Fish Tanks and Human Disease: FYI

[Allivymar]

I know many of us (myself included) rarely wear protective gloves when working on our tanks. We try to make sure our hands are clean and there isn't anything on them that can hurt our fish. But we don't always consider cleaning the tank any danger to ourselves (at least not unless they are so deep we stand a chance of falling in *grin*). So I'm posting this info as a FYI; nothing to panic over. If your hands are free from open wounds (cuts/scratches) chances are EXTREMELY small one will catch anything; obviously this chance increases with open wounds. But do be sure to read the article posted below; forewarned is forearmed:

There is a disease one can catch from working in fish tanks; tis a distant cousin of TB called Mycobacterium marinum. Its fairly rare, but I know of 4 people who have managed to pick it up from the aquarium hobby. Without treatment it can be pretty serious. Theres a great article about it by Steve Pro here, which explains what it is and what can happen MUCH better then I (graphic pics near the end of the article so be warned): http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/sp/feature/index.htm

 

[snapcrackler]

Yuck. I think that is an interesting article.

I would suspect that like other types of bacterial confrontations, the human counterpart has a much better chance of resisting them if he/she has a healthy immune system to start with.

So if you have one foot in the grave already because you have destroyed your body by eating 500lbs twinkies every day and are coughing up body parts to start with, you may have a better chance of acquiring that particular strain of bacteria in that tank when you stick your wounded paw in there to plug that air-operated treasure chest back in.

So, if you have fish tanks, don't eat more than 499 lbs of twinkies every day, or at least supplement your body with a fresh sprig of parsley if you do.

Watch, my hand will get infected now because I was making fun.

 

[Capt.Gorilla]

Ewwwww... I still probably won't bother to do anything but rinse my hands before and after.

 

[Allivymar]

I tend to agree snap; depressed immune systems are just as much a prob for humans as fish. That being said the 4 people I know who were infected were all very healthy folks (including the dude who wrote the article). Heh, I still rarely wear gloves unless I need to touch something icky (like snails....bleaugh), but I am careful to wash my hands and arms well afterwards now.

Thing is, like me and CaptGorilla and you, most folks won't change the way they do things. But at least we can be aware if something does happen, what it is and what to do

 

[snapcrackler]

Interesting!.....

As usual, Alli, very well said. And it is great to have that type of information under my hat now.



Up next: A picture of me wearing full biological protective gear while petting my african frog.

 

[dralarms]

Looks like I et me some gloves. No more letting my fav. female betta swim up into my hands and lay there.

 

[sweetsuvvyb]

Thanks for posting this Alli -

I am one of those folks with an impaired immune system, so I always get to do a lovely scrub down after dealing with the tank. I would like to reiterate that it is pretty rare that you would acquire an infection from your tank, unless you do have open wounds AND don't bother to wash up well after dealing with your tank.

 

[snapcrackler]

SuvvyB, I saw a link in another post by Ant-iasg:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=8162

Shoulder length gloves - could be handy if you don't want to deal with fish water all over hands/arms, you can avoid a scrub when done with tank maintenance and save a little time.

Plus you can avoid smelling like a fish, thus maintaining your popularity amongst family, friends and coworkers. 8O

 

[snapcrackler]

Looks like I et me some gloves. No more letting my fav. female betta swim up into my hands and lay there.

There's probably more bad bacteria on the door handles at work than there is in your tank... I do not know this as fact, but I'd bet a cool twenty bucks on it. If you stuck your cut hand in a box full of freshly used door handles and rubbed it around, I'd be a lot more worried about infection from that.

I would not avoid doing something cool like holding a betta because of a concern about the bacteria.

When I was a kid I would swim in Mom and Dad's pond, through muck and algae that would make you gag. If there's not weird bacteria in there I dunno where it would be. But anyway I am still alive and somewhat coherent with only minimal brain damage.

 

[Allivymar]

The idea of snapcrackler wearing a hazmat suit to touch his frog (god that sounds dirty) was just too funny to pass up. So let me present "snapcrackler plays it safe". May this all be a warning to the rest of us

 

[dralarms]

Looks like I et me some gloves. No more letting my fav. female betta swim up into my hands and lay there.

There's probably more bad bacteria on the door handles at work than there is in your tank... I do not know this as fact, but I'd bet a cool twenty bucks on it. If you stuck your cut hand in a box full of freshly used door handles and rubbed it around, I'd be a lot more worried about infection from that.

I would not avoid doing something cool like holding a betta because of a concern about the bacteria.

When I was a kid I would swim in Mom and Dad's pond, through muck and algae that would make you gag. If there's not weird bacteria in there I dunno where it would be. But anyway I am still alive and somewhat coherent with only minimal brain damage.

True, but it was/is kinda cool. I will be working in the tank, replanting, even removing some of the water and she (there was 2 before the blue lobster, but I won't go there) wil just swim up and kinda lay in my hand. One of my males I don't even use a net on most of the time, i'll just pick him up and put him in his clean tank. Started that one when he was in one of those "hex tanks", do you know how hard it is to get most nets that are big enough to catch a betta without damaging him into one of those little things.

 

[snapcrackler]

You guys, this is no joke, when handling frogs such as this you must use caution.

Where did you get that picture!!!! You must have been on the scene when I carried froggy from tank to his McMaggotland play area I have set up.

 

[snapcrackler]

Justmy2cents, I have had only one betta in my life, I put one in my snail breeding tank to "hang out" . I must say he is not only fearless but somehow affectionate?? I think I know what you are saying about your bettas, mine is so fun to interact with. If I put my finger in there he will always come right up and inspect it closely. Very fearless and also fun to watch.

I am starting to like bettas...

 

[e-cat]

and i thought i would only need too wear my rubber gloves when i had my electric catfish.

 

[dralarms]

and i thought i would only need too wear my rubber gloves when i had my electric catfish.

Thought that was an eel. Oh I get it. *walks away head hung in shame*

 

[dralarms]

Justmy2cents, I have had only one betta in my life, I put one in my snail breeding tank to "hang out" . I must say he is not only fearless but somehow affectionate?? I think I know what you are saying about your bettas, mine is so fun to interact with. If I put my finger in there he will always come right up and inspect it closely. Very fearless and also fun to watch.

I am starting to like bettas...

Yea, I just wished you could put more than 1 male in a tank. I think they are so cool, I have one that after reading someone else doing it here at AA got him to eat brine shrimp out of a spoon. Wished I could have held a video camera and the spoon at the same time. I have 1 red one that when he sees me come into the room he runs up and down right in front of the tank (1 gal triangle style) until I feed him.

 

[e-cat]

and i thought i would only need too wear my rubber gloves when i had my electric catfish.

Thought that was an eel. Oh I get it. *walks away head hung in shame*

there is an electric eel but thats from the amazon and gets like 8feet witha 500volt shockand the electric catfish is from africa and only gets 3feet with a 350volt shock

 

[An t-iasg]

Snapcrackler, Thanks for copying the Drs Foster Smith catalog site again, about the gloves...I don't have to go find it again! I use those gloves for cleaning my 5.5 gallon tank, and they aren't bulky at all. Take off your watches and rings, so you don't snag the gloves, and you can use them again.

That was me who said I feed my bettas brine shrimp with a plastic spoon! It is pretty cute! I'll have to see if I can get someone to take a picture of the betta eating off the spoon. I put the brine shrimp on the end of the spoon, and my betta's too impatient to wait until the brine shrimp floats off the spoon, so he just goes right up and bites it right off the spoon!

 

[snapcrackler]

Thats super cool An t-iasg!

Man... the bettas..
I never woulda guessed they'd be so personable!

 

[sweetsuvvyb]

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SuvvyB, I saw a link in another post by Ant-iasg:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=8162

Shoulder length gloves - could be handy if you don't want to deal with fish water all over hands/arms, you can avoid a scrub when done with tank maintenance and save a little time.

Thanks, but it really isn't that necessary. I've worked in microbiology labs, hospitals, and all kinds of places that have more critters per square inch than my fish tank...the hand washing routine is just part of life! Plus, I only have a little 10gal, so most of my arm is safe. LOL maybe i just like living dangerously