyhow, that's my 2 cents worth!

 

My hands/arm (and sometimes shoulder lol) are in my tanks quite a bit, as I do WC/gravel vacs quite frequently and my tanks are pretty deep fir me(I'm short, ha!) I also like feeding my bettas by hand and they don't seem to mind lol; and I can pet them. Ill try hand-feeding my angels, but they nip me .

Ill usually just of a quick rinse with soap in the sink and keep a clean towel nearby to dry off so I don't go spilling everywhere. The only time I don't go sticking my hand in there is if I have a cut or something...not worth the risk, but that's not very often

 

I don't care about catching a disease but I do care about contaminating my tanks so I always wash my hands with soap before putting them inside.

 

I've a fully planted and well growing tank. I'm up in there all the time and I'm more worried about getting soap in there than daily "dirt". If I've been in contact with anything questionable (cleaning chemicals, grease, gasoline, etc) then I wash well, rinse really really well and dry completely. Then I go nuts.

I'm always going into my tank, I just have a towel ready, I normally don't bother with hand washing unless I'm just really nasty or been working with oil or grease or something. Really not a major concern for me. My fish are so used to it they will brush against my arms affectionately as I also hand feed them, they generally expect some sort of treat as well and will wait staring at me at the feeding spot of the tank. I also find it fine to pet your fish, some enjoy it while others shy from it. No matter what most believe, fish do have their own unique personalities and some get rather affectionate towards humans. Anyhow, that's my 2 cents worth!

Laugh dude my fishes touch me too but they aren't brushing up against me affectionately. My Black Ruby Barbs are biting the heck out of me basically screaming "FEED ME NOW OR I WILL CHEW THIS ARM OFF!". I think I need to obtain your services as a fish trainer.

 

Always my 330gal is about 3 1/2 foot deep I have to use a step ladder to get to the height of the stand and then lean in and even then I can't touch the bottom I use a grabber and my arm up to the armpits if I need to get to the back of the tank

 

Everyday to feed the fish and make sure no bladder snails float and die.

 

The only time I stay out of my tanks is if I have cuts or scrapes on my hands or arms. Otherwise, I just rinse before and after, and have a towel handy during.

 

Every day up to the shoulder, I don't worry about it.

 

I always wash with soap after working on my tank. If at any point I end up with a cut afterwards I use polysporin.

The only bad thing that has happened was when I first got into the hobby I got stung by a Raphael Catfish. I learned pretty fast that they have spines...

Oh and my Tiger Barbs Peck at me the entire time I am in the tank...

 

I just check my hands. If there's nothing that's toxic on my hands that're to the fish I just reach into my tank (I don't care small pen marks on my hands). After that, I wash my hands. Very easy and no worries.

 

I know this will sound ridiculous, but ever since reading a study (published in Belgium) which examined the water of many freshwater aquariums found that 45.8% of samples contained Naegleria amoeba (Brain-eating amoeba that causes a catastrophical disease that results in death within a few days), I felt uneasy after having my hands in my tank. I know that the risk of infection with this amoeba is like 1 to 100.000.000, but I still wash my hands after each time I touch my aquarium now!

You can only contract the fatal disease if the amoeba (or the cysts of the amoeba) enter your nose.

Link to study:

 

Every day up to the shoulder, I don't worry about it.

Only to the shoulder? I'm pretty sure I could take my shirt off before doing something in my tank and still get 2 inches of sleeve wet.

 

Only to the shoulder? I'm pretty sure I could take my shirt off before doing something in my tank and still get 2 inches of sleeve wet.

I'm not very big and my tank is 24" deep so I would get about three inches wet, I have to work on it with no shirt on.

 

I wash my hands before putting them in any of my tanks and make sure they are free of soap residue. As long as my hands are clean I don't see an issue.

 

I have gloves(disposable) but never use them. Only got them for when I had some worms(can't remember what they were called now). I only rinse off my hands and forarms, although, I tend to be bad and skip it if I haven't had anything on them in awhile. If I have then I rinse them off with hot-ish water. I use towels if anything gets on the furniture or floor.

 

I know this will sound ridiculous, but ever since reading a study (published in Belgium) which examined the water of many freshwater aquariums found that 45.8% of samples contained Naegleria amoeba (Brain-eating amoeba that causes a catastrophical disease that results in death within a few days), I felt uneasy after having my hands in my tank. I know that the risk of infection with this amoeba is like 1 to 100.000.000, but I still wash my hands after each time I touch my aquarium now!

You can only contract the fatal disease if the amoeba (or the cysts of the amoeba) enter your nose.

Link to study:

Well based on your study putting your hands in the tank isn't the problem. Picking your nose while you scrape algae on the other hand...

 

I know this will sound ridiculous, but ever since reading a study (published in Belgium) which examined the water of many freshwater aquariums found that 45.8% of samples contained Naegleria amoeba (Brain-eating amoeba that causes a catastrophical disease that results in death within a few days), I felt uneasy after having my hands in my tank. I know that the risk of infection with this amoeba is like 1 to 100.000.000, but I still wash my hands after each time I touch my aquarium now!

You can only contract the fatal disease if the amoeba (or the cysts of the amoeba) enter your nose.

Link to study:

I put my arms, sometimes both but I've never put my head in the aquarium yet. But who knows maybe.