[AquaJames]

Every time I clean out the sponges and ceramic media in my external filter, I get what feels like a stings on my hands. It's hardly excrutiating, it feels similar to the type of irritation you'd get when handling loft insulation. In the past I just assumed it was just salt getting into microscratches on my hand or something, but today on closer inspection I noticed a tiny fibre-like "barbs" stuck in my hands.

It only seems to happen when working on the external filter, not the internal or skimmer. Could it be something to do with the fluval ceramic media or is there something more sinister at work?

Thoughts?

[ben]

put marigolds on

[AquaJames]

ben, on Jul 25 2010, 05:57 PM, said:

put marigolds on

That sounds reasonable. I'm just hoping theres nothing harmful in there.

[ben]

hard to say what it was but there are a few things in a reef tank that can be harmful, so wearing marigolds is good practice.

[chriss]

I wear gloves as often as possible now after my hands have become sensitised to tank water, tho oddly enough I don't react at all when out body boarding.

Chris