oneilwiz
Active Member
Happy Sunday aquarists,
I will keep this post short and sweet, but let me share my horrible experience over the past week. I myself must admit that I tend to neglect my health concerns when caring for my reef tank.
This started last week Sunday, I was eagerly excited to get some new corals and 12 pounds of light reef rock into my tank, set up my folding chair and desk in the living room ready to work. I have been on the fence for the past month to upgrade to a reefer Peninsula 500 so I said to myself let me redesign my aquascape instead to fight the bug. I started to use "Hold Fast" epoxy the entire stick using latex gloves because I hate that smell on my hands. Little did I know my troubles were starting.
As the night continues, my wife and I started to cough. I took it for nothing saying its just my old cold coming back. Granted I live in a townhouse and climate condition that doesn't allow us to open windows with 10 degrees. Middle of the night or early morning I woke up to pain, fever, and coughing. That's it I think I have the flu. Days past by being sick which turns into Bronchitis, I ignore my wife as she complains my tank smells horrible. Looking at the tank I notice my skimmer going crazy not skimming and my sump area is white with that terrible epoxy smell. Large water change was done still didn't help. I started to look carefully around the living room area and realize all our furniture and floor has a white film. We started to scrub the house top down. Performed another large water change, the smell is still there but not strong. Finally got the skimmer working after vinegar bath, I cover the lid with a carbon pad to absorb the smell to see if the smell will go away.
I have learned a lot over the past few days that we tend to neglect precautions and our health, I know for a fact I will not be using epoxy like that again. It's not like in the summer you can leave the windows or door open for the fumes to be illuminated. Air fresheners only make it worst. Be careful reef keepers. I am not sure if the epoxy was too old or what but never again.
I will keep this post short and sweet, but let me share my horrible experience over the past week. I myself must admit that I tend to neglect my health concerns when caring for my reef tank.
This started last week Sunday, I was eagerly excited to get some new corals and 12 pounds of light reef rock into my tank, set up my folding chair and desk in the living room ready to work. I have been on the fence for the past month to upgrade to a reefer Peninsula 500 so I said to myself let me redesign my aquascape instead to fight the bug. I started to use "Hold Fast" epoxy the entire stick using latex gloves because I hate that smell on my hands. Little did I know my troubles were starting.
As the night continues, my wife and I started to cough. I took it for nothing saying its just my old cold coming back. Granted I live in a townhouse and climate condition that doesn't allow us to open windows with 10 degrees. Middle of the night or early morning I woke up to pain, fever, and coughing. That's it I think I have the flu. Days past by being sick which turns into Bronchitis, I ignore my wife as she complains my tank smells horrible. Looking at the tank I notice my skimmer going crazy not skimming and my sump area is white with that terrible epoxy smell. Large water change was done still didn't help. I started to look carefully around the living room area and realize all our furniture and floor has a white film. We started to scrub the house top down. Performed another large water change, the smell is still there but not strong. Finally got the skimmer working after vinegar bath, I cover the lid with a carbon pad to absorb the smell to see if the smell will go away.
I have learned a lot over the past few days that we tend to neglect precautions and our health, I know for a fact I will not be using epoxy like that again. It's not like in the summer you can leave the windows or door open for the fumes to be illuminated. Air fresheners only make it worst. Be careful reef keepers. I am not sure if the epoxy was too old or what but never again.
