Using gloves!!!

my daughter put her hand in my tank , to rearrange something. she came flying upstairs because she got spiked by our 1spot. fortunately , she wasnt allergic or it could been bad. for her, felt like a minor bee sting. for others, probably need like an EPO stick.

 

Epi-stick/Epi-pen. But yes. Some people are allergic to gluten, some to lactose, some to nothing. The way I see it is we're already mixing water and electricity....why have any more risks?

 

You can order shoulder length vinyl (or other thin plastic) gloves online if you need to protect your whole arm, just google search something like "shoulder length vinyl gloves" or something like that, they aren't very expensive.
I always try and cover my hands whenever I work in the tank, never know when a bristle worm is going to be hiding under that frag or on the back side of that rock you're trying to move.
Also my hands are much more likely to have little open cuts or dry skin around the nails etc which can let nasty stuff in so I figure that's the most important part to cover, I also use a rubber band around the wrist on regular vinyl gloves to prevent water from getting in there. It's a real hassle working in the tank with gloves if water gets in there, at least for me it is, you have to empty the stupid glove out every time you take your hand out heh.

 

My story that convinced me that gloves are a necessity:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/coral/putting-my-foot-my-mouth-zoanthid-sting-56774.html

 

I always wear gloves. I've heard many horror stories! My LFS owner showed me his hands....that was proof enough that gloves are needed! Plus my skin gets irritated just from being in the salt water.

 

thank you sparky...I am now scared...

 

probably more important to wear gloves when you have a cut or open wound on your hands, but i couldn't see it hurting anything. The powder from the powdered latex gloves is usually made of cornstarch or talcum powder...not sure if would hurt anything but i personally wouldn't use the powdered gloves.

 

The only thing is that you're not always aware of when you have a break in the skin, there are lots of micro-cuts and abrasions that can still let stuff into them, or getting stuck under your fingernails etc which is why I always try and use gloves, it's not always possible but I try to anyway.

I've been using the powdered gloves off and on, I initially rinsed the powder off but I've gotten lazy about that. I got a new box of unpowdered ones though once I use up these powdered ones. I think they are preferable too.

 

at most you would end up with a non neutonian fluid, lol

 

I use these when I do any work in my tank, always scares the crap outta my blue hippo... sorry I'm bored ;D