Is fish tank water, bacteria harmful to humans?

Question

When I need to adjust something in my tank I do so with bare hands and then thourougly wash them. However am I risking contaminating myself and others. Also my tank is in the kitchen near the sink, is this unhygenic?

Answer 1

Generally (99% of the time), freshwater bacteria and the water that they reside in are harmless to us humans. There is bacteria everywhere, in the air, water, and the surfaces of many of our household appliances and furniture. The bacteria in my fish tank and yours is necessary for ammonia break-down and various other ways of removing harmful chemicals and toxins.

Using bare hands to adjust decorations and plants, as well as cleaning the inside of your tank, is just fine - it's what everyone does whether it be freshwater or saltwater. Just make sure your own hands are clean and have no open cuts/wounds that would enable you and the tank's water to exchange bacteria and etc (wear gloves/prongs or magnetic cleaners if you do in fact have open wounds or unclean hands/arms). A thorough wash afterward is advised, although sometimes I just dry my hands/arms on a convenient hand towel next to my aquariums.

There is very little risk in contaminating others with your unwashed hands either via direct contact or through some device (door knobs/appliances/etc). The bacteria will produce no ill effect to anyone, even toddlers. Of course, you should wash your hands and try to prevent any spread of your tank water's bacteria just because not doing so in unhygienic and frowned upon. Accidental consumption of the bacteria will not harm you or others, but accidentally getting it in your eye or an open wound may cause irritation.

Keeping your tank near the kitchen sink is just fine - it makes life easier even, when it comes to water changes and filter cleanings. In general, the kitchen area is one of the dirtiest places in your household anyway, just because of all the bacteria that comes from the food and produce you buy and consume - but it is all generally harmless to you and your fish, unless you are dealing with raw meat and some types of unwashed raw vegetables (ie spinach) and decide to ground your meat and clean your tank at the same time - which may introduce problems in your tank and yourself. Just be reasonable. Tank water splashing onto kitchen counters and all is harmless, but I would wipe it off with a a towel or spray it over with Lysol anyway - just to keep clean.

As a general advisory, keep any tank-cleaning chemicals/fish medicine in their original closed top bottles, and away from your kitchen counter if you can. The only real risk is the secondary products that you might buy for your tank that might contain trace elements or large amounts of harmful chemicals. Just read the labels on the back and make sure it doesn't make its way to somewhere it shouldn't.

Answer 2

Human Fish Tank

Answer 3

There are diseases you can get from fish, although these aren't common. The one you hear the most about is fish tuberculosis, which isn't the same tuberculosis that you may be familiar with in humans. This one causes a skin rash, and is difficult to treat, but this is more common from saltwater tanks.

There are also tank chemicals and medications that are carcinogens, so you would want to be careful about getting any tank water on utensils or food items.

See this link for info on the diseases: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Lawler_Diseases%20Transmitted%20to%20Humans.html
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Lawler_Tank_Safety.html

To know if the chemicals used in your tank are possible carcinogens, you'll need to read the labels. These should tell you if there are known carcinogenic ingredients (such as any containing malachite green or formalin should have), or at least give a warning such as "only for use with fish not meant for human consumption".

Normally, if you clean with your bare hands, this wouldn't be a problem as long as your hands are clean beforehand (for the health of your fish), you have no cuts or abrasions where bacteria could easily break through your skin, and you wash your hands immediately after. If you do have cuts, using gloves, or at least algae scrapers and siphons long enough that you don't have to put your hands into the water would be the best thing to do.

Answer 4

The bacteria that process the waste your fish produce are good for the tank, harmless to the fish and you.

The diseases your fish sometimes get are fish diseases not human.

If there is a problem with your tank or it is filthy then there may be bacteria in it that are bad for you also. A well maintained clean tank is safe. You could drink out of it if you felt the need to and be just fine.

Remember the good nitrogenizing bacteria that convert the ammonia and nitrites into nitrates are in your tap water, lakes, and rivers. Did you ever get water in your mouth swimming in the lake or river? Did you get sick?

I would have no problems with a tank ANYWHERE in my kitchen. In fact it makes it sound easier to care for, unfortunately my kitchen is very very small. I hardly have room to cook let alone have fish in it.

Answer 5

If you have proper filtering there's not much in the water that is harmful to humans. The fish are alright eh? Tank water might not taste too good, but it wouldn't make you sick unless you drank a quart or two. Residue on your hands is not a big concern. A good cook always washes before handling food anyway.

Answer 6

The bacteria in your tank is totally safe. The parasites (such as ich) are only threatening to your fish, not you [they are FISH parasites].
The only reason you should be concerned about humans getting diseases is if somehow you managed to get your hands on fish which were smuggled into the u.s. Then there is a chance that you are in danger of catching some parasite which can be treated. Don't worry about it, you aren't in any harm. You don't have to move your tank..your fine.

Answer 7

no as long as you have good filtrtion your fine i would wash my hands before and after i put my hands in there because some bacteria in the air or on the counter could harm your fish also a majority of the bacteria is benificial and aids n the filtration process and helps break down waste and the bad bacteria lives in the water so when you dry your hands your killing the bacteria. als the small amounts of metal in your tap water will kil the bacteria .

Answer 8

Don't take chances, continue as you're doing. It would be best to move the aquarium out of the kitchen/food preparation areas.

Answer 9

I think you're fine-but I wouldn't drink it!