Are you HANDS IN or HANDS OUT?

Are you hands in or hands out in your system?

  • Hands in the tank

    Votes: 125 87.4%
  • Hands out of the tank

    Votes: 21 14.7%

  • Total voters
    143

vlangel

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Ha ha, I was an aquarium tech for a lfs so of course I would vote for hands in. I am also more of a fish person than a coral person so hands in does not bother most fish that are used to that. My coral are softies and LPS and so are not the finicky types either which undoubtedly can make a difference too.
 

Crotalus

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Since my tank is 30" deep I can't completely avoid putting my hands in the tank from time to time. My Niger got me once, that's why his name is Satan.
satan bite.jpg
 

Buckster

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I put on gloves when gluing coral to the rocks. Also periodically when I have to touch a paly or zoa. I sometimes accidentally touch the paly's and zoa's but have had no negative result. I will immediately wash my hands after the occurrence.
 

Stephen

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I've always been hands in. Sometimes I'll use tongs but it's usually only to grab something in a tight spot.
 

smoleral

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I’m definitely in the minority category of reefers who are paranoid of contaminating the tank... I try to keep my hands out at all costs. Just considering the sensitivity and price tag of some of the animals in my tank, I do what I can to minimize risk. I frequently work with chemicals in my day job, not to mention the risk of fragranced hand soaps and deodorant being introduced, so I try to treat my tank as if you are working in a laboratory setting where simple contaminations can have unknown effects on your experiment. I also tend to have some cuts on my hands and the saltwater definitely burns LOL.

That being said, I use gloves, tongs, and even arms-length gloves whenever I can. As someone already mentioned, sometimes you need the extra dexterity of your fingers so you’re left with no choice. But overall it’s hands-out for me!
 

Viking

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This might be of interest. In my lab we wash our hands prior to working in or around our aquariums (and after before some wise cracker starts) we wash them with a decent surgical type soap AND then rinse our hands with dilute Hydrogen Peroxide - stings like mad if you have a cut. The reason for this is simple we are more able with out hands than using clumsy tools.. We don't have issues with toxins disease etc meaning we can get on with what we are there for.
 
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KingTideCorals

KingTideCorals

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Seeing the results so far and leaning HEAVILY to hands in! Okay I see you reefers!

One thing I think of a lot in this discussion is what is on our hands.. I work in the maritime field and operate vessels so I am constantly tinkering with engines and what so I feel I come home with dirty hands.. Yes I wash them... but do I get every last bit off? And then does it go into my tank?

Loving the discussion on here and really enjoying everyones replies... keep it coming!

Getting Ready So Good GIF by NETFLIX
 

Arego

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Bare skin.. out, always. We have horses so I buy shoulder length cattle birthing gloves from the farm store and double up on them.

I've used my bare hands before obviously but it's been over a year and a half that I haven't. I converted a baby snot sucker into a 26" spot feeder and pretty much everything is growing to the rocks so no plugs to pickup.

What I do is take baseball/softball sized rocks and glue the corals off the plugs to those. I can redesign anything I want by picking up the whole rock and setting it anywhere else while the main aquascape structure never changes. This avoids fragging (more hands on) when things grow too close or gloves ripping by having to grab large rocks to move things around.

Lastly I have absolutely noticed a more consistent production of pure skunk skim out of my vertex omega 200i no question. It's not the end of the world if my hands or arms get wet I just try to keep things out of the tank that have no business being in there if it doesn't need to be.
 

Totroc3

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Hands in the tank daily. I’ve done this for years with no ill effects. Of course I make sure I have absolutely no soap residue or lotion on my hands.
 

DeniseAndy

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I must say, for me it depends on the my tank. For my large system, I really have to get in and pull algae with my hands. Tools and gloves are just too clumsy. Plus what would my lemon and azure damsels attack if I did not. The azures just started this. Lemons have been all along. Darn animals learned behaviors.

So far the clarkiis just hide when I am in the tank. They are still young though. Fun times ahead.

With my 40g and 20g, I try to use tools mostly, but hands in for good clean or fine adjustments. My 6g is impossible to get a hand into, so usually tools.
 

Conrad Noto

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Whenever I chat with reefers one of the questions that has always interested me is the concept of whether or not the reefer likes to put his/her hands into the tank... or do they do their due diligence and try to not introduce their hands in the system by using tools and other features for a system.

Now my question is to you! Are you more hands in your tank or hands out of your tank?

Just recently I have tried to do my best to be hands out of my lagoon system to just do its own thing, and I think I can say there is no doubt some happy corals in the system, and perhaps better growth. One thing that makes it tough to be hands out though is my pinch of flake food I will feed. Kinda have to use my finger tips for that.. (any ideas?)

Excited to hear from you all!

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I use my hands with gloves. I use gloves to prevent harm to myself, have gotten various rashes and stings over the years. However I use to be a heavy smoker prior to heart attack and was killing coral without knowing it. Corals are very nicotine sensitive, if you smoke you should wear gloves.
 

Wick3d_1

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I'm hands on. But this may change as I work in healthcare. We are constantly washing with hand sanitizer and I wear gloves 99% of my day. (Powder free, latex free gloves) and I don't wear lotion or anything else. I am worried about my constant use of these products. So, I may be going hands free on this tank.
 

Reefjnky

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Hands in and never gave it any thought. My occelaris clown likes to bite me but other then that i dont see any harm.

Edit: I once put my hands in after using tiger balm and had a huge die off so I am conscious of what I touched and cleaned before though
 
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neonreef3d

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Its really difficult to not have to put your hands in the tank, I try to stay aware of what products I use on my hands. I never use sanitizers, and anytime I know I need to get in there, I always rinse my hands with freshwater and dry...
 

snorklr

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been a mechanic forever...so unless my tank wants to replicate the deepwater horizon experience i wear gloves...in addition i'm usually cut up and i really dont want any of the wonderfully diverse bacteria in my live rock finding their way into my bloodstream
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 70 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 62 33.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
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