Jestersix

Reefkeeping with skin issues?

Lately, well for the past year or maybe even two years, I've taken a step back in reef keeping. It's all due my eczema on my hands which makes it extremely hard to stick my hands into the water. Of course there are gloves, but those gloves are simply too big and bulky to do any maintenance work on a nano tank.

Does anyone else have this problem? Or how do you handle it?

Its to the point where I'm thinking of breaking down my tank...
 
if you can find this
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it works, got rid of eczema on my arms for a few days
 
Your best bet is the safe way, take it from someone who had a finger infection form a tiny tiny scratch; IV antibiotics and then some others to go...
I didn't end in a really bad situation but if you have some skin issues you may not want to risk it. The bacteria and toxins in the water (remember corals might be at war with each other) might grant someone a trip to the ER.
Get a pair of long gloves and if you reach down, far down into the tank, a rubber band or two will do a nice job preventing water from going in.
If you go the route of regular surgical type of gloves, rubber band them and one more note, stay away from the powdered gloves, not for you but for the sake of the inhabitants.
 
Peter has issues with the area on the inside of his elbow. A bit off a rash that really burns when he gets salt water on it. He uses tongs when possible and for the stuff that is too deep/intricate I take over. My hands are always covered with cuts and I think about Mario's story every time I put my hands in the tank.
Cheers!
 
Simply don't put your hands in the water.

Buy/Make some tools.
Cutters, foreceps, and tweezers of different lengths and bends.
Sharpened steel siphon tubes.
Small dowels with bendable wire on the end.

Sure, not quite as convenient. But possible.
 
You can also get elbow length nitrile gloves, they're quite a bit more than the regular, but should be good for smaller/shallower tanks like nanos, you can get cheap poly, but they can leak very easily and are truly one time and done, (think horse examination.... ) horses don't have anything nearly as sharp as in their... you know. What I used to do is put a nitrile glove on the end of the poly glove and that usually was enough to keep it from accidentally snagging on a rock or something and ripping open
https://www.bigdweb.com/product/exam+gloves+shoulder+length.do

Some extra long gloves with tools can help too, if you don't have to get your hand directly to the area.
 
that's true.. but my hands will still be wet if i have to use that tweezers in my 90g :/ and I have to REMEMBER clean up my tweezers after use and not getting them wet or they will jsut rust.
 
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