PSA: seal your cuts before you stick your hands in your fish tank!

Idk about any of you guys, but I am super clumsy and constantly hurting myself XD my hands are often cut up or generally injured, but usually they heal enough to close before I have to do something in my tank.

Well, the other day I cut my finger decently while I was rage-fixing my pump- I mean, "carefully" removing the intake cover- and since I was... Emotionally involved... With the task at hand, I ignored it.
And then ignored it some more.
Probably got it dirty fishing at the river.
Cleaned it a bit.
Stuck my hands back in my fish tank adjusting that bleeping pump...
And then, whoops!
It's kind of red and puffy

Que flashbacks to when my cat scratched my hand and I didn't clean it, and it got super infected...
Flashbacks to the story I read about the girl who had to get her hand cut off because she put a hand with a cut in her fish tank...

PANIC

!!!

...

...

...

... Several litres of 70% ISO and liquid bandaid (and a lot of stinging) later, I think I'll be okay.

Don't make the same mistake as me, kids. Seal your wounds before you touch the fish water XD

 

Rubber gloves, either yellow or nitrile blue gloves are your friend. Every one of my tanks has a pair ready to be used to keep my hands dry and fish water free. I even have some shoulder length plastic gloves that people use to check cattle for deep work thou they are not as water proof as rubber gloves. If I have to go deep in my tanks I have hardwood stakes that I can use to reach the bottom, I don't even have to reach into the tank.
Keep an eye on your hands and any infections get checked or use some polysponin (remember not to put your hands into the water with any creams or ointments on your hands it can hurt the fish)

 

*orders gloves immediately*

 

I have atlas and they are amazing. They go to your shoulders.

 

Guess I'm getting my hand chopped off.....i don't sweat that kind of stuff.... hilarious

 

I used an arm length glove (the kind for birthing calves) when my tank had TB

 

I’ve had horrible eczema on my hands ever since I started using remineralized RO/DI water in my tanks.
Using the shoulder length rubber gloves (can’t remember the name but they are recommended on amazon for salt water tank keepers) plus blue nitrile gloves underneath keeps it bearable. But I’m about to experiment with just purchasing the chemicals separately instead of using the Seachem products. I’m thinking something in the Seachem products is causing the eczema.

 

you're also getting fish feces and urine in your cuts. that cant be healthy

 

you're also getting fish feces and urine in your cuts. that cant be healthy

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Yep, that’s what I use. Have a pair for each tank.

 

you're also getting fish feces and urine in your cuts. that cant be healthy

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Atlas!

 

Finally found them in a size small. I still use the medium on my other tank as it’s at another house yet the correct size is a game changer. They are NOT easy to find! The size smalls I mean.

 

I don't really understand why people think a tank is such an enormous risk compared with daily life, petting another pet, working in the garden, cleaning the house, cuddling kids, etc etc......

A cut can get infected everywhere.
Bacteria and germs are everywhere.
You can "meet" the bad ones everywhere.

OP said it : probably while fishing in the river.

 

I don’t really worry about stuff like that (should I?) Can’t be any different from exposing my hands to all sorts of stuff at the barn all day hilarious

 

I have been reaching my bare hands into my tanks for years now, never thought anything about. But one virus at a time please because tomorrow it will be something a lot worse than aquarium water to worry about.

 

I don’t really worry about stuff like that (should I?) Can’t be any different from exposing my hands to all sorts of stuff at the barn all day hilarious

Nowadays kids are pushed to play more outside, climb trees, scratch their knees, etc etc cause that's what getting more resistance for germs than when being on their playstation all the time.

We humans tend to live a sterilized life nowadays. There have never been more allergies than nowadays !

 

I don't really understand why people think a tank is such an enormous risk compared with daily life, petting another pet, working in the garden, cleaning the house, cuddling kids, etc etc......

A cut can get infected everywhere.
Bacteria and germs are everywhere.
You can "meet" the bad ones everywhere.

OP said it : probably while fishing in the river.

Yeah I totally get what your saying. My hands almost always have cuts on them in the summer from tearing salmon gills and usually heal without any problems. You just have to live life and stop worrying about everything.

 

Haha I'm definitely in the same boat as those who prefer not to wear gloves (I hate how clumsy they feel). Liquid bandaid is a game changer; it sprays on and smells like nail polish remover but acts like super glue. It's completely water proof for a couple days and helps your cuts heal. I highly recommend it!

I don't really understand why people think a tank is such an enormous risk compared with daily life, petting another pet, working in the garden, cleaning the house, cuddling kids, etc etc......

A cut can get infected everywhere.
Bacteria and germs are everywhere.
You can "meet" the bad ones everywhere.

OP said it : probably while fishing in the river.

Completely agree, and like others said, it's healthy for your immune system to have regular exposure to "germs". That's why I didn't immediately worry about sticking my cut up hands into my tank, especially because I regularly do much worse with cuts like gut fish I catch and poke at the worms crawling out of their stomachs XD
However, have you ever experienced that feeling of a wound becoming infected? You know, it starts to sting a bit and the general area just starts to slowly feel unwell (I'm pretty body aware idk if this is normally noticed). Well that, along with red and puffy started to happen whilst it was wet with tank water. It's important to listen to your intuition!

Mind over matter though. If you believe tank water can make you sick, it's definitely more likely to. A good chunk of health is believing you are healthy, I think

 

STAR WARS REFERENCE

I don't like gloves. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere

 

You want a real incentive to protect your cuts? Google "palytoxin poisoning" and then thank your lucky stars you aren't running a reef! Always wash your hands before AND after putting them in the tank

 

You want a real incentive to protect your cuts? Google "palytoxin poisoning" and then thank your lucky stars you aren't running a reef! Always wash your hands before AND after putting them in the tank

That's brutal, saltwater is a whole different world

 

I've always just washed my hands after. Although I will say I did get a skin infection on my foot after wading in swampy water with a foot wound (smart, redmare!) and that was a nightmare. 10/10 do not recommend skin infections.

 

I've been up to my elbows in fish tanks for many years. Nick's & cuts on hands & arms are no strangers to me.
Antibiotic cream & a bandaid works like a charm if applied immediately after tank maintenance.

 

I don't really understand why people think a tank is such an enormous risk compared with daily life, petting another pet, working in the garden, cleaning the house, cuddling kids, etc etc......

A cut can get infected everywhere.
Bacteria and germs are everywhere.
You can "meet" the bad ones everywhere.

OP said it : probably while fishing in the river.

I agree. I don’t use gloves while baiting leeches or taking hooks out. The reason I use them for the tank during my weekly water changes is simply dryness. I have raynauds which is poor circulation and my hands are so dry. I didn’t use gloves for half the time I’ve been cleaning tanks so I agree it’s not sooooo dangerous. It’s bc of dryness.
I sleep in gloves wirh vaswline and lotion that’s how dry my hands are and I’m on channel blockers to help circulation. So the fish stuff is just a small preventative measure.
I will say the times I really am wary are when using blood worms and brine shrimp. I’ve heard of bad reactions and since my hands are sensitive anyway....I would ALWAYS wash my hands thoroughly after being in the tank when I didn’t wear gloves though....I was adamant about that. I’m just as concerned washing my hands before they’re in the tank too. Just to watch out for the fishies.

 

I can honestly say I've never had any issues from it, I rinse my hands with tap water before and wash after.

 

I’ve never worried about it. Just being around the tank helps us build an immunity to the germs in it. I mean, all of us have gotten fish water in our mouths at one point or another. The bacteria in there is probably far less harmful than things we encounter everyday.

On a side note, my cat once bit my lip open and it got infected.

 

I’ve never worried about it. Just being around the tank helps us build an immunity to the germs in it. I mean, all of us have gotten fish water in our mouths at one point or another. The bacteria in there is probably far less harmful than things we encounter everyday.

On a side note, my cat once bit my lip open and it got infected.

Cat and dog mouths contain all kinds of nasty bacteria. Therefor never try to kiss your cat or dog Erin.

 

I cannot keep gloved where water does not get in them and I am always messing with my plants so I need full use of my fingers.

I always wash my hands before and after messing around in my tanks. If I have a cut, I put a good bandaid on it and just make sure it is cleaned good after I finish tank maintenance.

 

Good hygiene and common sense....everything should ok. Better safe than sorry. I work With children and I’ve seen some things in regards to nasty infections . Some people are under the false pretense that things can’t and won’t happen to them but you never truly know! I got so sick swimming in a lake last year. It was really unexpected. Just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you!

 

I agree. I don’t use gloves while baiting leeches or taking hooks out. The reason I use them for the tank during my weekly water changes is simply dryness. I have raynauds which is poor circulation and my hands are so dry. I didn’t use gloves for half the time I’ve been cleaning tanks so I agree it’s not sooooo dangerous. It’s bc of dryness.
I sleep in gloves wirh vaswline and lotion that’s how dry my hands are and I’m on channel blockers to help circulation. So the fish stuff is just a small preventative measure.
I will say the times I really am wary are when using blood worms and brine shrimp. I’ve heard of bad reactions and since my hands are sensitive anyway....I would ALWAYS wash my hands thoroughly after being in the tank when I didn’t wear gloves though....I was adamant about that. I’m just as concerned washing my hands before they’re in the tank too. Just to watch out for the fishies.

I'm allergic to brine shrimp! Frozen, FD, BBS doesn't matter. My finger where it touches will get all hot, swell up and annoyingly itchy on the inside. So I avoid brine shrimp but if I feed it, i'm def wearing gloves! Otherwise it doesn't bother me at all and I'd rather not wear them. But totally get a medical issue!

I also wash my hands before and after messing with the tanks. I disinfect with peroxide for a QT tank or if there's a bacterial or viral issue in the tank.

 

To me it's common sense to wash my hands before working on the tank and afterwards, and sometimes even inbetween. I only use soap afterwards, though.
Otherwise disinfectants are several-times-daily business by now thanks to the pandemic, anyway.

 

Good hygiene and common sense....everything should ok. Better safe than sorry. I work With children and I’ve seen some things in regards to nasty infections . Some people are under the false pretense that things can’t and won’t happen to them but you never truly know! I got so sick swimming in a lake last year. It was really unexpected. Just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you!

Sorry to hear you got sick swimming in the lake. But does that mean you won't swim in a lake anymore? That would be a shame.
I think there is always "danger" around, but I don't thiink it should.make us fear for life.
And I can tell. Had to let treat a wound on my head some days ago (diy work at my son's house) in a German hospital grrrrrr.
Result : 5 days no shower and a brand new tetanus injection.

 

Cuts and grazes should perhaps be covered before immersing in water. Waterproof plasters and gloves are available (the latter either disposable or otherwise).

I do agree it is important to get some degree of perspective when assessing risks.

The likelyhood of picking up a health problem from your aquarium is very small.

Also compare fishkeeping other hobbies where people are more likely to be killed (I lost a friend to rock climbing for example).

I have been keeping fish since I unexpectedly received a good school report when I was eight years old and was rewarded with an aquarium by my delighted and relieved parents.

I am now 58 so have been keeping fish for 50 years.

I have never knowingly received a single injury or illness due to my fishkeeping hobby in this time unless it was one that affected my memory. I hope the same for you too.

It can be difficult quantifying and making sense of risk.

 

I'm allergic to brine shrimp! Frozen, FD, BBS doesn't matter. My finger where it touches will get all hot, swell up and annoyingly itchy on the inside. So I avoid brine shrimp but if I feed it, i'm def wearing gloves! Otherwise it doesn't bother me at all and I'd rather not wear them. But totally get a medical issue!

I also wash my hands before and after messing with the tanks. I disinfect with peroxide for a QT tank or if there's a bacterial or viral issue in the tank.

Omg so that’s what that is! I thought it was from heat bc I have gotten that before in the past where I wear my rings. And little tiny bumps also between fingers? Again I’ve had that before so I didn’t think this was why. Thank you for telling me! It’s only happened more recently (so I thought it was bc of heat) bc I don’t have any more small latex gloves to handle the frozen stuff. I have to wear my huge gloves and they are so hard to handle that sometimes I take the gloves off and touch the frozen stuff and then wash my hands right away! And I got a new type Of foods that comes in little containers and they’re so hard to open with gloves on so again haven’t been wearing. Well now I won’t be doing that any more! Do you get the little bumps too? It’s only on the fingers next to my rings.