Tank Hazards

Wow a 2 year old girl tipping over a 55 gal tank !
Did the iron stand collapse? Was it on soft flooring?
That's a lot of weight for a light weight 2 year old to
tip over.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Add Homonym wrote on 1/2/2007 1:50 PM:
I once knew someone who had an all glass 55gal on one of those metal
stands tip over on top of his 2 year old daughter.

Not a good thing. I think it took out a few ribs, collapsed one of her
lungs, gave her a nasty concussion...

KurtG wrote:

I do have a ground fault interrupt circuit installed now and avoid
puddles around the tank.

Be careful anyway. I had a plumbing leak a month or so back that put water into
one of my power strips. It tripped the GFCI, just like it was supposed to do. I
cleaned up and dried everything out (I thought) and reset the GFCI. Everything
was up and running and I was feeling a little better when I noticed that the
power strip was spitting out sparks. GFCI units aren't infallible.

George Patterson
Forgive your enemies. But always remember who they are.

George Patterson wrote:
Be careful anyway.

Oh yeah. I had two separate 10 gallon leaks and it leaked into the wall
and floor where another circuit ran. The tank was grounded, so standing
in the puddle and then touching the tank I felt the familiar tingling
through the fingers.

Been zapped more then I care to admit while wiring up 440V motors. Slow
learner. :-)

--Kurt

"George Patterson" wrote in message news:%plkh.1281$Ej7.937@trnddc02...
Be careful anyway. I had a plumbing leak a month or so back that put water into
one of my power strips. It tripped the GFCI, just like it was supposed to do. I
cleaned up and dried everything out (I thought) and reset the GFCI. Everything
was up and running and I was feeling a little better when I noticed that the
power strip was spitting out sparks. GFCI units aren't infallible.

Well, this was not fault of GFCI - they cannot detect short between
line and neutral. They are only sensitive to the current leakage
from line to ground. More precise: they trip when the current in the
white wire does not equal the current in the black wire - the difference
happens only when the current is leaking to ground - it is that simple.

I think the best advice is to wear gloves when putting your hands in the
tank. The only time I have ever been "harmed" by anything in a SW/reef tank
is when I didn't follow this advice. Admittedly, I rarely do. ;-) I got a
farily nasty sting once from a large carpet anenome, and have spent a few
hours removing bristle worm stings from finger tips with scotch tape.

A lot also depends on what you keep. If you keep Coral Cats, Lionfish, or
other venomous critters, you obviously have to be a bit more aware. With a
normal "reef" tank, the danger is minimal. We've had SW/reef tanks going on
18 years now, and have never suffered any serious "hazard" -- well, unless
you count the financial hazards. ;-)

My children love to have the cleaner shrimp "clean" their fingers. (Yep, no
gloves, just a good washing afterward).

~T


"RubenD" wrote in message
et...
I was talking the other day with a friend about getting a tank a Xmas gift
but then we got into hazards which I didn't want to be liable for. He
mentioned from skin to respiratory issues.

I know is silly but I have to ask. I'm not giving up my tank but got
concerns about my kids.

I believe most marine organism would die out water, but you know better
than me. I'm talking about the standard raw tank without those UV filters.

What are the chances of people getting diseases/parasites from a fish tank
since we are kind of breeding them in a closed enviroment, and what are
we
more expose to?.

TIA

Ruben

"Teri G." wrote in message . ..
My children love to have the cleaner shrimp "clean" their fingers.
(Yep, no gloves, just a good washing afterward).


Check this out, Teri:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

Yuck & ouch. Appreciate the article.

Teri
http://home.comcast.net/~76fxe

"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"Teri G." wrote in message
. ..
My children love to have the cleaner shrimp "clean" their fingers.
(Yep, no gloves, just a good washing afterward).


Check this out, Teri:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

"Teri G." wrote in message . ..
Yuck & ouch. Appreciate the article.

Do not panick - this must be very, very rare...
I put my bare hands to the tank water for many, many
countles years and nothing happened to me ... yet :-)
All people swiming and playing in the ocean would
risk the same infections but this does not stop them
surfing or diving, right ? So let's not panick...

Thanks, no - I won't panic. I've probably put my hands in SW/reef tanks
hundreds if not thousands of time, and remain unscathed. I don't, if I have
any open cuts/scratches, and always wash well afterwards.

From the article: "Closed aquatic systems with a high density of fish and
warm waters (Hint, hint; this is another way of saying your average everyday
home aquarium) appear to be conditions particularly favorable to this
infectious agent. ". I'd have to argue that we have never had a "high
density" of fish, though there are those that would say that any closed
system contains a higher density than the ocean. Although we do plan to
eventually add more fish, right now we only have 2 Tangs, and a Scissortail
dartfish. That's in a 180g with a 100g sump.
Anyway, it's worth being cautious. Information is always good.

Teri
http://home.comcast.net/~76fxe


"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"Teri G." wrote in message
. ..
Yuck & ouch. Appreciate the article.

Do not panick - this must be very, very rare...
I put my bare hands to the tank water for many, many
countles years and nothing happened to me ... yet :-)
All people swiming and playing in the ocean would
risk the same infections but this does not stop them
surfing or diving, right ? So let's not panick...

* Pszemol wrote, On 12/28/2006 10:07 AM:
"Teri G." wrote in message
. ..
Yuck & ouch. Appreciate the article.

Do not panick - this must be very, very rare...
I put my bare hands to the tank water for many, many
countles years and nothing happened to me ... yet :-)
All people swiming and playing in the ocean would
risk the same infections but this does not stop them
surfing or diving, right ? So let's not panick...

Let's not forget splashing water in eyes and girls accidentally dipping their
boob when reaching into a deep tank....