Tank cleaning

[petjunkie]

I don't have an aggressive tank, just wondering how you guys clean your tank. I was doing water changes today and my fish attack me and freak me out. I don't think I would ever stick my arm in the tank with something that had big teeth. My cleaner wrasse always nips at me, trying to do his job and my maroon clown swims up and hits me if I spend to much time in his territory. How do you keep your tanks so clean, any horror stores of when fish attack?

 

[surfinusa]

well a cleaner crew would work and if you have a problem with fish nipping try and get a cleaning service they are proffesianols and can make your tank squeaky clean but some peolpe have had some of the cleaner people kill all of their fish by accident

 

[dischirm]

Mag float!!! Wouldnt have another tank without one!

 

[boalgf]

I've got a good horror story. My porc puffer is about 8". He's bit me 3 times now, once it broke the skin. The last time he bit me I was so unprepared for it that i just wrenched my hand away as fast as I could. My girlfriend all of a sudden starts screaming, "He's on the floor!" He apparantly had a better hold on my finger than I though and I had launched him to the other side of the living room. So i scooped him up and threw him back in. He must have been really caught off guard because he didn't even puff up. Good news is he's doing fine now.

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by boalgf
I've got a good horror story. My porc puffer is about 8". He's bit me 3 times now, once it broke the skin. The last time he bit me I was so unprepared for it that i just wrenched my hand away as fast as I could. My girlfriend all of a sudden starts screaming, "He's on the floor!" He apparantly had a better hold on my finger than I though and I had launched him to the other side of the living room. So i scooped him up and threw him back in. He must have been really caught off guard because he didn't even puff up. Good news is he's doing fine now.
Well now I bet you can laugh about that one!!!

When I had my lion I just made sure he was on the other side of the tank from where I was working. As for the triggers and puffer, I usually just shoo them away with the back of my hand of they come over to check out whats going on. Never had any of them try to attack me.

 

[adamc1303]

You can get these gloves.. Probably better than puting you arms in anyway.

 

[dmitry]

Those gloves would definitely protect you from a bite or sting, but I find them to be too thick and unwieldy. You have virtually no feeling in your hands: good thing if someone tries to bite you, but impossible to actually work with as you have no sensitivity as to what you're doing.

 

[psusocr1]

my hands are in my tank all the time sometimes in water up to my shoulder and none of my fish every bother me.
my lionfish likes to know whats going on but he never comes too close
on the other hand my stingrays love to swim and bounce off of my arms cause they want a little rub, but their funny!

 

[wm23oh]

LOL. And I thought I was the only person with crazy fish. I have saltwater fish but they are all cool with me.
It's my fresh water Moors that attack me. The main one Snorkle a deformed Black Moor that has a snorkle looking fin on top instead of a dorsle fin. He has so far almost turned completely orange since I placed tippy an orange moor in with him.
The little jerk loves to nip at the gravel vacume too. He acts like the ring leader of the fish. He gets whatever he wants and they back off.

 

[titan]

Lol at boalf I could just picture that scene of the flying puffer. On a side note I do tank maintainance with various Triggers, one being an Undulate with a good set of teeth. I wouldn't toss my hand in the tank with one of these the first day of putting them in, but once they get to know you it's all good.

 

[unleashed]

i seam to have 1 fish in both my large tanks that try to attack me.my agressive tank i have a lunear wrasse that likes to bite but hasnt gotten more than a finger nail as of yet.hes gotten much better about me getting into the tank sinse i thumped him with my finger lol. the worste fish i have is a large (12in sergeon) this bugger is nasty i have to use a net or anything else to keep him away from me he has 1 in razor barbs and likes to use them and teeth also likes to bite so far i have been able to keep him from getting contact but of all my fish those are the only 2 i fear.my tess is nicer than those 2 fish

 

[crox]

I have my red lip blenny that bites me everytime I do work in the tank. The first time he did it I jump and I splashed a lot of water on my oriental rug!! :scared: :scared:

 

[syndrome]

When ever my neighbor cleans his firmbriated eel tank he has me come watch out for him. It attacked his hand once and gave him a nice cut so now he never cleans his tank alone.