I have been kicking myself after doing a stupid thing yesterday. Let me explain, I have a 48 x 18 x 15 tank with an external filter. On the intake pipe there is a series of holes and one of them was level with the surface of the water so it was sucking in air and causing the filter to make more noise than usual. So while doing my monthly 75% water change I decided to block the whole up, I got the pipe out, dried it off and filled it with some mixed Araldite( I can hear the gasps of horror I didn't even consider what effect it would have. I thought that once dry it would be just like a hard resin/plastic. Anyway 10 mins after refilling the tank one of my Zebra danios started gasping on the surface and darting around like it was injured. Thinking it had been damaged by one of the larger fish while the water was low I left it for a few minutes to see if it would recover, it didn't so I flushed it. Then another started showing the same signs. It took 2 more fish before it twigged and I had to do an emergency tranfer and water change. To start with it was just the small ones like Danios and Cardinals then the Denisonii Barb went and I was gutted. I honestly thought I was going to lose everything. I did a full tank and filter clean again reintrodused them all along with a good dose of Aquarium salt to help them recover. They seem to be doing ok now but I lost 6 Danios, 5 cardinals and my Denisonii. Thankfully it didn't get any of my larger plecs and Clown Loach, Verrry scary moments!!!

Ok you can all start cursing now. I deserve it!

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Yep ... you do Anthony..

Still ... you've learned something for next time !!

I once washed my hands just before messing about with something in my aquarium. There was enough soap residue left on them to kill off several Amazon dwarf cichlids and a few neons. So it is very easily done. I now rinse my hands thoroughly in tap water before I do anything in the tank.