Clean hands?

[Car1os]

Ive been keeping fish for only a few years but I never thought of this until covid happened. My question is, how do you clean your hands before putting them in your aquarium if you have to? I would usually just wash my hands with soap and rinse as best as I could but I recently noticed that if I squeeze my hands while they are still wet a few soap bubbles form. And even though my fish never seemed to have been affected, I am now a bit worried that I could harm the fish.

 

[Metalman]

Ive been keeping fish for only a few years but I never thought of this until covid happened. My question is, how do you clean your hands before putting them in your aquarium if you have to? I would usually just wash my hands with soap and rinse as best as I could but I recently noticed that if I squeeze my hands while they are still wet a few soap bubbles form. And even though my fish never seemed to have been affected, I am now a bit worried that I could harm the fish.

I very much doubt that if you have rinsed well that any concentration of hand sanitizer or soap would or could effect the fish, however in this modern day trending of hand creams and moisturisers that may create a problem.

 

[Neleono]

I am always very cautious when using soap when washing hands before I clean my aquarium. Soap is of course toxic to the fish and ecosystem and a small amount can do some damage. I usually do my work in the morning so I rarely have to use soap to get anything off my hands but I do rinse them well under warm water just in case. If you do have something on your hands that requires soap to really get off, use soap and then wait a while before rinsing again and doing work. Also, like Metalman said, skincare and moisturizers are very common. If you do have a skincare routine and or use anything on your hands and arms like a moisturizer, try to stay away from using them before cleaning your tank. However, this of course is all my opinion. Some people are much less worrisome about it, some much more. It's really up to how comfortable you are with the possible problems that might arise because of these things. I just like to keep in mind that anything that you wouldn't feel comfortable putting in your aquarium, shouldn't be on your hands before cleaning (Soap, Hand Sanitizer, Oils and Grease, Chemicals, Moisturizer, Skincare Products, Etc.)

 

[FishGuest5123]

I always wash my hands with just clean tap water before placing them in a tank.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I always wash my hands with just clean tap water before placing them in a tank.

Same here, clean HOT tap water.

 

[raylove]

A few times I have plunged my arm in my tank in the Summer and have been left with a nasty scum in the surface because I forgot that I had applied sunblock to my arms earlier in the day. I skim it off with a tumbler and no harm has ever come of it, but certainly something to avoid.

 

[Falconwithaboxon]

Honestly depends. If I'm just getting something out of there real quick, such as a dead plant, I just reach in there. If I'm going to be doing work in it, like cleaning or aquascaping, I rinse with hot water but no soap before starting.

 

[CassCats]

Rinse with lots of tap water, then let dry before placing hands in the tank

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I rinse with hot tap water and then dry with a clean towel. Just try not to touch anything after “sterilizing” your hands.