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  • bare hands...

    so i have questions regarding using gloves or tools (thus avoiding putting hands in the water at all). personally, i have always felt like i'm not happy unless i'm in up to my elbows. but i've heard that this can be a bad practice. obviously i always wash thoroughly before working in a tank, and don't put on lotions or anything like that to avoid introducing chemicals/substances to the water. i'll even skip deodorant if i think i'll be working in a deeper tank just to avoid the risk. i'll need another shower afterwards anyhow. using tools (especially planting tools) seems too clumsy for me, i try but i almost always end up tossing them aside and just doing it with my hands. the only negative i've really seen from doing so was a cut on my hand (stupid green dot algae only comes off with a razor blade...) that got badly infected, i'd assume from the tank fauna. so i was hoping that for my benefit and hopefully that of others as well, we could discuss what methods people recommend and why? i'd love to hear other's experiences with this issue. thank you in advance!
    my fish house:
    2.5g- ramshorn hatchery
    6g eclipse- yellow shrimp, chili rasboras, yellow apple snails
    29g- geo grow-out, angels, 12"fire eel, dwarf frog, apple snails
    45g- jade sleeper gobies, native killifish, feeder endlers

    75g-
    2 oscars, parrot, silver dollars, albino channel cat, syno euptera, bichir, baby jaguar, convicts, yabby
    125g- fahaka puffer, rainbow shark
    and about a dozen bettas....

  • #2
    i use bare hands and have never had a problem in the 2+ years i have had a tank but i dont use lotion or any of that stuff
    dont bro me if you dont know me!!!!!

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    • #3
      i use bare hands and scaping tools but then again i dont mind a little protein film since i know how to get rid of it. that being said it is still risky if you arent paying attention. i have a firend who was working in the yard and decided to come in cool off and play with a large cichlid aquarium. it doesnt take much DEET from mosquito repellant to make that a bad thing.
      75G Standard - High Light Planted Community Fish
      28G Aquapod - Medium Light Planted Shrimp & Microrasboras
      12G Eclipse - Bonsai Planted Betta & Shrimp
      29G Standard - Vivarium w/ Red Devil Crabs
      45G Exo-Terra - Terrarium w/ Hermit Crabs (in progress)
      33G Cubish - Vivarium w/ D.auratus 'blue & bronze'

      GHAC Member

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      • #4
        how does this relate to the protein film issue? that was what got me thinking about it in the first place...
        my fish house:
        2.5g- ramshorn hatchery
        6g eclipse- yellow shrimp, chili rasboras, yellow apple snails
        29g- geo grow-out, angels, 12"fire eel, dwarf frog, apple snails
        45g- jade sleeper gobies, native killifish, feeder endlers

        75g-
        2 oscars, parrot, silver dollars, albino channel cat, syno euptera, bichir, baby jaguar, convicts, yabby
        125g- fahaka puffer, rainbow shark
        and about a dozen bettas....

        Comment


        • #5
          Long rubber gloves? Saran wrap your arm? No clue... I haven't had a problem with sticking my hands/arms into the tank and I usually have cuts all over.

          Comment


          • #6
            oils from your skin contribute to the buildup of protein film. i used to use the long gloves but they dont make em in python-arm size lol
            75G Standard - High Light Planted Community Fish
            28G Aquapod - Medium Light Planted Shrimp & Microrasboras
            12G Eclipse - Bonsai Planted Betta & Shrimp
            29G Standard - Vivarium w/ Red Devil Crabs
            45G Exo-Terra - Terrarium w/ Hermit Crabs (in progress)
            33G Cubish - Vivarium w/ D.auratus 'blue & bronze'

            GHAC Member

            Comment


            • #7
              Fresh water no biggy.

              Salt water....I avoid getting my hands wet at all cost.
              I ate my fish that died.

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              • #8
                i do have a pair of HUGE blue/red gloves that reach all the way to my shoulder, i just hate using them. there's no finesse with those things... and i think the cut only got so nasty because i cut myself underwater with the blade i was using at the time to scrape the glass... it pushed that crud right into my hand.
                my fish house:
                2.5g- ramshorn hatchery
                6g eclipse- yellow shrimp, chili rasboras, yellow apple snails
                29g- geo grow-out, angels, 12"fire eel, dwarf frog, apple snails
                45g- jade sleeper gobies, native killifish, feeder endlers

                75g-
                2 oscars, parrot, silver dollars, albino channel cat, syno euptera, bichir, baby jaguar, convicts, yabby
                125g- fahaka puffer, rainbow shark
                and about a dozen bettas....

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yea fresh water no issues, salt will dry out ur skin if done over and over and may eventually cause cracking. Iv never had any problems in fresh but id make sure u are clean and dont have any sort of chemicals or such on you. If cleaning an old tooth brush is a nice tool to use.
                  5 gal baby hecqui grow out
                  7 gal baby compressicps
                  14 bio cube fry tank, multies-orange leleupi-telmatochromis
                  4 tank rack- 30 cubes. Shellies, mulities-brevis-telmatochromis-caudopunctaus
                  100 gal mixed community tank
                  125 Tropheus black bembas

                  Tanngankia cichlids what else

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                  • #10
                    I always wash my hands befor working on any of my tanks. even if I have to use a tool. Most the time I use my hands but one of my tanks is to tall. I can't stand in a chair and reach to the bottom. I am a short person. So tools are a must sometimes. If you have plants you have to trim sometimes...
                    I wait for a water change to clean the glass, move things around, or ad something. That way the tank isn't full and i'm not swimming with my fishies...
                    Nothing Kills Evil Like a Sharp Stick...

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by crazy42bmx View Post
                      ...dry out ur skin if done over and over and may eventually cause cracking...
                      man card = revoked
                      75G Standard - High Light Planted Community Fish
                      28G Aquapod - Medium Light Planted Shrimp & Microrasboras
                      12G Eclipse - Bonsai Planted Betta & Shrimp
                      29G Standard - Vivarium w/ Red Devil Crabs
                      45G Exo-Terra - Terrarium w/ Hermit Crabs (in progress)
                      33G Cubish - Vivarium w/ D.auratus 'blue & bronze'

                      GHAC Member

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Totenkampf View Post
                        man card = revoked
                        hahahahahha
                        dont bro me if you dont know me!!!!!

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                        • #13
                          LOL!!!!

                          I just rinse before diving into the tanks. Some times I run the shower to rinse my arms and I roll my sleeves up. I dont have salt water but I fish in the surf often and havent had any dry skin issues. Maybe its not the same??
                          Last edited by BrAin; 10-08-2012, 05:55 PM.


                          200 - African cichlids
                          72 - Salty Bow Front
                          33 Cube - community
                          10's - Freshwater Shrimp


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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Totenkampf View Post
                            man card = revoked

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I fish in the surf often and havent had any dry skin issues.
                              It may not be the same. there are a lot bigger fish in that water...
                              Nothing Kills Evil Like a Sharp Stick...

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