Aqua Gloves vs. Bare Hands?

[bigpaul2600]

What are the advantages to using Aqua Gloves (if any). If using bare hands what kind of soap should I be using to clean up with before putting my hands in the tank? I assume some soaps have oils in them that could stay on my hands and get into the tank?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[papagimp]

8 or 9 months ago, my 55g started having massive sps dieoffs, about $400 worth of em, along with my male bangaii dying. Tested my tanks, found ammonia,nitrite,nitrates all off the color charts. Performed 50-90% water changes every couple days, did no good. Levels stayed the same. Tried every suggestion I could get here on RC...nothing. This went on for about 6-7 months straight, luckily I didn't loose any more livestock during this time. Finaly found the culprit to be antibacterial soap that the misses used. She did most the water changes for me so her nice clean good smelling hands were in my water....killing off all the beneficial bacteria unknowingly. Problem was resolved by utilizing the aqua-gloves every time our hands are in the tank. problem righted itself a month after purchasing the gloves and the tank could re-cycle. We've since changed soaps but continue to use the aquagloves out of fear of contaiminating the tank with something else.

 

[kuoka]

I try to use regular (dust free) latex gloves. But at times I'll use my bare hands too. The advantage of using gloves are to avoid being stung (for sensitive skin) or help from getting oils on your corals. But I use regular hand soap to wash my hands.

 

[audio101]

I use my bare hands everyday in my tank and no problems at all. I just run my hands under very warm water followed by cold water for a bit before I put them in.

 

[zyglow]

I use gloves any time I need to put my hands in the tanks. To me, the benefits for the tank and myself outweigh the cost of the gloves.

 

[papagimp]

Audio, your hobby experience says 4 months, I was working on my tank for over a year before my problems started up. Aqua-gloves fall under that "better safe than sorry" category. I wish I could go back to just using my bare hands, especially since none of my corals have ever bothered me with stings, but now fear keeps the gloves on

 

[besl]

I wash my hands with Soft Soap before and after I put my hands in the tank - I would definitely switch hobbies if I had to put gloves on first, and wash the gloves, wash myself... Soft Soap before and after tank entry works for me.

 

[yakfishin]

I'll admit that I have a pair of rubber gloves for the aquarium, but usually don't use them but about 1/4 of the time. My tank is 29" deep and even the gloves I have that are made for aquarium usage start to have water spill in them if I need to fetch or arrange something near the bottom. If glueing corals or something in the tank, I also find that the gloves just don't give me the dexterity to do so without a mess. I always make sure I scrub my hands with just plain hot water before putting them in the water though. After reading papa's post, I might be rethinking my habits.

 

[papagimp]

I hear ya yakfishin, I have some nice latex gloves for doing any fragging outside of the tank, and I do find it extremely difficult to mess in the tank with these gloves on. I hate em, but love the corals so it's a neccessary evil to endure. Besides, this helps to keep me from reaching in the tank daily as well. I'm kinda bad about that. I think I was just extremely unfortunate but once was definatly enough for me. Nothing like watching $400 worth of ORA frags die within a couple days. I darn near decided to quit after that....then I saw another coral i just had to have.

 

[cd77]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned open cuts -- bacterial infections, palytoxin yet. (?)

 

[bigpaul2600]

I didn't even think of the anti-bacterial soap killing off the beneficial bacteria... I think I will go a head and get the gloves... should I just wash the gloves off with RO/DI water after using them?

 

[wintercool97]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10861984#post10861984 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by papagimp
8 or 9 months ago, my 55g started having massive sps dieoffs, about $400 worth of em, along with my male bangaii dying. Tested my tanks, found ammonia,nitrite,nitrates all off the color charts. Performed 50-90% water changes every couple days, did no good. Levels stayed the same. Tried every suggestion I could get here on RC...nothing. This went on for about 6-7 months straight, luckily I didn't loose any more livestock during this time. Finaly found the culprit to be antibacterial soap that the misses used. She did most the water changes for me so her nice clean good smelling hands were in my water....killing off all the beneficial bacteria unknowingly. Problem was resolved by utilizing the aqua-gloves every time our hands are in the tank. problem righted itself a month after purchasing the gloves and the tank could re-cycle. We've since changed soaps but continue to use the aquagloves out of fear of contaiminating the tank with something else.

Boy that sucks, What gloves are you using? disposable or a thicker reusable glove? I have the disposable and they leek so bad that soon its like I'm not wearing them at all, I don't see a point in buying them again.

 

[wintercool97]

leek :lol: oh yes they turn into leeks, that is bad!

leak I mean...

 

[michaeldaly]

I don't use gloves and it has never caused me problems but mabey I'm just lucky.

 

[wooz29]

FWIW-ever since I started seeing bristleworms I wear my gloves everytime

 

[BCreefmaker]

wooz29, it it because for afraid of them or afraid of killing them from whats on your hands possibly? but all joking aside i have gloves and only get to use them one and a while, i have a pretty cramped 20G and i find the gloves do not offer enough dexterity to do any complex tasks or work that you cant see well. i never even bother to use a fish net, i find your hands work best at catching fish, or fast inverts. but for simple jobs id rather not pollute my water. but thats why i always tell people just because i stick my hand in does not mean you can, not to say they are dirty, but because even something as innocent as washing ur had after going to the bathroom with antibacterial soap could do you in, for months apparently. sorry to hear about your loss dude, but its good to hear you found the problem and are back on track.

 

[szeth13]

yea i never use gloves, i put my hands in the tank too much to use gloves. i do use gloves for fragging tho. as for cuts, i was breaking a piece of coral off cause it wasent getting any light and i was tired to trying to move the whole thing so this little part got some light n i cut myself. i didnt realize i cut myself untill i put my hand i nthe water and red went all over. no biggie i finished what i was doin and everything is fine. i actually remember reading a while back something about clams eating blood or something. something loopy like that

 

[uscharalph]

I try to keep my hands out of my tank, but I can't. LOL!!!!

 

[airq33]

I almost always wear gloves, and highly recommend their use inside the aquarium. It's an easy way to protect your livestock from contaminants on your skin (i.e. soap, lotion, etc.), as well as protect you from the contaminants (bacteria, toxins, etc.) in your tank. I use the Aqua Gloves, but they have leaked at the seams on me a few times. My friend recently purchased the Atlas Nitrile Gloves, and they seem to perform better. The Atlas gloves are more comfortable and dexterous, and they contain no seams.

 

[papagimp]

wintercool97: I use the Aqua-Gloves by coralife. I think. There reusable ones.

bigpaul2600: That's all I do, rinse em off with ro/di when I"m done.

wooz29: not having bristleworm spikes in me is one of the added benefits to wearing these gloves. Didn't occur to me unti I had inadvertantly picked one up....then I laughed at his sorry ugly face, mua ha ha!

I will mention that their have been times since I've righted the messed up tank, that I've had to just rinse and clean my hands as best as possible and hope everythings cool. Specifically when trying to get a frag I dropped from behind the rockwork, stuff like that. But I do try to keep that kind of activities to a minimal. I bought longer scrapers and nets to use so I don't have to wear gloves for that and still have my hands/arms out of the tank.

One of the best benefits I have found so far is that when I get home from a long day of working on cars and busting my knuckles open every day, My hands don't hurt when working on the tank now