OUCH

[alexwolf]

One of my powerheads came loose tonite and i threw my hand into the tank to catch it, and now my hand is all red and burning.....what the heck could cause that?????

[Sherri]

Did you scrape up against anything? Or touch anything?

[alexwolf]

nope, just the powerhead....also I JUST LOST MY HAMMER im really losing my patience.......its pulling back off its skeleton.......water seems good, it was fine yesterday.......

[JesterGrin_1]

Just wash your hand real well in some cold tap water. I really would not worry about it. Don't worry so much :)

[alexwolf]

lol thanks for the advice.....it just burned like hell for a few mins.....

[Tim Marvin]

You may also try vinagar.

[alexwolf]

I am assuming that this is a common problem then?

[Yano]

Salt Creep can be very sharp :x

[Instar]

Quite often, in the winter dry months, exposure to salt water will make your hands irritated because they are already dry.
A brush with a carpet anemone can also mess you up anytime, but, you don't have anything that can do that. I grabbed a plug with a leather on it not long ago and must have also grabbed a small bristle worm. That was nasty. Swelled up my finger and made the center of my hand numb up to my wrist. Since it wasn't palythoa or a carpet, I blew it off. Maybe not the right thing to do, but, since I work in a hospital, help often close by. What was that about gloves again?

[manny]

The other day my arm brushed up against my scallops tentacles and I didn't really think anything of it, until about 5 min later when it friggin burned like crazy!! What happened to you was probly salt creep though cause I've had that happen a few times also.

[Instar]

Alex, keep the faith man, and the patience. Your tank is still immature. Did that hammer go thru the 175 calcium a couple weeks ago? All the changes in Ca + HCO3 shifting, etc. are a lot to handle. Thats why no stoneys until the coraline algae colonies are the size of a quarter. Thats probably like at least 6 months after the hair algae bloom dies off or is under control. And no schleractin species or chilis either for now. It takes time for a fuge to get really set in and reproducing too. You're on your way to a really great tank. Take pictures for a tank diary. You won't believe how its going to change. And its definitely worth waiting for.

[Sherri]

Yep...patience is the key. Also in the selection you want to go in the tank.

[GaryP]

Alex,

Divers call that "reef rash." Just a generic description of any kind of inflammation resulting from brushing against stuff. Even without a lot of coral in your tank there are still plenty of things that can result in inflammation, including bacteria. Just wait until you start stocking SPS. I have pretty leathery hands from doing yard work and its never been a problem for me. A lot of other reefkeepers haven't had the same experience. Like Larry said, get some gloves.

Gary

[DeletedAccount]

And stray voltage....

[Instar]

Joshua, where would he get copper from? He's using RO/DI. His live rock with those million feather dusters consumed most of the calcium. Calcium is necessary for peristalic movement to take place in the intestines of an animal. Without it, I've seen even the hardiest of tank raised clowns die. Stoney corals aren't for new tanks and shrimp, well shrimp are another thing altogether. Its easy to kill those. I lost all 4 of my cleaners from LiveAquaria as well as the sally lightfoots. I think the sallys were my fault. The shipping water is much much different than our 1.024/1.025 reef tanks are and acclimation is a real trick. Water from Reeftopia comes in at 1.032 to 1.035, so acclimation of those things takes a couple days. Now, in a bucket, with air, and then you have to keep it the right temp, thats a real trick. Snails can be blown too with that much change. They also assimulate things into their tissues that are toxic to them, the worst of that being nitrates, although he doens't have that build up yet cause the tank is too new. With the calcium and buffer depleted, that throws all the minor elements out of balance so far as metabolism and consumption are concerned. A lot of sea life can't handle the equilibrium changes in the minor elements when the major elements are out of balance or depleted. I recommend testing calcium very often in a new tank. After a year, things will be different.

[alexwolf]

i tested my voltage, it was less than 1 volt, Larry the tank was preowned when i got it, the guy before me could have dosed copper i imagine

[OldSalty]

I tested alex's tank for stray voltage myself using my fluke 87 meter. Voltage was .467 vac, so i dont think thats the problem. I tend to agree that the system is not ballanced yet, i'ts just gona take time. It will work it's self out. It's hard to do but ya gota trust mother nature.

just my 2cent worth

[Instar]

Alex, copper can come in as a contaminate from a calcium reactor, kalk/buffer solutions or from using tap water, but, not out of the glass or glue just because someone once used copper in that tank before you had it. Any copper precipitates mingled in with the detritus and gravel of the tank would have been washed away when that thank was cleaned out. Copper just doesn't penetrate glass or silicone seals. Its just doesn't work like that. If you add copper b/c you use some odd trace element or medicated the tank, that is another thing and you could expect both certain species of fish and invert losses to occur from that. You never want to add copper to your main tank as the precipitates will remain and in theory at least, could come back to plague you. It wouldn't be because it somehow soaked into the silicone seals however.

[GaryP]

I know that AA uses copper in their fish tanks and Alamo used to. Not sure if they still do or not. Maybe someone here knows. If bag water was dumped in the tank during acclimitization, and enough fish were added in a short period of time, I could see where a small residual of copper could develop. Admittedly it would be greatly diluted by the bulk of water in the tank and reduced by water changes.

Alex, what is your acclimitization procedure?

Gary

[Instar]

Inverts and snails accumulate toxic materials into their tissues. Truthfully, if one dies and you can get it out, thats nutrient export. Aside from any situations that develop from bacterial problems from their capture, shipping and acclimation. Tanks that have been set up for over 2 years have enough precipitated toxic material in them to cause some damage. It takes a lot more than a 10% water change to fix the build up in the water. In Alex's tank, those billion calcium tube building feather dusters have grown a lot. Since the calcium and alkalinity were both so low that serious consequences could occur, I wouldn't worry about anything in there that is toxic like copper. When the Ca and Alk are so far off, the equilibrium reactions for everything change too much. Its just going to take time and lots of testing for a while to get things balanced out.