Random question on my aquarium water…

[Bettaguy08]

Ok, so I just wanted to know if a freshwater aquarium can have amoeba. I watched a video and it said “there is only amoeba in warm freshwater” and my tank is a warm freshwater aquarium. So now this has got me thinking there could possibly be a weird bacteria in my aquarium. And I can’t stop thinking about it! I know it’s a totally random question but I just have no clue if this is in my aquarium..

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Probably...there's all sorts of bugs and bacteria that live in water

 

[Bettaguy08]

Probably...there's all sorts of bugs and bacteria that live in water

Of course, but those bacteria can’t eat your brain.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Of course, but those bacteria can’t eat your brain.

That's what you're worried about? oh matey! Don't drink your aquarium water and you should be fine

 

[FishHobby99]

Ok, so I just wanted to know if a freshwater aquarium can have amoeba. I watched a video and it said “there is only amoeba in warm freshwater” and my tank is a warm freshwater aquarium. So now this has got me thinking there could possibly be a weird bacteria in my aquarium. And I can’t stop thinking about it! I know it’s a totally random question but I just have no clue if this is in my aquarium..

I’d guess the chlorine in tap water kills them, but not positive

 

[Bettaguy08]

That's what you're worried about? oh matey! Don't drink your aquarium water and you should be fine

It goes in through your nose and then to your brain .So that’s why I was wondering what if im doing a water change and the water splashes on me or something?? I know it’s probably a weird and unlikely question. But Idk. I just thought what if it was in my aquarium. Probably unlikely cause they are mostly found in rivers or bad water sources.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You won't find any brain-eating amoeba in your tank water, trust me.

Unless you collected water/plants/livestock from a local body of water, you'll be just fine.

 

[Colin_T]

Aquarium water is full of microscopic organisms but very few people have any issues working in their fish tanks. There are literally millions of people with aquariums and I have never heard of anyone getting Amoebic meningitis from their aquarium.

Things like Amoeba can occur in natural waterways that are polluted with waste and if people jump in the water and it goes up their nose, they can develop Amoebic meningitis, which can kill you. But unless you are squirting aquarium water up your nose, you are not going to catch anything like that. In addition to this, Amoeba are not commonly found in aquariums so the chances of you getting sick from it are virtually 0.

You can catch bacteria from fish tanks if you have open wounds on your skin and get aquarium water on them. However, if you avoid putting your hands in the tank if you have cuts or scratches on them, you won't catch anything. You can also wear rubber gloves if you have to work in a tank and have open wounds on your skin.

You should wash your hands with soapy water after working in any aquarium.

I spent 20 years working in pet shops and had my hands in tanks all day every day. I also had a fish room and worked in them when I wasn't at the shop. I never caught anything from my tanks and I would eat food while cleaning tanks. You will be fine, just don't go squirting water up your nose.

 

[FishHobby99]

Aquarium water is full of microscopic organisms but very few people have any issues working in their fish tanks. There are literally millions of people with aquariums and I have never heard of anyone getting Amoebic meningitis from their aquarium.

Things like Amoeba can occur in natural waterways that are polluted with waste and if people jump in the water and it goes up their nose, they can develop Amoebic meningitis, which can kill you. But unless you are squirting aquarium water up your nose, you are not going to catch anything like that. In addition to this, Amoeba are not commonly found in aquariums so the chances of you getting sick from it are virtually 0.

You can catch bacteria from fish tanks if you have open wounds on your skin and get aquarium water on them. However, if you avoid putting your hands in the tank if you have cuts or scratches on them, you won't catch anything. You can also wear rubber gloves if you have to work in a tank and have open wounds on your skin.

You should wash your hands with soapy water after working in any aquarium.

I spent 20 years working in pet shops and had my hands in tanks all day every day. I also had a fish room and worked in them when I wasn't at the shop. I never caught anything from my tanks and I would eat food while cleaning tanks. You will be fine, just don't go squirting water up your nose.

Hah! I saw all about how 6 people died from a fish tank on House MD!

 

[Uberhoust]

Any body of water without some form of sterilization can and most likely has some micro-organisms. Amoebas are not uncommon though they are hard to find. You are unlikely to have the brain eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, in your tank but given its distribution and where it is found I would say it is possible, though I would worry about it.
.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hah! I saw all about how 6 people died from a fish tank on House MD!

So you trust everything you see on TV?

 

[Colin_T]

Hah! I saw all about how 6 people died from a fish tank on House MD!

This sounds interesting. Can you tell us more about it?

 

[FishHobby99]

Any body of water without some form of sterilization can and most likely has some micro-organisms. Amoebas are not uncommon though they are hard to find. You are unlikely to have the brain eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, in your tank but given its distribution and where it is found I would say it is possible, though I would worry about it.
.

I’ve only ever heard of people getting those lethal amoeba from Rivers, lakes etc . And even that is rare

 

[Uberhoust]

The creatures, brain eating amoebas, are mostly a bacteria eating organism (actually not amoebas). They are not normally pathogens on people. The cases I have read about are typically with people with some issue that makes it possible for them to infect people. They could be all around us but we never know because we are not exposed to enough at one time to overcome our natural resistance. Below is a quote from a site on the CDC on occurrences in the US:

Naegleria fowleri infections are rare*. In the ten years from 2011 to 2020, 33 infections were reported in the U.S. Of those cases, 29 people were infected by recreational water, three people were infected after performing nasal irrigation using contaminated tap water, and one person was infected by contaminated tap water used on a backyard slip-n-slide.

Also from the CDC:

Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in lakes in southern-tier states during the summer but more recently has caused infections in northern states. This means that recreational water users should be aware that there will always be a low level risk of infection when entering these waters. In very rare instances, Naegleria has been identified in water from other sources such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water. Naegleria fowleri grows best at higher temperatures up to 115°F (46°C) and can survive for short periods at higher temperatures.

The risk of Naegleria fowleri infection is very low. There have been 33 reported infections in the U.S. in the ten years from 2011 to 2020, despite millions of recreational water exposures each year. By comparison, in the ten years from 2001 to 2010, there were more than 34,000 drowning deaths in the U.S.

Given the last quote I think I will start to use a PFD for my water changes, don't want to drown.

Joking aside, I wouldn't worry about it in the slightest. But the House episode was pretty entertaining.

General Information | Naegleria fowleri | CDC

Frequently asked questions about naegleria. Education and information about the brain eating ameba Naegleria fowleri that causes encephalitis and death including frequently asked questions, biology, sources of infection, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control, and other publications and...

www.cdc.gov

 

[FishHobby99]

The creatures, brain eating amoebas, are mostly a bacteria eating organism (actually not amoebas). They are not normally pathogens on people. The cases I have read about are typically with people with some issue that makes it possible for them to infect people. They could be all around us but we never know because we are not exposed to enough at one time to overcome our natural resistance. Below is a quote from a site on the CDC on occurrences in the US:



Also from the CDC:



Given the last quote I think I will start to use a PFD for my water changes, don't want to drown.

Joking aside, I wouldn't worry about it in the slightest. But the House episode was pretty entertaining.

General Information | Naegleria fowleri | CDC

Frequently asked questions about naegleria. Education and information about the brain eating ameba Naegleria fowleri that causes encephalitis and death including frequently asked questions, biology, sources of infection, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control, and other publications and...

www.cdc.gov

I am madly in love with Hugh Laurie. Yet another Brit playing a brilliant American role. No one ever did a medical drama better. Not even George Clooney.