Irritation/Rash from tank water

[cdness]

Hi all,

Lately I have been having an odd reaction to the water in my aquarium. My hand will start to burn and I'll have a rash like irritation on it. This never used to happen so it is kinda odd that it just started. My girlfriend can put her hands in the water with no ill effects.

Water parameters are as follows:
- Salinity: 1.025 (Refractometer)
- Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite: 0 API kit
- Calcium: 420 API
- Alkalinity: 8 API
- Magnesium: 1380 - 1400 Red Sea kit
- PH: 8 ACIII Probe
- Temp: 79.5 - 80 ACIII Probe

I did recently have Strep so I was on antibiotics for 10 days or so. Could that maybe be part of it where the antibiotics may not fully be out of my system?

It might be time for me to find where I have those crappy rubber aquarium gloves until this rash thing passes...

Thanks for any input!

Curtis

[RA]

Maybe this is your problem. It is from an earlier post.

After over a year of having major problems with a rash, diagnosed as contact dermatitis we finally came up with the source. This rash would happen when ever contact with reef tank water was made, and grew progressively worse with each exposure. Multiple Doctors, a Dermatologist and at last outbreak, a visit to the emergency room. This was misdiagnosed each time and a course of steroids was the normal treatment.

Ilyanassa obsolieta Snails, AKA Mud Dog Snails, harbor a parasite, a type of Fluke that when released into the Reef Tank environment cause swimmer's itch, also known as "cercarial dermatitis," is a rash caused by the swimming larvae of certain types of flatworms, called schistosomes, burrowing into a person's skin. The larvae are actually looking for birds, and end up in humans by mistake.

The snails are easily collected in shallow waters of our bays and are present on both coasts. Throw a bunch in the tank as part of the clean up crew, now the parasites larva are concentrated in the tank, swimmers itch is a nuisance but in this circumstance, very BAD.

Removal of all of the Snails are recommended.
Links to further reading.
Following pics are a graphic but should show how bad this can be.
http://www.exoticsguide.org/species_..._obsoleta.html
http://www.exoticsguide.org/swimmersitch.html

[Ranchero]

Also for non serious rash issues if you have major burning on your hands your hands might also be too dry. Of course dont put lotion on your hands and then stick your hands in your tank but make sure your hands are not dry prior to working on your tank

[fishysteve]

Maybe you're getting sensitized to something in the water. Some chemicals that I work with at my job do that. The more you work with them the more you get a reaction to them.

def. A Sensitizer is a chemical which may lead to the development of allergic reactions after repeated exposure

[muppet]

I'm getting a rash lately from my tank water but I know exactly why: it's winter. Dry skin is more susceptible to ALL fluids because the integrity of your keratinized skin cells is compromised by cracking (sometimes so small you can't see it).

Salt water is an irritant in and of itself. Normally your skin will offer protection from it but if it's really dry where you live right now... not so much.

Run a humidifier and that may help, or just do what I did and invest in some reefing gloves. I have a really nice set from Corallife that cost about $20 and go up to my armpits. They even include a vent in the top so that they don't balloon up on you in the water.

[cdness]

I am hoping it's not the snail parasite but I shot off an email to the place I get mine from to see if they have them in their collection area...

I'd much rather it be a dry skin issue. I actually run a dehumidifier in my house as the evaporation from the tank tends to be too high and raises the humidity in the house too quickly. I fill a dehumidifier container daily with it set to 50%.

Does anyone know of a reef safe lotion where if there was a hint of it still on my skin it won't hurt anything?

I have the coralife gloves from a few years back. I hated them so much so I stopped using them and they've been stored ever since... Yours may be a newer and nicer model than mine though so something to for sure look into.

[Spartanman22]

I'd imagine that the safest bets with lotions would be anything scent free and oil free. However, I would not be comfortable putting my hand in my tank after recently applying lotion. If you put lotion on before you go to bed, by the time you're up and working on the tank the next day there shouldn't be much remaining on the surface of your skin to cause any ill effects to your tank.

[cdness]

No, I wouldn't be putting on lotion then immediately working on the tank. More or less just looking for a good lotion that if there was any residue on my hands after a few hours it wouldn't damage things...

[tiffyreefer]

i, too have been developing a bad rash from my tank water. I noticed it happens more when corals get irritated during water changes. Maybe something is showing its disapproval of your hand in its "territory" and chemically attacking?

[sslak]

I have had this happen as well, but never on my hands. It only appears on my wrists/forearms. I think I may have brushed against my birdsnest...other than that I have no idea.

It presents like mosquito bites...annoying as hell!

[chuckreef]

Use gloves. Better for you and for your tank.

[Sk8r]

x2 on 'use gloves'. Latex exam gloves with a rubber band around your wrist. Many people become sensitized to corals. You don't want this to be hobby-ending.

[dublo8]

I get the same thing but not as bad on the inside of my arm every time I'm in my tank. For me it's not that bad but I never got it before. It does happen and more common than you think. The shoulder length gloves are definitely a good idea. I just ordered some the other night after getting a ***** on my finger from something on my rock.

[seapug]

Not to dismiss the post above, I'd suspect coral stings or just plain old dry skin before I'd suspect flesh burrowing flatworms.

I get bad rashes on the inside of my arm when I make contact with Ricordeas, A. millepora and some birdsnest corals. The ricordeas cause a poison ivy type rash and the SPS give me mosquito or flea bite-type itchy spots.

I do wear gloves more often now but I've also found using original formula Unscented Curel Daily Moisture lotion really helps with the stings that are made worse with dry skin from working in the tank, especially in the winter when the heat is on in the house. It has no scent and the fist two ingredients are glycerin and water. It's the same type of lotion recommended for fresh tattoos and applying after laser dermabrasion procedures. No fancy scents, smells or mysterious botanical extracts.

[S13<3]

i too develop a rash i havent figured out exactly what causes it , so far the blame seems to go to the tank, as far as snails all i have is turbos and those tiny ones that hitchhiked and took over (collonista snails i believe), ive never bought any other snails, theres 3 blue leg hermits, a pep, 2 fish and the rest coral, all i dose is alk and cal (b-ionic), marine buffer for ph and essential elements once or twice a month, i wish i could figure this out