lmhicks101 Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 After I’m done working in my tanks I have to wash my hands and arms off in ice cold water and soap. If I use warm or hot water then after that I feel like a stuck my arms in pile of poison ivy. Does anyone else have this happen to them? my tanks are fresh water and I have the normal plants everyone else does. Swords, frog bit, wenditti, Ludwigia, Rotalia, Java ferns and moss, scarlet temples, and stuff like that. The fish are guppies, cardinals, Cory’s and a betta. It happens with either fish tank. All parameters are fine except nitrates are usually high. Like 40-60 but that’s before water changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 You might just be allergic to one of the plants. It could even be dechlorinator! I’ve never experienced it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I get that occasionally. I think it is the dechlorinator for me. If I get prime directly on a sensitive skin portion it happens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmhicks101 Posted February 19, 2023 Author Share Posted February 19, 2023 @Guppysnail @TheSwissAquarist it might be. I get it all the time in little bits but on big change days is when it sucks the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 On 2/19/2023 at 5:15 PM, lmhicks101 said: @Guppysnail @TheSwissAquarist it might be. I get it all the time in little bits but on big change days is when it sucks the most. Thought about using one of those arm-length gloves people use for cleaning toilets? Second thoughts: Rinse before use and it could be quite a funny sight’ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 (edited) My dermatologist once recommended me not to put bare hands into a fish tank before when I had allergic reaction once. I know it is hard to do as a fishkeeper, and sometimes it is just nice to feel the water. But yea, it is no good in general I bet. On 2/19/2023 at 7:18 PM, TheSwissAquarist said: arm-length gloves I'm planning to get something similar soon, but probably it is a good idea to have one for each tank... Also I don't wanna think of duckweed and gloves...... Edited February 19, 2023 by Lennie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasaltemelosguy Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 Hi @lmhicks101, this may not be relevant, but this happened to me once: Aquarium Granuloma Mine didn't erupt in open sores as above. Most of the time it felt like a sunburn on my hands and seemed to greatly intensify during WC's. It can happen if you have small cuts exposed or in my case, an aggressive fish that bites if it breaks the skin. But if it totally goes away after a few hours, it's probably not granuloma. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmhicks101 Posted February 19, 2023 Author Share Posted February 19, 2023 @dasaltemelosguy no mines not like that. More like mosquito bites or light poison ivy for an hour or so. That is interesting though. Didn’t know that was a thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted February 19, 2023 Administrators Share Posted February 19, 2023 The most common cause would be an allergic reaction to the food going in. Blood worms are common, so are brine shrimp. If you're feeding those, you could try without for a few months, and many water changes and see if you get the same reaction. Then it'd just be narrowing down which of those two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I know people also have reactions to certain types of algae in the water as well. I have sensitive skin so just about everything under the sun causes breakouts. Hydrocortisone cream or Neosporin is my best friend. Probably part of the reason I work with SW over FW. Salt water does not irritate my skin at all. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmhicks101 Posted February 20, 2023 Author Share Posted February 20, 2023 @Biotope Biologist I have issues with swimming in pools with chlorine so that’s why I’m considering getting a SW pool. Now that you’ve mentioned it I wonder if I’d have the same issue with SW tanks. On 2/19/2023 at 2:15 PM, Cory said: The most common cause would be an allergic reaction to the food going in. Blood worms are common, so are brine shrimp. If you're feeding those, you could try without for a few months, and many water changes and see if you get the same reaction. Then it'd just be narrowing down which of those two. It happens when I’m just cleaning up the tank or feeding them. I’m leaning towards chemicals in the water for me but could be other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandBkeeper Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 On 2/19/2023 at 8:46 AM, lmhicks101 said: Does anyone else have this happen to them? Yep! That happens to me all the time. I get hives when I go into cold water and the skin gets irritated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJenna Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 On 2/19/2023 at 2:15 PM, Cory said: allergic reaction to the food going in I occasionally get a rash below the elbow. Will pay more attention to what I've been feeding the days it happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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