Need To Return Fish

[Kal-el]

I recently found out that I am allerigic most likely to the fish tank. I had one so long as I didn't think it could possibly be that. I know I am really allergic to mold. I transfered all my fish to another tank and cleaned the tank real well, but I am still having the same problem. I originally thought I was allergic to something in my room, so I switched rooms, hoping to solvent the situation. It sadly continues. I cough at night endlessly. I am trying an experiment, I am going to sleep in a seperate room from my tank and truly see if it is the problem. To tell you the truth, I kinda hope it is the fish tank, it'll be a big burden lifted from my shoulders actually knowing what makes me this way. If it turns out to be the fish, it will be a sad occasion parting with them as I had some for over 4 years.

 

[kribensis12]

I hope it isnt them!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pumaf1]

sounds stupid but try these - one at a time in no particular order

- but first and foremost - hoover, yes hoover your bed. take all the covers off hoover it 3 times, leaving 30 mins betwen each hoovering, put new clean bed linen on. (also try another linen cleaner). do it in the am, allow the dust to settle etc.

- Try cutting gluten and cheese out of your diet, you have has IBS (irrtable bowel syndrone)

- get new pillows

- air the room in which you sleep in for 20 minutes before bed (may be a bit old but then we take out the airbourne stuff)

- take half a asprin before sleep. (dont take if you have a tummy ulcer/preganant i.e. rea the label)

- does your boyfriend/girlfirend/yourself own a dog/cat, if so ban them from the upstairs of the house. same with ANY PETS (bar the fish)

- get a cover for your tank (if you dont have one, you may be reacting to moisture in the air)

I had a sleeping / chest infection problem which tuned out to be asthma. the above helped me loads! honestly they sound stupid, but let me know, I am in no means a doctor but I dd the above (plus gettng really drunk helps)

 

[tmack]

Hi. That's a bummer on the possible allergy. Have you ever had any allergy tests done?

I did a Google search & found a lot of hits. 2 mentioned allergies to the fish food itself (hope these links work):

http/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...p;dopt=Abstract

http/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...;indexed=google

 

[pumaf1]

also use gloves with the food forgot tht one)

 

[tmack]

also use gloves with the food forgot tht one)

and try not to be exposed to inhaling the fish food dust - it may be hard to avoid not getting down next to the tank to watch them eating, but the gloves & this idea are worth a try. Or have someone else feed them when you're not near the tank.

 

[Kal-el]

Thanks for the replies guys. pumaf1 I will definetly try out those tips you suggest. tmack, I have had allergy tests done. I have Cystic Fibrosis, but this allergy thingie is really kicking my ass. I mean it depletes all of my energy, and I wake up at night coughing and my eyes are watering like it's niagra falls. I have been staying in a room without a tank in for a few hours now, and so far so good. I wash my bed sheets often, I really don't now what else could be causing this besides the fish.

 

[Kal-el]

Well I sucessfully spent the night in another room. So my main concern is can I keep my fish? It should be fine if I wear gloves to handle feeding them and maybe put on a painter's mask to handle any thing fish related? I really want to keep my fish, but my health does come first.

 

[tmack]

Hello and you're welcome. OK on having had the allergy tests - I thought you probably had but asked anyway. Yes indeed - your own health comes first! I guess if you can put up with trying a few things more before giving up, try the gloves & the painter's mask & see what happens. Question - does the tank have a hood? I sometimes get mold growing under my hood - the moist conditions and occasional splashed up nutrients/fish food result in perfect conditions for mold growth. I'd have someone else check though, and if there is any mold have someone else clean it as well!

 

[catxx]

can you keep the tank elsewhere in the house rather than your own bedroom?

 

[Kal-el]

Hello and you're welcome. OK on having had the allergy tests - I thought you probably had but asked anyway. Yes indeed - your own health comes first! I guess if you can put up with trying a few things more before giving up, try the gloves & the painter's mask & see what happens. Question - does the tank have a hood? I sometimes get mold growing under my hood - the moist conditions and occasional splashed up nutrients/fish food result in perfect conditions for mold growth. I'd have someone else check though, and if there is any mold have someone else clean it as well!

Hello tmack. Yes my tank has a hood. It had mold on, but I emptied the tank and completely cleaned everything. I never would have thought that it was the fish food that was causing my allergy. I just bought a painter's air respirator today, and will try them and the gloves out whenever I do anything fish related.

can you keep the tank elsewhere in the house rather than your own bedroom?

I suppose I can, but that would be a pretty big hassle for me as I'm pretty much the lazy type. I'd have to climb stairs every morning to turn the aquarium light on, then climb them again 10 hours later to feed them, and then shut the light off. I'd much rather have them in my room as it's easier for me and I love watching the little guys, well you know what I mean.

 

[tmack]

Hi Kal-El. I'm running out of ideas. Hopefully the gloves & mask will make a big difference. I had a thought about some type of good air filtration unit that could be placed near or over the tank - not the ionizer things as I don't think they really do anything, but the type I'm thinking of are several hundred bucks & might not even change anything. You may already have something like that set up anyway. If I think of anything else I'll let you. Keep us posted on how things go, but put your health first.

 

[Kal-el]

Thanks for all of your advice tmack. I have had several types of air cleaners over the years, and I wouldn't recommend them at all. The ones I've had were just wastes of space. I'll be sure to try the respirator and gloves out and see how it goes.