• Welcome back Guest!

    MARSH is a private reefing group. Comments and suggestions are encouraged, but please keep them positive and constructive. Negative threads, posts, or attacks will be removed from view and reviewed by the staff. Continually disruptive, argumentative, or flagrant rule breakers may be suspended or banned.

Your Cleaning Your Tank When.... (1 Viewer)

Users who are viewing this thread

sneezebeetle

Treasurer
Staff member
Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
5,525
Reaction score
1,899
Location
Houston, TX
I had just started with my weekly tank maintenance this afternoon. Since the water change is actually the last thing I do, I started with my usual first step...cleaning the glass! Did some manual removal of some algae and proceeded to move down to the sump. Had just cleaned the simmer cup and changed out my filter sock. It was then that I decided to change out my carbon media. So I busted out my trusty scissors and proceeded to cut away at my ziptie when I stabbed the crud out of my finger.

I did my norm (yep, I have a norm...I am actually quite accident prone) and washed in antibacterial soap followed by an iodine rinse and a scooby-doo band aid. So here is where I always face a dilema...I have an open sore, do I continue on with what Im doing or play it safe and put off the rest of my cleaning for the next day?

In all honesty, I wait to clean another day...but I'm wondering if anyone else does this? How do you tend to broken skin wounds when your elbow deep in your tank?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP
sneezebeetle

sneezebeetle

Treasurer
Staff member
Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
5,525
Reaction score
1,899
Location
Houston, TX
would at least put a bandaid but seriously have cuts on my hands all the time from working outside.
No doubt David! I figure with all the zoas and palys in my tank, I'd rather be safe than sorry LOL. Newton (Law) and I are on a first name basis [emoji849]

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

Cody

Vice President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Content Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
7,284
Reaction score
4,254
Location
Spring, TX
Yeah I'm with David. I just plunge my hands in. I've always got cuts on my hands, but that's probably not the safest route. Who knows. But then again, according to my title, I am an MD.
 
OP
OP
sneezebeetle

sneezebeetle

Treasurer
Staff member
Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
5,525
Reaction score
1,899
Location
Houston, TX
Ya'll are much braver than I am lol!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

gregg

President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Build Thread Contributor
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
6,798
Reaction score
2,812
Location
Downtown
I always thought saltwater helps heal wounds quicker ... so I googled it...well turns out that’s a myth, it said saltwater can increase inflammation and impede wound healing.

On a side note... sorry you hurt yourself Deanna. Hope your ok now.
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
10,899
Reaction score
2,066
Location
League City
I had just started with my weekly tank maintenance this afternoon. Since the water change is actually the last thing I do, I started with my usual first step...cleaning the glass! Did some manual removal of some algae and proceeded to move down to the sump. Had just cleaned the simmer cup and changed out my filter sock. It was then that I decided to change out my carbon media. So I busted out my trusty scissors and proceeded to cut away at my ziptie when I stabbed the crud out of my finger.

I did my norm (yep, I have a norm...I am actually quite accident prone) and washed in antibacterial soap followed by an iodine rinse and a scooby-doo band aid. So here is where I always face a dilema...I have an open sore, do I continue on with what Im doing or play it safe and put off the rest of my cleaning for the next day?

In all honesty, I wait to clean another day...but I'm wondering if anyone else does this? How do you tend to broken skin wounds when your elbow deep in your tank?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I’m constantly in my tank with open cuts. I wash my hands really well afterwards. I never keep Zoanthids or Palythoa though. So if you have those it might be risky. A bacterial infection could easily get anybody, but if the bacteria doesn’t have the right environment to grow... then it’s very unlikely you would have issues. I’d always wash your hands well and if you’re really worried...dump some alcohol in the cut afterwards. Maybe even some H2O2.

No Cody...don’t dump vodka in your cut. :)
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
10,899
Reaction score
2,066
Location
League City
I have tons of nitrile gloves that I'd put on to continue working. Sometimes a rubber band around the finger with a glove on to prevent water...but obviously not so tight you cut the circulation.

I wear Nitrile gloves all the time. Not so mush as to protect my hands- unless I’m fragging or handling coral, but to keep the oil on my hands out of the tank. I put rubber bands on the cuffs.
 
OP
OP
sneezebeetle

sneezebeetle

Treasurer
Staff member
Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
5,525
Reaction score
1,899
Location
Houston, TX
I always thought saltwater helps heal wounds quicker ... so I googled it...well turns out that’s a myth, it said saltwater can increase inflammation and impede wound healing.

On a side note... sorry you hurt yourself Deanna. Hope your ok now.
Thanks Gregg - it's just a puncture, will be good to go tomorrow [emoji106]

I will say I kinda had the same thought, after all don't you swish with warm "salt" water for a tooth abcess? Wrong kind of salt I guess.

So would you all be so willing to proceed with fresh wounds if you knew, or maybe even if you didn't know there was something like velvet, brooks, ich, uronemia, or something along those lines in your tank? Do you think it would make a difference? Just gives me the heeby-jeebys! Still thinking I'm gonna wait my 24 hrs haha!



Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

Matyas

Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
326
Reaction score
286
Location
Cypress
I have tons of nitrile gloves that I'd put on to continue working. Sometimes a rubber band around the finger with a glove on to prevent water...but obviously not so tight you cut the circulation.

I used to do the same thing until I left the rubber band on for a little too long. After that I just ditched the gloves and go barehanded lol.
 

OceansX

Guest
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
4,472
Reaction score
469
Location
~I-10&Hwy6
You should NOT put open wounds in saltwater. Wait or wear appropriate protective gear e.g. gloves.

Seawater has many microbes of which the human body and modern medicine are defenseless. I'm sure if you google 'flesh eating bacteria and Texas,' you'll find a few news stories from just the last few months.

I've been in my pond feet sludging through the several inches of detritus with large open cuts and less worried than with cuts in saltwater. This is NOT about being prissy or paranoid, but knowing that there is a risk however low of being hurt. Anecdotally, I had a friend with a minor marine puncture wound and he needed surgery to treat the infection/complications from an infection, so there's that.
 
OP
OP
sneezebeetle

sneezebeetle

Treasurer
Staff member
Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
5,525
Reaction score
1,899
Location
Houston, TX
You should NOT put open wounds in saltwater. Wait or wear appropriate protective gear e.g. gloves.

Seawater has many microbes of which the human body and modern medicine are defenseless. I'm sure if you google 'flesh eating bacteria and Texas,' you'll find a few news stories from just the last few months.

I've been in my pond feet sludging through the several inches of detritus with large open cuts and less worried than with cuts in saltwater. This is NOT about being prissy or paranoid, but knowing that there is a risk however low of being hurt. Anecdotally, I had a friend with a minor marine puncture wound and he needed surgery to treat the infection/complications from an infection, so there's that.
Finally! Back up has arrived LOL!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

Bigfishy

Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Messages
586
Reaction score
131
What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger!

[emoji12][emoji2957][emoji12]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

RobertP

Guest
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
326
Reaction score
259
Location
Frelsburg, TX
After reading about all the flesh eating bacteria that fishermen catch every year in Galveston and Trinity bay (in the late summer) I am not real comfortable putting a freshly cut hand in the tank. However, superglue is your friend!!! I have heard superglue is fairly sterile so I keep some of the liquid around for gluing closed open cuts. Never had a problem so far....
 

Cody

Vice President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Content Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
7,284
Reaction score
4,254
Location
Spring, TX
After reading about all the flesh eating bacteria that fishermen catch every year in Galveston and Trinity bay (in the late summer) I am not real comfortable putting a freshly cut hand in the tank. However, superglue is your friend!!! I have heard superglue is fairly sterile so I keep some of the liquid around for gluing closed open cuts. Never had a problem so far....
Isn't that more or less what doctors use anyway? Just super glue?
 

Desertio

Guest
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
43
Reaction score
5
Location
Baytown
Fun fact: Super glue was used in both world wars as an alternative to stitches.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
Top