Allergic reaction?

[nytrillium]

Has anyone ever had an allergic reaction from putting their hands/arms in their tanks. I finished moving around a bunch of rock that i havev cycling in a tank yesterday and i noticed on my hands annd forearms, i have little raised bumps, almost like you would get from poison ivy, they dont itch yet but they dont seem tobe getting any worse. Any ideas what caused it? i put some calamine lotion on them now to see if that does anything. :notsure:

 

[jerthunter]

It is fairly common, I know quiet a few people who get a rash or itchy from it but I don't know why.

 

[nytrillium]

hmm i can only assume that it has to do wiht the bacteria in the water, maybe the high levels of amonia or other stuff. who knows, maybe even the salt. im sure it will be alright ive had worse.

 

[mikeyjer]

I have the same reaction!!! I just rinse my hands and arms each time after I'm done. No bumps showed up. :happyfish

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Mikeyjer
I have the same reaction!!! I just rinse my hands and arms each time after I'm done. No bumps showed up. :happyfish
You can also invest in some gloves.
I get red bumps and am allergic to so many things I should live in a friggin bubble.
I have gloves but in all honesty they are a pain in the ass so I just rinse and wash my hands and forearms well after I'm in the tank.
Denise M.

 

[nytrillium]

yeah i always wash my hands after, i guess this time i just didnt get to it fast enough, or i didnt wash well enough.
Thanks everyone, glad to know im not the only one.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by Merredeth
You can also invest in some gloves.
I get red bumps and am allergic to so many things I should live in a friggin bubble.
I have gloves but in all honesty they are a pain in the ass so I just rinse and wash my hands and forearms well after I'm in the tank.
Denise M.

I don't like using gloves. I accidently bump into stuffs sometime in my tank, with a glove, I probably wouldn't know and damage someone real good. For am example, my Moniporas, we've bump into it off and on, once we hit the very edge of it, we back off. My partner broken a piece off once accidently. I just glued it to another rock, it's growing like mad....I want it to grow bigger instead of making more little ones, with gloves, I probably would break'em to pieces. I'm also alllergic to a lot of stuffs, food, shampoo, soap, bleach, detergent, etc etc. I have to watch what I eat and use. :happyfish

 

[alyssia]

This happened to me when I first started my tank but it dosen't anymore. I don't know if I've gotten used to it or what.

 

[nytrillium]

yeah, gloves are a little clumsy for me, i have big hands as it is so i dont need the sausages to have gloves on them too....

I may invest in a pair when i start to get corals so i dont sting myself to death with them....
You said it happened in your new tank, it happened to me after working in my cycling tank so i assume its the same thing. I rarely get reactions to anything so it was kindof werid. Its going away now so im not concerned.

 

[acrylic51]

Yeah I get a rash from time to time if my arms are in the tank doing alot of setup work........

 

[yimmy]

Same here. When i was first setting up my tank and my hands were in from doing it so much they became imune. now since i'm not doing anything in the tank i will get a rash. with me it burns more than itch.

 

[j-bird]

Same reaction here, no rash, but gets itchy and red, just have to wash heavily with fresh water and it is fine. Do not like to wear gloves, too much of a hassle for me.

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Mikeyjer
I don't like using gloves. I accidently bump into stuffs sometime in my tank, with a glove, I probably wouldn't know and damage someone real good. For am example, my Moniporas, we've bump into it off and on, once we hit the very edge of it, we back off. My partner broken a piece off once accidently. I just glued it to another rock, it's growing like mad....I want it to grow bigger instead of making more little ones, with gloves, I probably would break'em to pieces. I'm also alllergic to a lot of stuffs, food, shampoo, soap, bleach, detergent, etc etc. I have to watch what I eat and use. :happyfish
I told you why I don't use the gloves in the previous post. No to mention the fact that my hands are so small that the smallest size is still too big for my hands.
Between medication allergies, detergent allergies, environmental allergies and food allergies I should be living in a friggin bubble.
Denise M.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by Merredeth
I told you why I don't use the gloves in the previous post. No to mention the fact that my hands are so small that the smallest size is still too big for my hands.
Between medication allergies, detergent allergies, environmental allergies and food allergies I should be living in a friggin bubble.
Denise M.

I hear you there! Would the bubble fit for two???

:happyfish

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Mikeyjer
I hear you there! Would the bubble fit for two???

:happyfish
It would have to... I'd need to yell and blame someone for not keeping the bubble clean.

Denise M.

 

[degbowl]

I was worried about that too. I have been keeping fw tanks for 28 yrs w/o a problem. I am starting a FOWLR tank this week. I am allergic to shrimp. If I touch shrimp my hands blow up. I bought gloves that go all the way up the arms. Everybody says to use a shrimp to cycle but I am a little worried about that. I would rather use the ammonia method. I don't want to use the damsel method. I hope I don't get too much allergic reactions.

 

[nytrillium]

what is "the amonia" method?

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by Merredeth
It would have to... I'd need to yell and blame someone for not keeping the bubble clean.

Denise M.

HEY! Why do I have to be the one who cleans the bubble?

:happyfish

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Mikeyjer
HEY! Why do I have to be the one who cleans the bubble?

:happyfish
Because we women know, all men are pigs,

and it was probably you, YOUR fish and YOUR bird who made the mess to begin with.

Denise M.

 

[seahorse11]

I think the itching comes from the salt. I just set up a 90 gallon and filled the tank with RO water before adding salt. I started the salt and after I finished one bag and started the second ( I had my arms in the tank now for about an hour), I started itching and getting a small red rash on my arms. After I washed the salt off, the itching went away and the rash did after a couple of hours. I think I am going to use gloves from now on.