Newbie Lesson!!!

[U4BOYZ]

UGH. I got lucky. My skimmer starting wigging out...called my fish man. He determined that when I got my new corals today---and started rearranging my tank---that I washed my hands too much and didn't rinse them well enough. It was SOAP!!! Thank goodness I only use pure, organic soap. Wow. Lucked out. My corals have looked happier than they do right now....but my fish are all a-okay. PHEW!!! The fish man thinks my corals will probably make a full recovery. I guess I'm buying the long rubber gloves...better safe than sorry!

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah it can be tricky, because you don't want the oils (and lotions, for the ladies) from your hands getting into your tank, but you don't want soap residues in there either! I usually don't wash my hands before putting them in the tank.

 

[parrotchute]

I come in contact with some bad stuff at work, so I always wash my hands right when I get home, then won't put my hands in the water for a few hours so the soap can wear off.

 

[yote]

Oil and grease can be as bad as soap.
If my hands are gonna be in the tank,I'll wash them good with soap and rinse in the hottest water I can stand.The hotter the water,the quicker it cuts the soap off your hands.

 

[Sunshine]

Not as bad as me filling the tank up with the same bucket I use to mop the floor with !!!!

 

[SeaBee]

I just rinse my hands and arms off up to my elbows with really hot water, no soap.

 

[rwynn]

I dumped my new LR into a bucket of untreated tap water to cure a couple days ago...took me a sec to realize what I had done...

 

[Bifferwine]

Oh man! At least you dipped the harmful inverts off of it... :shock:

 

[rwynn]

Yeah lol, I treated it and added some, forget the brand think it was nutrifin, biological startup to the water...seems to be doing well, the nitrites spiked a LITTLE(still in a safe zone) and are going back down now so it looks like things will be ok soon.

Really looking forward to getting an RO/DI unit soon.

 

[dcantucson]

I always wash my hands with soap but then make it a point to rinse them 3-4 times as long. Then use paper towels to dry them off. I make sure to get the soap off.

 

[Navarchus]

Nice save U4Boyz!

I try to stay out of my display tank as much as humanly possible. I figure the fish enjoy my big hairy arm in their house about as much as I would like a giant squid tentical rearranging my furniture.

When I do need to go in there I just wash with arms with H2O and scrub.