Personal Safety in Tank Maintenance

[Coralsdaily]

Has anyone considered contribute an article, or perhaps sticky this discussion somewhere regarding all the potential hazards in this hobby, especially for those new comers to help keep everyone safe?
Some of the more common sense issues that causes personal injury are:

• Slipping on wet floor
• Electric shock by leaked voltage
• Glass or blade cut when performing maintenance
• Burns from hot equipments

The above can mostly be avoided by some best practices in common sense. But there are some very specific hidden dangers that makes me cringe when people aren't informed:

• Non-lethal toxic stings: Lionfish, rabbitfish spine, etc
• Allergic reactions: jellyfish, anemones, certain large polyp corals
• Cuts from sharp sps coral branches
• Surgeonfish (tang) spine cuts
• Pistol shrimp/mantis shrimp punches/cuts
• Bristleworms
• Morey eel bites
• Stingray spine
• Shark bite (really? shark in home aquarium?)

And then there are some extreme cases that can lead to fatality:

• Bluering Octopus (I can't believe someone actually kept it)
• Cone snail
• Palytoxin (from zoanthids)

I've personally been carelessly stung by a mandarin lionfish and I can share it was not a fun night. I kept my fingers cooking on a metal halide lamp that night to treat the heat-degenerating toxin. I have also unknowingly picked up cone snails while playing at a lagoon.

Will be happy to hear everyone's unfortunate encounters with any of these dangers listed above (photos of swollen fingers welcome). And also any other dangers not on the list but you feel is important to bring to the community's awareness.
Thanks!

 

[gpd124]

The cone snail is interesting - I am not sure I knew about this one.

 

[BackToTheReef]

I was always the guinea pig for stray voltage in tanks at the LFS I worked at. I seemed to pick it up when no one else could. Worst I ever got was when one of the fluorescent fixtures fell into one tank of a system and it's "waterproof" end cap wasn't very waterproof.

I've had a couple minor burns from hot bulbs, slashed my palm with a razor blade once while opening betta bags.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I was always the guinea pig for stray voltage in tanks at the LFS I worked at. I seemed to pick it up when no one else could. Worst I ever got was when one of the fluorescent fixtures fell into one tank of a system and it's "waterproof" end cap wasn't very waterproof.

I've had a couple minor burns, slashed my palm with a razor blade once while opening betta bags.

I can totally relate to the stray voltage. The LFS I used to work had a system that always shock me too. For some reason it did not shock anyone else. I think it has something to do with the type of shoe you wear to. Maybe the shoe prevented me from being grounded.

 

[Shon]

A piece of shell that is in a cut that tries to heal. Wondered why it wasn't healing. Became a gnarly infection. My knuckle has a scar and lump now from where I eventually dug it out.

Got a cut? Wash it out and inspect before you put on a bandaid! Foreign matter bad.

 

[Coralsdaily]

A piece of shell that is in a cut that tries to heal. Wondered why it wasn't healing. Became a gnarly infection. My knuckle has a scar and lump now from where I eventually dug it out.

Got a cut? Wash it out and inspect before you put on a bandaid! Foreign matter bad.

ouch! how long did that shard got stuck in there? so sorry to hear

 

[Shon]

It took about a week before it was inflamed and pus. It was just a wound that wouldn't close up before that. Noticed the shell after squeezing it (draining) and (contact solution) wash and rubbing alcohol.

 

[SaltyT]

Moving a piece of rock or picking a coral up that has a bristle worm on it... ouch!

 

[Coralsdaily]

Moving a piece of rock or picking a coral up that has a bristle worm on it... ouch!

oh yeah totally forgot about bristle worms. I mean they do make things painful, but I think a bit minor compare to some other critter.

 

[Steve McGlamery]

I try to never put my hands into my tank. Always use tongs. Some time it's unavoidable but, I keep it to a minimum.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I try to never put my hands into my tank. Always use tongs. Some time it's unavoidable but, I keep it to a minimum.

I wish I have your discipline. My latest hazard is I've been "hand feeding" my fish for a while and now everytime I stick my hands in there for any maintenance my humuhumukupukupuapua'a wants to take a bite at my finger tips.

 

[Conchman]

I clean the tank with a razor blade tool thingy. Some dumb reason I thought wiping the blade down was a great idea, almost lost part of my finger, deep, deep cut... Never had the Lionfish get the better of me, I would hold him off with a plastic spoon when I had to reach in the tank, or push him back with the plastic nozzle for the siphon hose...

 

[brandon429]

Bacterial infections are a very real possibility just from the array present, this thread should be required reading before teachers put reefs in classrooms. Most teachers posting for first time setups have asked about safety planning, good thread here

 

[Coralsdaily]

I clean the tank with a razor blade tool thingy. Some dumb reason I thought wiping the blade down was a great idea, almost lost part of my finger, deep, deep cut... Never had the Lionfish get the better of me, I would hold him off with a plastic spoon when I had to reach in the tank, or push him back with the plastic nozzle for the siphon hose...

I can totally relate to the lionfish part LOL. Back at the LFS we'd do rock paper scissors loser cleans the lionfish tank

 

[Coralsdaily]

Bacterial infections are a very real possibility just from the array present, this thread should be required reading before teachers put reefs in classrooms. Most teachers posting for first time setups have asked about safety planning, good thread here

Great call, I've seen so many schools setting up saltwater aquariums in classrooms or libraries without properly educating all the kids of its potential hazard.
Just do be clear, do you mean bacteria contamination from human to tank, or tank to human? or both ways?

 

[brandon429]

Tank to human. Vibrio has been medically diagnosed at least twenty times here at Rtr someone will see the mention soon and chime in, red streaks going up the forearms after a scrape and cross contamination.

I dont rate it as likely in reefing, but very possible. Not rare, many tanks have these pathogens but specifically getting them into a cut of a compromised person is another few luck steps (for the pathogen)

there are allergens and irritants that range person to person in a reef tank it’s not like freshwater which does have risks of certain ciliates but a typical home freshwater tank with mollies and platys isn’t going to be a hands on risk. I myself don’t take any precautions but look how my kiddo rolled back when we used to win show and tell day, gloves no eye splash, pre med practice for infants lol this one was ready

Classroom reef tanks eventually become hands on. It's the first time for many that true aseptic handling technique becomes required, medical isolation techniques

if a reef was in my class it would be hands off

Not talking hazmat ppe but just the first level consideration now required. Reefs are true bacterial direct contact risks. I know of no aerosol risk, child here raised in direct contact with practice model reef.
lol during her presentation she said this is montipowa.

 

[brandon429]

A word to the wise....

Maybe have a prescription of Cipro on standby ;) I have that lol. Makes me think to take one if I cut myself. "One for you Mr. Mag Nem and one for me."

www.reef2reef.com

 

[saltcats]

M. marinum can be present in freshwater too, but at least with that one your fish will probably be showing symptoms to warn you something's not right!

 

[Coralsdaily]

Tank to human. Vibrio has been medically diagnosed at least twenty times here at Rtr someone will see the mention soon and chime in, red streaks going up the forearms after a scrape and cross contamination.

I dont rate it as likely in reefing, but very possible. Not rare, many tanks have these pathogens but specifically getting them into a cut of a compromised person is another few luck steps (for the pathogen)

there are allergens and irritants that range person to person in a reef tank it’s not like freshwater which does have risks of certain ciliates but a typical home freshwater tank with mollies and platys isn’t going to be a hands on risk. I myself don’t take any precautions but look how my kiddo rolled back when we used to win show and tell day, gloves no eye splash, pre med practice for infants lol this one was ready

Classroom reef tanks eventually become hands on. It's the first time for many that true aseptic handling technique becomes required, medical isolation techniques

if a reef was in my class it would be hands off

Not talking hazmat ppe but just the first level consideration now required. Reefs are true bacterial direct contact risks. I know of no aerosol risk, child here raised in direct contact with practice model reef.
lol during her presentation she said this is montipowa.

Thanks for sharing- this also brings up another topic- what are people's feeling on the "touch pool" at aquariums where kids are allowed to touch or handle starfish/urchins, etc? I am sure the aquarium admin did their beset in selecting the "safest species". But to your point, bacterias and allergens are not always know and visible, so aside from ethics I often times cringe when I see kids dunking their hands into the tank, and then run away without properly washing up.

 

[brandon429]

It is 100% the same risk in tidepool exhibits but those items for handling aren't puncture prone like live rock, that will reduce risk massively. The pathogens typically need an open wound vector

cuts on little hands or cuticle breaks are common in kids, that's a risk.

Just in my opinion/ haven't searched I think pet turtles and salmonella likelihood exceed marine risks and look at the countless handling of filthy turtles lol we are unlikely to align all factors for infection overall. If a tank was in a classroom I had we would not have open handling but we could rotate reef techs / trained for safe rock handling and access.

Great thread. People should have the choice in handling small percentage medical risk as they see fit, reefing is certainly not risk free its just safe enough to justify as we drive cars ride planes etc