Poll: Hands in Tank

[dbl]

I spent some long overdue time in the tank this weekend and it reminded me of a poll another member suggested. I've tried to live by the rule of keeping my hands out of the tank, but when I do have to, I've always taken the time to scrub my hands and arms with dish soap and water prior to putting them in the tank. The question is do others do the same or do they just go at it. Do others were gloves? So let's see what the general consensus is with hands in the tank.

 

[Grelby]

I don’t use soap but I scrub my hands and arms with hot water.

 

[wolfpackdl90]

I typically wear gloves.

 

[KMench]

My main concern with using bare skin and soap is any of the residue from soap ending up in the tank. I try to keep my hands out in general, but when I do put them in hot water before and then soap after.

 

[DSC reef]

I like to wash my hands with regular dawn then dry off before going into the tank. Always wash after being in the tank as well.

 

[Oleshp]

Being an auto mechanic by trade, there's always the potential of some pretty nasty stuff on my hands and arms. I usually wash with a good hand cleaner and then dawn antibacterial soap and then rinse, rinse, and rinse again. I may go a little overboard, but like I said, I never know what's on my hands

 

[Frizzles7]

If my hands have to go in, I always wash before (with multiple rinses) and after. I also remove my rings.

 

[Luno]

Meh, if my hands are dirty I'll give them a wash with water in the sink. Otherwise I just dive in

 

[Gareth elliott]

I wear gloves if what im doing may poke or sting me. So if picking up a rock i wear gloves, if just doing a wc i dont. Really this is because i have experinced what a bristle worm feels like lol. When i first started i used gloves for everything, gained a level of confidense with certain tasks. I do the same with my bees, even though im alergic, some tasks i wear a suit others like a simple taking the top off inspection or fall feeding i dont.

 

[JCM]

I don’t use soap but I scrub my hands and arms with hot water.

I'm with Grelby. A good scrub with water only beforehand, don't want soap residue getting in the tank.

After... sometimes I'll wash with soap, sometimes I'm lazy and just towel dry and go about my business.

 

[cracker]

Depends on where Iv'e had my hands .

 

[LadyMac]

Usually I don’t unless I’ve had my hands in paint ( I’m an artist) or just got done cleaning/ Loading the washer. Otherwise I just plop time right in. I’ll wear gloves when messing with the corals if I have to move them.

 

[zachxlutz]

First and foremost, hands ONLY go in when absolutely needed. If I'm flipping a snail or cleaning the sandbed I use long tools.

I always wash up before I put my hands/arms in the tank. I use Reef Suds from @Bulk Reef Supply .

Who knows what ends up on my hands... I know I don't want unknowns going in my tank. I usually wash up afterwards with a moisturizing soap, salt water tends to dry my hands out.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

I always wash my hands before and after. I rinse my hands off multiple times before going into the tank to make sure any leftover soap isn't on my hands. I wear gloves depending on what I doing in the tank.

 

[Bob Weigant]

Always wash before and after

 

[Newb73]

I am in my tank so much my fish have accepted me as one of their own and actually school with my hands and rub against me.

Well, the baslets do. The tangs do a little and even the fox face. The clowns bite.

No negative impacts that i can tell what so ever. But then I run ozone, UV and change 80g a month.

 

[Greybeard]

One of my primary goals in life is to keep my grubby mitts out of the tank. I have a bit of acrylic rod, and a big pair of hemostats that help me in this goal. In the rare occasions when I can't avoid putting my hands in the tank, I'll first evaluate what I've done since my last shower or good hand washing... and wash again if I need to. If that evaluation leads me to think about the weed eater I was running this morning, with all of the gas, oil, grease, dirt, etc that kind of thing involves, the right answer may well be to wait on the tank maintenance.

I'm fairly certain that I killed my old cube by noticing, as I walked by, that a plug of zoanthids had blown off the rock, and were upside down in the sand. Just reached in, real quick, and moved it back where it belonged. I spent some time in my reloading room that day, exposed to solvents, cleaners, oils, and all manner of nastiness that comes along with firearms. It's not a mistake I'll make again.

Wash after? Whafor? I know, it's possible to pick up some nasty stuff from our aquariums... I suppose, if I was mucking around with a colony of palythoa, I would probably wash again, but no, I typically just towel my hands off and move on.

 

[DarkSky]

Where's the "just before" option? If I'm going to be in my tank, I hot water scrub my hands as much as possible and then put them in.

I just towel off after. I prefer to not put them in at all if possible.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Gloves at all times.

 

[Greybeard]

All of you that voted gloves... How does that work?

Rubber gloves would flood as soon as you get the wrist underwater, right? I would think surgical type gloves would be torn in no time when dealing with encrusted live rock... What, you have opera length rubber gloves? I'm picturing the kind of thing a vet uses when assisting in delivering a new colt