Putting hand in tank
- Thread starter btrs
- Start date
I
intdes
Guest
I was not keen on putting my hand in my tank when I had an eel. I wasn't worried about being bit so much as hurting the eel if he did bite. I do worry about adding something to the tank the could contaminate it. Recently, I read about the possibility of getting an infection from the water, so there are many concerns with hands in the tank. There are long gloves available that you could use to protect your hands and fish, my lfs carries them. With all that said, I just spent the last 3 hours with my hands in my tank...
dmanatee
Member
In my Large display tank, that has a S.F Eel, 2 lion fish and a large urchin and corals I use gloves and for feeding, I use reptile tongs. Keeps my hands out of the tank as much as possible. Also, when I am cleaning my tank, I just keep one of my gravel rakes handy to shoe off curious fish. Most of the time you should be worried more about contamination then your fingers, just don't dangle them at the surface.
S
saxman
Guest
SInce I never know when I'll need to put my hand in a fish tank, I never use anything on my hands/arms that might cause a problem.
I regularly put my hands into tanks containing multiple venomous fish, some quite a bit more toxic than the lions, but I really don't worry as I always know where the fish are, and all of our fish are pretty tame, meaning they don't get sketchy when my hand is in the tank. In fact, there are a couple I have to gently shoo away.
As for eels, I've been bitten twice by a full-grown SFE...once I had to wait until it released me (I still have a couple of scars on my finger). The second time, my hand wasn't even in the tank...the eel poked its head out of the tank and bit me as I was changing a lamp in the canopy! There's no way it could have dismembered me...eels can't bite thru bone...their teeth are for grasping and tearing. They tear chunks of flesh off of items too large to swallow by "knotting", where they use their own body to pull against while tearing a chunk out of their prey.
I regularly put my hands into tanks containing multiple venomous fish, some quite a bit more toxic than the lions, but I really don't worry as I always know where the fish are, and all of our fish are pretty tame, meaning they don't get sketchy when my hand is in the tank. In fact, there are a couple I have to gently shoo away.
As for eels, I've been bitten twice by a full-grown SFE...once I had to wait until it released me (I still have a couple of scars on my finger). The second time, my hand wasn't even in the tank...the eel poked its head out of the tank and bit me as I was changing a lamp in the canopy! There's no way it could have dismembered me...eels can't bite thru bone...their teeth are for grasping and tearing. They tear chunks of flesh off of items too large to swallow by "knotting", where they use their own body to pull against while tearing a chunk out of their prey.
mohawkninja
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/395623/putting-hand-in-tank#post_3522703
SInce I never know when I'll need to put my hand in a fish tank, I never use anything on my hands/arms that might cause a problem.
I regularly put my hands into tanks containing multiple venomous fish, some quite a bit more toxic than the lions, but I really don't worry as I always know where the fish are, and all of our fish are pretty tame, meaning they don't get sketchy when my hand is in the tank. In fact, there are a couple I have to gently shoo away.
As for eels, I've been bitten twice by a full-grown SFE...once I had to wait until it released me (I still have a couple of scars on my finger). The second time, my hand wasn't even in the tank...the eel poked its head out of the tank and bit me as I was changing a lamp in the canopy! There's no way it could have dismembered me...eels can't bite thru bone...their teeth are for grasping and tearing. They tear chunks of flesh off of items too large to swallow by "knotting", where they use their own body to pull against while tearing a chunk out of their prey.
+1
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/395623/putting-hand-in-tank#post_3522703
SInce I never know when I'll need to put my hand in a fish tank, I never use anything on my hands/arms that might cause a problem.
I regularly put my hands into tanks containing multiple venomous fish, some quite a bit more toxic than the lions, but I really don't worry as I always know where the fish are, and all of our fish are pretty tame, meaning they don't get sketchy when my hand is in the tank. In fact, there are a couple I have to gently shoo away.
As for eels, I've been bitten twice by a full-grown SFE...once I had to wait until it released me (I still have a couple of scars on my finger). The second time, my hand wasn't even in the tank...the eel poked its head out of the tank and bit me as I was changing a lamp in the canopy! There's no way it could have dismembered me...eels can't bite thru bone...their teeth are for grasping and tearing. They tear chunks of flesh off of items too large to swallow by "knotting", where they use their own body to pull against while tearing a chunk out of their prey.
+1
mohawkninja
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTRS http:///t/395623/putting-hand-in-tank#post_3522706
Actuallys, a moray eel CAN bite through bone, VERY easily.
So what you are trying to do is correct Saxman, who has been bitten twice, while you are the person who doesn't know if algae is alive. Moray Eels cannot bite though bone because their teeth are not made for it. There is no need in nature for them to bite through bone. All they need to do is rip flesh off of bone, they can't bite through becuase their bite force isn't strong enough. If a moray got on your thumb, you would have a nasty puncture wound, but it wouldn't take off any bone. Trust me.
Originally Posted by BTRS http:///t/395623/putting-hand-in-tank#post_3522706
Actuallys, a moray eel CAN bite through bone, VERY easily.
So what you are trying to do is correct Saxman, who has been bitten twice, while you are the person who doesn't know if algae is alive. Moray Eels cannot bite though bone because their teeth are not made for it. There is no need in nature for them to bite through bone. All they need to do is rip flesh off of bone, they can't bite through becuase their bite force isn't strong enough. If a moray got on your thumb, you would have a nasty puncture wound, but it wouldn't take off any bone. Trust me.
jay0705
Well-Known Member
Ok iam gona chime in here.first if you watch what u touch and keep your hands clean. You should have no issues putting them in your tank. W regards to your tanks inhabitants, use common sense, don't try and touch a lion ,or any fish really. They will stay out of your way don't get in there's. Now to this eel debate. Can a eel remove a finger? Yes! Not however by biting it off. First it would have to be a large eel. But when they grab and spin to tear off flesh they can disjoint a finger then all it has to do is rip flesh to take it off. But a clean bite rt threw no.