Question: water change with poison ivy

To start with I'am not really sure where to post this so move if necessary.

2 days ago I was diagnosed with poison ivy, first time ever, ( and ever is a long time for me )

My question is water changes. How do I go about doing this? ( please don't say ask the wife )

I only have it on both my arms, I am on steroids and a cream that I apply 3x a day. I usually do 2 water changes a week.

Any advice? I do use a phyton but I usually get both my hands inside the tanks and trim all my plants. (replant) and pick off any decaying leaves.

Thanks all.

 

To start with I'am not really sure where to post this so move if necessary.

2 days ago I was diagnosed with poison ivy, first time ever, ( and ever is a long time for me )

My question is water changes. How do I go about doing this? ( please don't say ask the wife )

I only have it on both my arms, I am on steroids and a cream that I apply 3x a day. I usually do 2 water changes a week.

Any advice? I do use a phyton but I usually get both my hands inside the tanks and trim all my plants. (replant) and pick off any decaying leaves.

Thanks all.

How long do you need to be on this cream? If your tank is heavily planted enough you can skip a water change as long as you have enough plants

 

I'm guessing the plants are getting a vacation.. Unless you have some really long gloves, I know some members that use those for maintenance. They go to like your shoulder.

 

How long do you need to be on this cream? If your tank is heavily planted enough you can skip a water change as long as you have enough plants

The steroids and cream is for 2 weeks.

Yes my tanks are heavily planted, its just that I am a big fan of water changes for the fish as well as the plants.

Nothing beats clean water

I'm guessing the plants are getting a vacation.. Unless you have some really long gloves, I know some members that use those for maintenance. They go to like your shoulder.

Yeah I'm not a fan of gloves.

 

 

I definitely wouldn't get that weepy poison itchiness in the tank either. I'm guessing you will have to just deal with gloves for a few weeks. It's not forever.

 

ouch, I don't envy you the itching that goes along with this. Whatever you do don't scratch it and bust the blisters. It will spread. You probably don't have to ask how I know this. I learned this lesson a very long time ago.

You may have to skip the plant maintenance for a couple of weeks. Since you use a python to do your water change you shouldn't have to put your hands in the tank. Fish will still get their fresh water.

 

ouch, I don't envy you the itching that goes along with this. Whatever you do don't scratch it and bust the blisters. It will spread. You probably don't have to ask how I know this. I learned this lesson a very long time ago.

You may have to skip the plant maintenance for a couple of weeks. Since you use a python to do your water change you shouldn't have to put your hands in the tank. Fish will still get their fresh water.

At 59, and the first time ever having this ( and no one I know as ever had this ) yes i was very itchy the first night and YES i was scratching like crazy.
I went to dermatologist who put me right on steroids and a cream.

Thank God after 6 days I can finally say the itching is over and I can know get 5-6 hours of sleep.
I did ask my neighbor around the corner to help me with the 4 tanks I have and know that's off my chest.

And all my fish are back smiling at me.

 

At 59, and the first time ever having this ( and no one I know as ever had this ) yes i was very itchy the first night and YES i was scratching like crazy.
I went to dermatologist who put me right on steroids and a cream.

Thank God after 6 days I can finally say the itching is over and I can know get 5-6 hours of sleep.
I did ask my neighbor around the corner to help me with the 4 tanks I have and know that's off my chest.

And all my fish are back smiling at me.

I am glad you were able to get some relief and it is almost behind you now. Most of the time I see the plant and can avoid it but I still get it from time to time. I got it on my hands and up my arms just a couple of months ago. I was cleaning the weeds out of a flower bed and didn't notice the poison ivy hiding in there. I just use over the counter meds. Rub on Caladryl for the outside and take Benedryl to help from the inside. Between the 2 of them I can handle it pretty well.

Hopefully now that you know you are allergic to it you will recognize the plant and can avoid it in the future. There are very few things that can itch as badly and as long as something like this from a simple plant.

 

Almost made a repeat post of this question. (for future reference.)
I hate poison ivy.
Have it now covering one arm and part of the other. And on my neck. And on my ears.
Want to know how?
Well, of course last week we had multiple lambs born and two sets of twins that needed help/ extra bottle feeding until mom’s milk came in, and it would be the week the flock is in the field full of poison ivy.
Of course I would forget this fact, since the adult ewes ate all the leaves off early on.
Of course wool is crazy absorbent and the urushiol will stay on their wool until it rains.
There’s no real reason for me to share this, except that misery loves company.
And I answered my own question: yes keep all future about the poison ivy out of fishtanks.

I wish I could drop everything and go to the beach. From past experience salt water is one of the best things for it…
Of course not a saltwater aquarium;-)

OP, I realize this was months ago, but I emphasize with you.

 

Almost made a repeat post of this question. (for future reference.)
I hate poison ivy.
Have it now covering one arm and part of the other. And on my neck. And on my ears.
Want to know how?
Well, of course last week we had multiple lambs born and two sets of twins that needed help/ extra bottle feeding until mom’s milk came in, and it would be the week the flock is in the field full of poison ivy.
Of course I would forget this fact, since the adult ewes ate all the leaves off early on.
Of course wool is crazy absorbent and the urushiol will stay on their wool until it rains.
There’s no real reason for me to share this, except that misery loves company.
And I answered my own question: yes keep all future about the poison ivy out of fishtanks.

I wish I could drop everything and go to the beach. From past experience salt water is one of the best things for it…
Of course not a saltwater aquarium;-)

OP, I realize this was months ago, but I emphasize with you.

Since you can't go to the beach maybe a dip in an Epsom salt bath will help. I do feel for you. There is not much of anything worse than an itch you can't scratch.

 

Since you can't go to the beach maybe a dip in an Epsom salt bath will help. I do feel for you. There is not much of anything worse than an itch you can't scratch.

That’s a good idea.
The worst of it is starting to dry up, but there’s still a bunch a little places where it spread. I have jewelweed salve now too- so there’s hope!
kind of a “duh” moment: The other reason the beach is great for poison ivy besides salt water in the ocean is that zinc oxide, which is the active ingredient in calamine lotion, is also the active ingredient in a lot of sunscreen. So yeah

 

when I had it, I just used the vacuum pump at surface of tank and kept the infected skin areas out of tank.

It only took about 7 to 10 days to heal over

I vacuum every week, so skipping 1x wasn't a big deal plus I use Seachem Pristine.

 

That’s a good idea.
The worst of it is starting to dry up, but there’s still a bunch a little places where it spread. I have jewelweed salve now too- so there’s hope!
kind of a “duh” moment: The other reason the beach is great for poison ivy besides salt water in the ocean is that zinc oxide, which is the active ingredient in calamine lotion, is also the active ingredient in a lot of sunscreen. So yeah

Poison ivy is why i never wear shorts....also ticks.

 

elbow high gloves will do the trick. The Pond Guy Aqua Gloves

 

Oh you guys, I got itchy reading that! I'm in my 60's and only by the grace of God have I never gotten it. Others around me have, but I guess I'm not as sensitive to it as they. I live on a farm and it's out there around a lot of the trees. You can't even burn it, because then you inhale the smoke and it's in your trachea - I know someone who got it there when they accidently burned some. I also do NOT wear shorts out in the fields because of it and the ticks. We don't have chickens in the yard anymore eating them, and I've pulled so many of them from my dog and a couple from hubby over the years.

I do know that once you have a breakout, each time you're exposed, it will get worse. So please be careful! Wash with soap and COLD water if you think you have it, and put your clothes right into the washer as you take them off for a cold water wash.

Bless you, please heal quickly!

 

Poison ivy is why i never wear shorts....also ticks.

Hate to break it to you, long pants and sleeves don’t necessarily stop ticks...
Use bug repellent that is rated for ticks, and shower promptly / check yourself over when you’ve been in the woods or tall grass; also, it’s the tiny nymphs you don’t see that you won’t find ( And are some of the most adapt transmitting disease) so if you wash well you just rinse them off if they’re there.
Lyme is miserable, and not always diagnosed soon enough. Respect the dreaded tick.

Oh you guys, I got itchy reading that! I'm in my 60's and only by the grace of God have I never gotten it. Others around me have, but I guess I'm not as sensitive to it as they. I live on a farm and it's out there around a lot of the trees. You can't even burn it, because then you inhale the smoke and it's in your trachea - I know someone who got it there when they accidently burned some. I also do NOT wear shorts out in the fields because of it and the ticks. We don't have chickens in the yard anymore eating them, and I've pulled so many of them from my dog and a couple from hubby over the years.

I do know that once you have a breakout, each time you're exposed, it will get worse. So please be careful! Wash with soap and COLD water if you think you have it, and put your clothes right into the washer as you take them off for a cold water wash.

Bless you, please heal quickly!

Thank you!
It’s already much better than even a couple days ago. Jewelweed really is amazing for healing and soothing. I wish I had had it during the worst stage!

^^ great advice.
Washing quickly with soap really does work: there was a time I walked through almost an acre of poison ivy trying to find a lost cat, ( in shorts) I could *feel* my skin burning. I washed with Dawn dish soap and never broke out.

Fun fact: “Cold” and “itch” signals use the same neural pathways, that’s why cold is so soothing to itching, It fills the road with “cold”, thus leaving no room to feel itchy.

Just make sure those clothes get washed on hot, to get all the urushiol oil off. It’s water soluble, but it’s still possible for it to spread through the laundry.

 

Hate to break it to you, long pants and sleeves don’t necessarily stop ticks...
Use bug repellent that is rated for ticks, and shower promptly / check yourself over when you’ve been in the woods or tall grass; also, it’s the tiny nymphs you don’t see that you won’t find ( And are some of the most adapt transmitting disease) so if you wash well you just rinse them off if they’re there.
Lyme is miserable, and not always diagnosed soon enough. Respect the dreaded tick.


Thank you!
It’s already much better than even a couple days ago. Jewelweed really is amazing for healing and soothing. I wish I had had it during the worst stage!

^^ great advice.
Washing quickly with soap really does work: there was a time I walked through almost an acre of poison ivy trying to find a lost cat, ( in shorts) I could *feel* my skin burning. I washed with Dawn dish soap and never broke out.

Fun fact: “Cold” and “itch” signals use the same neural pathways, that’s why cold is so soothing to itching, It fills the road with “cold”, thus leaving no room to feel itchy.

Just make sure those clothes get washed on hot, to get all the urushiol oil off. It’s water soluble, but it’s still possible for it to spread through the laundry.

I didn't know to wash in HOT - yikes! But at our age, I guess we've done something right!

 

HOT

You wash your clothes in hot but yourself in cold! If you think that you were in poison ivy a cold soapy rub is the way to go. The heat opens up your skin and lets in the poisonous oils.

 

I'm sorry to hear of your woes! I come from a family where we are immune to poison ivy. When I was a child, both my mother and my father said they had no reactions to poison ivy. I just took it for granted that I would also not have a problem.

One year, at summer camp (in the Catskill mountains in the US), a group of us were walking in a wooded area and the counselor showed us how to identify poison ivy and told us to avoid it. Being a city kid, I had never encountered it before. Everyone gave it a wide berth... except for me. Silly, dumb little show-off me! Dressed in shorts and a sleeveless top, I ran over and rolled in it and rubbed it on my arms. No reaction and I laughed at the horror on all their faces. So of course, some kids had to copy me... with terrible results. Many ended up in the infirmary and then had to cut short their camp stay and were sent home. You can imagine how popular I was, after that! I think I was about eight years old.

I have no idea whether I'm still immune, but I react terribly to stinging nettles!

 

At 59, and the first time ever having this ( and no one I know as ever had this ) yes i was very itchy the first night and YES i was scratching like crazy.
I went to dermatologist who put me right on steroids and a cream.

Thank God after 6 days I can finally say the itching is over and I can know get 5-6 hours of sleep.
I did ask my neighbor around the corner to help me with the 4 tanks I have and know that's off my chest.

And all my fish are back smiling at me.

59 and first time ever having it. That’s lucky, I’ve had it over 10 times and I’m only 25. South Georgia though so it’s everywhere

 

While growing up it never bothered me. That is no longer the case. Thankfully I never get it as bad as some folks do. One of my nieces got it from head foot when they first moved to this area. She was out mowing it with a walk behind mower. Had no idea as to what it was. It was summer time so hot and humid. It was the perfect storm for a horrific case of poison ivy. For the most part I just get it on my hands from pulling weeds and overlooking a stem or two of the stuff.

 

Hate to break it to you, long pants and sleeves don’t necessarily stop ticks...
Use bug repellent that is rated for ticks, and shower promptly / check yourself over when you’ve been in the woods or tall grass; also, it’s the tiny nymphs you don’t see that you won’t find ( And are some of the most adapt transmitting disease) so if you wash well you just rinse them off if they’re there.
Lyme is miserable, and not always diagnosed soon enough. Respect the dreaded tick.


Thank you!
It’s already much better than even a couple days ago. Jewelweed really is amazing for healing and soothing. I wish I had had it during the worst stage!

^^ great advice.
Washing quickly with soap really does work: there was a time I walked through almost an acre of poison ivy trying to find a lost cat, ( in shorts) I could *feel* my skin burning. I washed with Dawn dish soap and never broke out.

Fun fact: “Cold” and “itch” signals use the same neural pathways, that’s why cold is so soothing to itching, It fills the road with “cold”, thus leaving no room to feel itchy.

Just make sure those clothes get washed on hot, to get all the urushiol oil off. It’s water soluble, but it’s still possible for it to spread through the laundry.

Yeah, that's right, Lyme disease is dangerous. If anyone got a tick bite, it is important to check your body and remove the tick. Also, ensure to clean that part with soap and water and put the removed tick in rubbing alcohol to ensure that it was killed. The main way to avoid tick bites is to apply some tick prevention medications mentioned above, like chemical repellents mainly permethrin, picaridin etc.