every night i have to feed my sun coral and i have my hands in the tank to do it. before i put my hands in i wash them well with a mild soap then rinse them well. Is this ok to do or should i be wearing gloves because of the oils on my hand? I do not touch any other corals in the process but am wondering if this will harm my tank in the long run, any suggestions or comments welcome.
hands in tank
- Thread starter Nick540
- Start date
Personally, i have always practiced the same as you and i have never had/seen any ill effects to anything in my aquarium. Some people do choose to wear the full arm plastic gloves.
Niko
Niko
I skip the soap entirely and just rinse my hands extensively with water before working in our reef tank, unless I know there's a good reason to use soap. And when I do use soap, it's the smallest amount possible -- just enough to clean off any dirt.
I've heard of people washing their hands in baking soda (instead of regular soap) to make sure that there's no chance of soap entering their tank, but I've never done it myself.
I've heard of people washing their hands in baking soda (instead of regular soap) to make sure that there's no chance of soap entering their tank, but I've never done it myself.
Yeah...I spend at least a little time every day with a shrimp or two crawling around my fingers. Gloves Schmloves, I say!
My peppermint shrimp tries to pull the hairs from my hands/arms. it is like he is trying to yank them out. My scarlet cleaner cleans my nails for me. I use very little soap then rinse in the hottest water i can stand to get it off. Then I rinse in cold water to close the pores back.
No soap just water, unless there is a need for me to use soap. I use very little. Then do about 30 sec worth of rinsing. and a good drying off of the hands only to get them wet again 
Don't use soap, just a good thorough rinse with water. I also pay close attention to what I've been handling all day, i.e. fire ant powder, bathroom cleaners, raid, fertilizer, lotions, etc. If I plan on cleaning the bathroom, then I don't touch the tank until the next day and after a good shower. Guess I'm extra cautious....
I use hand sanitizer up to my elbows a few minutes before entering the tank. I rinse it with tap water and dry it with a clean towel.