Poison Gloves?

[iwishtofish]

I have been using latex dish gloves when I stick my hands in my tank or sump - the idea was to prevent water contamination. (I never stick the gloves in deep enough as to where they would fill with water.) I was just at the grocery store and read the packaging for the gloves I have been using, and I was very discouraged to read that the gloves were treated with an antimicrobial compound.

Have I been slowly poisoning my 26 gallon reef tank, or killing off my good bacteria? Has anyone else ever had a problem resulting from treated gloves or heard of anyone who has?

I haven't seen any obvious negative effects, and I run carbon 24-7 (although through a very small HOB filter on my sump).

 

[yellowslayer13]

just use your hands it could be a problem but just wash your hands

 

[Chef Reef]

yellowslayer13 - you never know what he has in his tank.. there could be something that can sting him or thats toxic. i agree on using gloves.. bristle worms and lionfish stings can hurt.. *i know* and zoa's are acctualy very toxic along with other things he might have.

iwishtofish - " I run carbon 24-7" do you have corals in your tank? running carbon 24/7 is not always a good idea becuase it will remove the trace elements in the tank for corals. if you have a FOWLR tank then this is ok but if ou do have corals i would only run carbon if you accidentely add something to your tank that is not supposed to be there or if your ammonia is rising.

 

[Chef Reef]

as far as the gloves go next time just rinse the gloves off really good. i use latex gloves only becuase i have a fish that likes to bite my hand when its in the tank and i cant feel it through the glvoes. but i have to rinse that powder off really well inside and out. im not sure exactely what there "antimicrobial compound" consits of so i would deffinatly rinse them very well if you continue to use them.

 

[Playa-1]

Get some long gloves designed for reef systems. $15 or $20 and you won't have to worry about it.

 

[ScubaDiver93]

I just use my normal skin hands. No ill effects at all. I love my cleaner shrimp cleaning my hands. You cant get that w/ gloves...

 

[Skier1]

i use latex gloves only becuase i have a fish that likes to bite my hand when its in the tank and i cant feel it through the glvoes. but i have to rinse that powder off really well inside and out.

Why not just buy latex gloves without the powder?

By the way, I second the recommendation for the long sleeve reef gloves. (Only seem to come in one size though -- so you might have to try something else if you have smaller hands.) I just think there is no reason to get stuck by a bristleworm or poisoned/have an allergic reaction to something in your tank.

 

[yellowslayer13]

srry chef i must have mis understoud what i was reading i thought he did not want to get stuff from his hands in to his reef

 

[dendro982]

I asked the same too - seems, nobody tried antimicrobial gloves in long term to notice effect on the reef. I used a couple of times, so can't say.
Bought the long Aqua gloves - one size fits all Hulks, no use - see for yourself (my hands are not small):

Different level of precision, and most of my work is with small things.

No solution so far...

 

[lilchris]

If you have a tractor supply store in your area, they sale the long plastic gloves used for cows (if you know what I mean) They go all the way up to your arm pits. I use them, and then throw them away. You can get 100 gloves for 15 bucks.

 

[iwishtofish]

Thanks for the great response! I do have a pair of Aqua Gloves that are almost shoulder length. The only problem I have with them is that they are bulky at the hand end.

(I certainly hope zoanthids aren't so poisonous that they release toxin into the water - you know, the whole starting a siphon thing... And wouldn't it be terrible to swallow a bristleworm!?!?)

My main concern is whether or not I have affected my bacteria population. I trickle water through my carbon so slowly that I am not too worried about removing all my trace elements. Besides, I add half a cap of elements between my bi-weekly water changes.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

 

[reefergeorge]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11119467#post11119467 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by iwishtofish


(I certainly hope zoanthids aren't so poisonous that they release toxin into the water - you know, the whole starting a siphon thing... And wouldn't it be terrible to swallow a bristleworm!?!?)

Your not supposed to drink the water.

 

[HBtank]

Many people run carbon 24/7 with no ill effects.

Zoanthids are really only a concern when they are physically damaged. The danger would be basically getting the insides of a zoanthid into an open wound or orafice such as the eyes or ingesting it. I have seen few reports of this. The stories I have seen floating around are of somone having repiratory problems after inhaling the steam from a rock covered in zoanthids that was boiled, and a report of a dog dying that ingested water in a bucket that was used to frag and hold the cut zoanthids.

If using small gloves to protect your hands, use powder free latex, or even better, nitrile.

Personally, the long ones would be my choice for in-tank work, as the small ones just fill up with water anyways, whcih is annoying and not 100% protective if that is your concern... It seems the "cow gloves" are by far the most economical.

 

[dendro982]

When one of my fish was sick, I found on the web the way to start siphon without mouth: place a foot of tubing under water, let water fill it, cover the opening tightly by the thumb. Move this end in the bucket, the opposite end - in the tank, release thumb at the the opening in the bucket. Gravity assisted siphon starter

Nitrile gloves: watch for anti-bacterial label too, mine has it.

Veterinary gloves: any idea where to buy them in Toronto? Seems everything moved to the edges of the city and beyond them. Even plumbing and plastic supplies.

 

[dc]

I just recently had to start wearing gloves in my main tank as my Maroon has taken to attacking me. I buy disposable ones, I reuse them till they fall apart. Still a little large but I can at least feel what I'm doing. I hated the orange and purple ones, they are way too bulky. They're a little pricey but seem to work.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...ll&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

 

[iwishtofish]

Thanks for the zoanthid info, HBtank. I'll be careful with them!

dendro982, I'll definitely try that siphon trick, although I have gotten better at avoiding a mouthful! (Yuck, I'll never forget that!!)

dc, I checked out those gloves. They do seem a little expensive for what they are. Do they tear easily, and how long do they last? Also, are they hard to get on and off?

 

[Jareth]

I got the Coralife Aquagloves, and so far they are the best purchase I have made.

I would always go into the tank to squit off my algae or move something around or whatever, then as soon as I washed up I found something else I wanted to do. With the gloves, its not a big deal.

 

[dc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11134888#post11134888 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by iwishtofish
Thanks for the zoanthid info, HBtank. I'll be careful with them!

dendro982, I'll definitely try that siphon trick, although I have gotten better at avoiding a mouthful! (Yuck, I'll never forget that!!)

dc, I checked out those gloves. They do seem a little expensive for what they are. Do they tear easily, and how long do they last? Also, are they hard to get on and off?

I've only wore them 3 times so far. They are still fine. I'm pretty careful in my tank also. They are easy to get on and off, as they are pretty large. The texture isn't quite like cheap plastic.