the invasion has begun

[gussys]

Ok i was reading about getting a red light and going after the tank after dark and im being over run bye a heard of amphipods the sand is just crawling with em and there is another weird thing that looks like a fleshy tube that comes out of the LR about 2-3" and has a flat star looking end . boy i guess im just lucky ive got a nice bunch of the copepods now i find that ive got amphipods to one thing ive gotta get is some gloves im not going back in with out them

[seamonkey]

I agree with the glove thing because after seeing some pictures on here and then seeing some of the things late at night with the red light it just plain freaks me out.

[Doug1]

Hehehehe, actually short of real fireworms , mantis shrimp, urchins, cone snails, and the occasional fish nipping its not that bad. I think putting bare hands in tank is putting them(tank critters)
more at risk than you. Be careful if you have cuts or open wounds, its possible to pick up some nasty infections

[seamonkey]

O gee I am glad I learn that now after sticking my hands in the tank with all sorts of cuts and scrapes from work. What can you actualy pick up from the tank?

[tdwyatt]

Any number of opportunistic infections. Much will depend on your personal immune status and what organisms exist in your tank, but there are many spp. of Vibrio and related organisms, not to mention the number of Dinoflagellata spp. that can utilize human tissue and body temp as a growth medium. Keep in mind that our bodies are not that far from seawater... ...we are lucky to have those phagocytic WBC's and misc. immune antibody marker systems as part of the home team.

If you have an infection that develops and does not respond to normal emperic therapies, or a wound that will not close and heal, or you develop a fever that will not abate, mention to your practitioner that you have a marine aquarium, as there are many organisms that will not be considered as potential infective agents if you have an oozing wound in a locatioin more than 50 miles from the Ocean.

Interestingly enough, one of the theories of the evolution of plants involves the "infection" of eukyrotic organisms by certain primitive spp. of cyanobacteria. These Cyanobacteria spp. further evolved within the eukaryote into a symbiotic organelle that we now recognize as chloroplasts.

My 2 cents US.