Sneezing / hay fever symptoms when doing water change.

[Uathedestroyer]

I've had a 20g high (20lbs Rock) with a 10g sump going for over a year now. I got a little lax on some maintenance and then had some not so great water also resulting in a bad outbreak of hair and bubble algae. I've been working hard the past month to get it back to looking proper. I bought a 6 stage RODI unit, manually pluck any algae I can until my arms are tired. This week and last week I have removed rocks during the water change to scrub off water in a bucket of the removed tank water with a toothbrush then placed them back in the display tank. I don't seem to be getting much new growth of algae anymore and my tank looks much better.

However as soon as I start doing my maintenance the last 3 water changes I get hay fever like symptoms and start sneezing like crazy. After the water change things calm down again and I go back to normal. Does anyone else experience this? Am I just psychosomatic? Am I missing something? I have no zooanthinds and don't experience any shortness of breath or other palytoxin symptoms.

Livestock
2 ocellaris
1 cleaner shrimp
Various cleaner snail crew
1 frogspawn coral
2 hammer corals

Also here's my routine in case it helps

Add salt mix to heated RODI water (ESV B-Ionic sea water system)
Scrape tank glass
Remove algae by hand/tweezer
Turn off pumps and siphon water out of display
Remove some of the rocks and clean in siphoned water (only last week and this week)
Check salinity and temp of new water and of the tank
If everything is kosher fill tank with new water and turn on pumps

Also despite algae and water issues my livestock is thriving. I've had no deaths or problems.

Thanks for any help

 

[hogfanreefer]

With some salt mixes I've used there is a white cloud that comes up out of the bucket when I stir the mix up to assure uniformity or even when I'm scooping it out to make water. It always makes me sneeze and causes allergy symptoms for a few hours.

Do you mix your water and do the WC the same day? If not obviously that's not it. It would be a little strange to have an allergic reaction like that from skin exposure but not impossible.

 

[Uathedestroyer]

Yes I mix right before the water change. I thought being sensitive to salt mix could be it. The ESV seawater system can be mixed only 10 mins before use. It's a 4 part mix with two solid salt components and 2 fluid components. Maybe I'm getting too much salt dust when measuring it out. Thanks

 

[OrQidz]

You could be allergic to the algae or something in the water you are getting exposed to. I would suggest gloves at the very least especially if you are digging around cleaning live rock. It's not unheard of to have a reaction to things in the tank.

 

[Uathedestroyer]

Sounds like a good idea. Gloves are on the list. So weird since I haven't had any problems till recently.

 

[Uathedestroyer]

Gloves would probably help too in case I'm sensitive to my euphyllia.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

That salt mix sounds like a PITA. I would switch brands, speaking of which what brand is that?

 

[dragonsong]

I have a bunch of allergies and Petsmart's Topfin salt mix made me sneeze a lot, Instant Ocean does too but a lot less frequently so there could definitely be something in the mix you're using as well.

I now own a pair of gloves and prepare the water a bit more carefully and I no longer have issues with it. Be careful not to stir up the dust and you should be good.

 

[Member No. 1]

That salt mix sounds like a PITA. I would switch brands, speaking of which what brand is that?

From the OP's original post -

"Add salt mix to heated RODI water (ESV B-Ionic sea water system)"

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Thanks #1, but it still sounds like a PITA and I'm sure that stuff is quite a bit more expensive than any of the quality salt mixes available. I guess my big question now is, Why this salt mix?

Yeah it's about $60 for 100gal mix. OUCH!

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...ntent=EV4114&gclid=CLqTv7z4j8oCFYEsHwodiogEPQ

 

[C.Eymann]

Thanks #1, but it still sounds like a PITA and I'm sure that stuff is quite a bit more expensive than any of the quality salt mixes available. I guess my big question now is, Why this salt mix?

Yeah it's about $60 for 100gal mix. OUCH!

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...ntent=EV4114&gclid=CLqTv7z4j8oCFYEsHwodiogEPQ

I loved using esv, basically allows you to completely custom tailor your waterchange water, so no parameters fluctuate due to waterchange. Also being able to have it available quickly is nice, but I still used to let it mix/aerate for a few hrs before doing the change. So far ESV has been the best salt I have used, but after they stopped the 200g boxes and now only 100 gallon buckets I had to switch because I couldn't justify the cost. Excellent salt though.

 

[Uathedestroyer]

Thanks #1, but it still sounds like a PITA and I'm sure that stuff is quite a bit more expensive than any of the quality salt mixes available. I guess my big question now is, Why this salt mix?

Yeah it's about $60 for 100gal mix. OUCH!

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...ntent=EV4114&gclid=CLqTv7z4j8oCFYEsHwodiogEPQ

If I didn't have such a small system it would not be cost effective. At $3-4 a week I don't mind having such a high quality salt. I don't find it to be a pita at all. It's usually ready way quicker than the other to main stream salts I've tried.
Many of the reviews I read last year seemed impressive enough to try. I use it mainly because it can be mixed and used within minutes. Also because it is a high quality salt mix with no fillers and only what is needed in it. There is never any extra junk at the bottom, and ESV is a very highly rated reef supplement and salt provider. No waiting for it to dissolve.

When i thiink about it now it's not dusty at all and I don't think it's the reason for my recent sneezing attack. I'll keep my hands out of the tank next week since I think I've halted the algae problem, start wearing gloves and see how it goes.
Here's one review if the salt that speaks pretty highly of it.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/5/review

I just

All this being said I will probably switch salts based on cost alone next month when I transfer everything to the new bigger system I'm building.

 

[Uathedestroyer]

Thanks #1, but it still sounds like a PITA and I'm sure that stuff is quite a bit more expensive than any of the quality salt mixes available. I guess my big question now is, Why this salt mix?

Yeah it's about $60 for 100gal mix. OUCH!

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...ntent=EV4114&gclid=CLqTv7z4j8oCFYEsHwodiogEPQ

If I didn't have such a small system it would not be cost effective. At $3-4 a week I don't mind having such a high quality salt. I don't find it to be a pita at all. It's usually ready way quicker than the other to main stream salts I've tried.
Many of the reviews I read last year seemed impressive enough to try. I use it mainly because it can be mixed and used within minutes. Also because it is a high quality salt mix with no fillers and only what is needed in it. There is never any extra junk at the bottom, and ESV is a very highly rated reef supplement and salt provider. No waiting for it to dissolve.

When i thiink about it now it's not dusty at all and I don't think it's the reason for my recent sneezing attack. I'll keep my hands out of the tank next week since I think I've halted the algae problem, start wearing gloves and see how it goes.
Here's one review if the salt that speaks pretty highly of it.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/5/review

I just

All this being said I will probably switch salts based on cost alone next month when I transfer everything to the new bigger system I'm building.