Prep for cleaning or handling fish tanks...?

I'm just curious how people prep before dipping their hands/arms into their freshwater tanks.

It's pretty straight forward that you should NOT have any fragrant lotions as those might be toxic for the fish and other inhabitants, but what about handsoap used to wash your hands?? I've always wondered how people would clean their arms and hands before they start doing all the tank maintenance stuff... I've always just used handsoap and washed my hands REALLY LONG... although, I'm pretty sure there's a better alternative to this?

What do you guys normally do?

I dont do anything. If my hands have been in something, than I will wash them, otherwise, I dont do anything before I enter my tanks.

What about all the salt/minerals/sweat from your skin? Wouldn't that affect the balance of the water params? (maybe I'm just getting too paranoid) LOL

Salt is good. Minerals are good:) I am sure that there are those that wash every time before they enter their tanks. Me, if my hands have been in nothing all day, whats the big deal?

I guess it is all how you feel about it. If it gives you peace of mind to scrub your hands and arms before hand, so be it. Me, I am in my tanks almost every day, so not an issue. I am in them so much that my fish do not scatter and in most of the tanks the fish will swim around my hands. I have a few that let me pet their heads or the sides of them.

It's funny, because my fish always peck at my arm like they're feeding off from my skin, it tickles and I guess they don't mind... It's usually the mollies and platties that do this though, and then the danios follow suit. Hahaha... silly little buggers =P

My fry tanks are the same way. LOL

Ahahahahaha, this reminds me of the little hot pools in the Philippines, where you can swim and if you sit still enough, fish will come up to your body and eat any "dead skin cells" off your body. It was quite the experience.

I just wash my hands with plain water before sticking them in the tank.

As long as I have not been working on the car or spraying chemicals I've never worried about it. Most of my tanks Mimic lake Tanganyika so they are already loaded with minerals any way the high ph does burn in any scrapes or cuts though..

i dont wash my hands unless i have lotion / sunscreen on, other wise i mainly wash my hands after they are in the tanks. especially if i feed blood worms, i even use gloves with those as they give me issues.

like the others i only wash my hands if i have been in something or used sunblock ..other than that its directly in to the tank...

If im not cleaning filters.like just moving a peace of deco around or something i don't even wash my hands after..just dry them off on a towel and go about my business

Glad to know that others just go right in I don't feel as paranoid anymore. YAY!

For me, it's usually straight into the tank.

I wear a long glove with one of my tanks with fish that bite hard enough to break the skin. (Small fish, but very annoying. It feels like being pinched. ) I don't like to work in the tanks if I have any cuts or scratches, etc. and will use the gloves for that as well.

I try to remember to wash my hands after working in the tanks.