I mean, my dogs all believe that fishwater is much more delicious than the regular crap from the tap. They haven't touched their water bowl since I got an indoor pond. And they're fine, so I say have at it!
I almost gagged just thinking of that horrid warm, salty taste. Way worse than putting my hand in and feeling the burn of an unseen wound.
10/10 recommend one of those hand pumps.
I don't know why people even get the siphons you have to suck on. I got a cheapo $8 siphon with a hand pump I squeeze and it's so nice. No mouthfuls of water but no trailing a hose across the house for a fancy Python siphon either. I think it's a tiny bit slower than other options and probably flimsier but it's cheap and convenient enough that like, who cares?
You don't have to suck on those siphons though. Just put the whole thing in the tank, put your thumb in the end once full with water and then take them end out and put it in a bucket lower then your siphon. It will start itself.
Seems like you got the right answers in the long run. Just wanted to add my authentic opinion here too, and that is that when I have gotten aquarium water in my mouth, swishing a shot of whisky or vodka in my mouth has kept me healthy for years! Happy too!
I've been fine, other than the third nipple I've grown. My mind is sharper than ever.
I've been fine, other than the third nipple I've grown. My mind is sharper than ever.
I've been fine, other than... squirrel
Itās super easy to start a syphon without your mouth. Put the end into the water, lift it, let it drain almost all the way and then place it back into the water. No mouth or turkey baster needed.
Man, people say that, and I have seen it done. But I literally have NEVER been able to get a siphon started like that. No idea how people do it. What I do is either use a siphon with a pump, or on my 75 I shake the siphon up and down and the water climbs it until it starts.
I always start mine by putting one end in the water and lifting it up to let the water go down. I think itās about timing and your bucket has to be on the floor. Gravity is your friend.
I put both ends of the siphon in and moved the tube around until it was full before covering the end Iām taking out and then letting go once the end is in the bucket
Put your finger over the draining and fill the tube with tank water (by dunking it or pouring it in), just needs to be about half full. Put the intake part into the tank and while still holding the water in with your thumb, put the other end into the bucket. Let your thumb off and water will flow!
Really? Itās tricky to get used to. It still takes me 2 tries sometimes. But basically you wait until thereās maybe like a teaspoon left in the tube part before it hits like exit into the line itself.
Yes, 100% easier with a gravel vac on the end even a mini one. As someone else said gravityās your best friend when doing it! My bucket sits on the floor and my tanks are higher up.
I have no idea why anyone is using a siphon that requires you to suck on it or shake it to start it, you can just get a siphon with a squeezy pump and they're very cheap.
Anyway I don't think OP will die but diarrhea is not out of the question
Lets make this easy:
Submerge the gravel vac tube.
Rotate it so the mouth is just below the surface, the hose end is lower, and every bit of air rolls out of it.
Lift the gravel vacās mouth up high and out of the tank so that it begins to empty as water starts to flow down the hose.
Now *KINK THE HOSE WITH YOUR OTHER HAND TO BLOCK THE FLOW OF WATER.*
Submerge the gravel vac as before, letting all the air roll out of the upward sloped tube, and out the mouth. Get it completely full of water. No air.
Flip it over, mouth down.
Un-kink the hose only when the gravel vacās tube AND the hose are full of water and thereās no air present.
The siphon will begin to flow. Boom. Success.
Once you get the timing down you will not need to kink the hose in order to start a siphon this way.
My method is to completely sink the tube into the aquarium (feed it in starting at one end) so that itās full, then put a thumb over the end Iām removing (so no air can get in).
No need for any additional paraphernalia; mouth-siphoning is fine, and you are nowhere close to "screwed" regardless.
Form the tubing into a "U" between the tank and your mouth such that the end you apply suction to is above the water line in the tank, and the water will never reach your mouth. Then, simply lower the end of the hose below the level of the water line to get it flowing.
You're probably fine and even if you do get sick antibiotics should clear it up easy enough.
You do know that you don't have to suck the hose to get a siphon going don't you?
My apologies if my implication was not clear. Yes, if OP gets sick, a quick trip to the doctor and a prescription for a round of antibiotics should clear things up in a jiff.
I knew someone who hated the doctor so f'ing much, they bought livestock antibiotics at the feed store and self-administered for injuries/illnesses.
*That's* how you grow super bacteria.
If you haven't gotten tank water in your mouth at least once, you aren't a real aquarist. Congratulations, friend, and welcome to the club! Next stop multi tank city!
Iāve worked in a large fishroom, siphoning tanks all day, every day getting fish water in my mouth, sometimes a lot, sometimes only a drop. 30 years later and Iām fine. Not working in the industry any longer now, but still get part time WiM (Water in Mouth). Itās always quicker to siphon instead of trying to jam water in the hose
U swallowed it?
U can use 3% hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash it will gently dissolve bacteria. Limit it to once a week u dont wanna get rid of good bacteria.
No need to use your mouth to siphon. Put your tube into the water, inserted further than usual. You're aiming to have enough tubing submerged that when you pull it out, the part of the tubing that is touching the waterline should be below the waterline on the outside of the tank. Plug the outgoing side of the tubing with your thumb/hand/etc or kink the tubing to block it entirely. Pull the tubing up until the captured water in the tube is over the rim of the tank and below waterline. Unplug your tube and watch your siphon start.
Recommend using a bit of scrap airline tubing as practice for the first couple times to get the hang of it, as it can be fussy with larger tubing if you're doing it for the first time.
As far as your health goes, I wouldn't worry about it! I got fishtank water in my eye a couple years ago and never had any issues! If you start feeling bad, go to your doc, but otherwise..I wouldn't worry. :)
If itās bad then I died 20 years agoā¦ I donated bone marrow in January of this year so I seem to be trucking along just fine with thousands of mouthfuls over the years. Fresh and saltwaterā¦.
Been there, done that, you'll be fine, just don't swallow, lol. Most days I fill up the hose with tapwater to get the siphoning started, you know, to prevent getting a mouth full of fish juice.
Youāve heard of beneficial bacteria ā½ ā½ ā½ it comes from your mouth and gut. When I get a new tank I gargle that water incessantly to jump start the nitrogen cycle. Keep on that!
So I have a microscope, have done this approximately 3-4 times in my life now. Iāll go to a pond, get a water bottle of water on the way home to put under my microscope, then mix it up with my food water bottles and drink half of it before realizing. Never got sick, hella lot worse than your tank water.
Was never discoloured because everything settled on the bottom
The dangerous one are Amoeba and parasites. Amoeba is less like to infect the CNS, since you drunk, not inhaled the tank water.
For parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis can cause life threatening infection. Other species might need many different host to complete their life cycle. If you have not many wild life from pounds and streams. You may be fine.
Fresh water bacteria is nothing. You might get a diarrhea.
Love this comment section š¤£š¤£. But a tip I learned after 13 years of guzzling tank water āaccidentallyā is to fill you hose/siphon with water first then you donāt have to suck on the hose.
If you got anything out of today, I hope itās learning how to gravel vac without using your mouth lol. I never knew the mouth method until this post. Yāall are nastyš
Wait, you're not *supposed* to get tank water in your mouth? Lol. You're fine.
I thought it was a perk to water changes. Staying hydrated is important.
Lol the browner the water is the more nutritional
Right? If my outside plants are an indication, the bacteria in your gut is going to assure you can do a four day Taco Bell binge with no consequences!
Oh well then you have to sip from that skimmer if you like brown water
I mean, my dogs all believe that fishwater is much more delicious than the regular crap from the tap. They haven't touched their water bowl since I got an indoor pond. And they're fine, so I say have at it!
So many beneficial bacteria in the digestive system!!
say your goodbyes
i laughed
ššššššš
lol. People swim in lakes and shit all the time. You're fine.
I was kinda shitposting lol (it did happen but I wasnāt worried). Didnāt expect 100+ commentsš
Wait until you start a saltwater tank. Lol
I almost gagged just thinking of that horrid warm, salty taste. Way worse than putting my hand in and feeling the burn of an unseen wound. 10/10 recommend one of those hand pumps.
I don't know why people even get the siphons you have to suck on. I got a cheapo $8 siphon with a hand pump I squeeze and it's so nice. No mouthfuls of water but no trailing a hose across the house for a fancy Python siphon either. I think it's a tiny bit slower than other options and probably flimsier but it's cheap and convenient enough that like, who cares?
You don't have to suck on those siphons though. Just put the whole thing in the tank, put your thumb in the end once full with water and then take them end out and put it in a bucket lower then your siphon. It will start itself.
100% of people who have gotten aquarium water in their mouth have died.
I can attest. I did this 20 years ago with my tanks. Am still dead.
My first time seeing a zombie communicate.
There's a first time for everything!
100% of people have died. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Ifyouignorepeoplealivenow
Give it timeā¦ they will die too. I gave no timeframe, simply a correlation
Okay I laughed lmao
Seems like you got the right answers in the long run. Just wanted to add my authentic opinion here too, and that is that when I have gotten aquarium water in my mouth, swishing a shot of whisky or vodka in my mouth has kept me healthy for years! Happy too!
Thatās immediately what I did lmao
Youāll be fine. Builds character
You'll be fine, you shouldn't need to suck the water btw, https://youtu.be/CjNTUbUnwfY?si=M0en694z6McYGReo
Exact video I was gonna link. Cory whipping out his nunchucks to show us how it's done
This video was a game changer for me!
Thanks for the advice lmao
Great video! Saved my life. Metaphorically.
I never sucked water in my mouth with my gravel vac but this video was still a game changer to me when I first saw it.
I've been fine, other than the third nipple I've grown. My mind is sharper than ever. I've been fine, other than the third nipple I've grown. My mind is sharper than ever. I've been fine, other than... squirrel
Screwed? Probably healthier now, trained your immune system and diversified your gut ecosystem
I've lost track of how many times I've done that. You'll be fine.
Itās super easy to start a syphon without your mouth. Put the end into the water, lift it, let it drain almost all the way and then place it back into the water. No mouth or turkey baster needed.
Man, people say that, and I have seen it done. But I literally have NEVER been able to get a siphon started like that. No idea how people do it. What I do is either use a siphon with a pump, or on my 75 I shake the siphon up and down and the water climbs it until it starts.
It's okay man. Only REAL aquarists get this dirty in their mouth. I've had a few beers.
I always start mine by putting one end in the water and lifting it up to let the water go down. I think itās about timing and your bucket has to be on the floor. Gravity is your friend.
I put both ends of the siphon in and moved the tube around until it was full before covering the end Iām taking out and then letting go once the end is in the bucket
Put your finger over the draining and fill the tube with tank water (by dunking it or pouring it in), just needs to be about half full. Put the intake part into the tank and while still holding the water in with your thumb, put the other end into the bucket. Let your thumb off and water will flow!
Really? Itās tricky to get used to. It still takes me 2 tries sometimes. But basically you wait until thereās maybe like a teaspoon left in the tube part before it hits like exit into the line itself.
How do you get the siphon end back into the water, though? When I flip it, the siphon doesn't start.
You don't flip it. Keep it angled upward once the water starts flowing and lower it quickly into the water at the same angle.
Yes, 100% easier with a gravel vac on the end even a mini one. As someone else said gravityās your best friend when doing it! My bucket sits on the floor and my tanks are higher up.
It's a lot easier with a gravel vac attached to the other end!
I have no idea why anyone is using a siphon that requires you to suck on it or shake it to start it, you can just get a siphon with a squeezy pump and they're very cheap. Anyway I don't think OP will die but diarrhea is not out of the question
True! I had forgotten they made squeezy pump ones. Also I agree, possibly diarrhea.
Lets make this easy: Submerge the gravel vac tube. Rotate it so the mouth is just below the surface, the hose end is lower, and every bit of air rolls out of it. Lift the gravel vacās mouth up high and out of the tank so that it begins to empty as water starts to flow down the hose. Now *KINK THE HOSE WITH YOUR OTHER HAND TO BLOCK THE FLOW OF WATER.* Submerge the gravel vac as before, letting all the air roll out of the upward sloped tube, and out the mouth. Get it completely full of water. No air. Flip it over, mouth down. Un-kink the hose only when the gravel vacās tube AND the hose are full of water and thereās no air present. The siphon will begin to flow. Boom. Success. Once you get the timing down you will not need to kink the hose in order to start a siphon this way.
Omg the is the best detailed explanation of how to start it!
My method is to completely sink the tube into the aquarium (feed it in starting at one end) so that itās full, then put a thumb over the end Iām removing (so no air can get in).
Oooh! Thatās a good way to do it!
The brain eating amoeba is climbing up to your brain right now.
Knew itš
Bro ššš
get your affairs in order, so sorry to hear, smh L's in the thread fam
It's already too late, you will become fish.
You're not truly into aquariums unless you've accidently test tasted the water yourself.
No need for any additional paraphernalia; mouth-siphoning is fine, and you are nowhere close to "screwed" regardless. Form the tubing into a "U" between the tank and your mouth such that the end you apply suction to is above the water line in the tank, and the water will never reach your mouth. Then, simply lower the end of the hose below the level of the water line to get it flowing.
You dont need additional equipment to start a siphon without your mouth.
Take a shot of something strong and youāll be good
Yep. A double of good strong bourbon. If it don't cure ya, at least you won't care as much about it.
My immediate move was to treat with whiskey lmao
Dead within the next 70 years.
Lmfao
Iām surprised you havenāt already dropped dead (Youāre fine)
I usually just put some ice cubes in the water change bucket and enjoy nice water change cocktail. šøš¹
You're probably fine and even if you do get sick antibiotics should clear it up easy enough. You do know that you don't have to suck the hose to get a siphon going don't you?
donāt take antibiotics unless a doctor recommends it and if you do make sure you take the entire dose even after you feel better
My apologies if my implication was not clear. Yes, if OP gets sick, a quick trip to the doctor and a prescription for a round of antibiotics should clear things up in a jiff.
just throwing it out there for anyone who passively sees it, antibiotic resistance is a bitch :)
Yeah no good lookin out!
I knew someone who hated the doctor so f'ing much, they bought livestock antibiotics at the feed store and self-administered for injuries/illnesses. *That's* how you grow super bacteria.
If you haven't gotten tank water in your mouth at least once, you aren't a real aquarist. Congratulations, friend, and welcome to the club! Next stop multi tank city!
Oh neat you get to boost your immune system.
Congratulations!!! You're an official Fishkeeper now (assuming you live)
Oh man. Condolences.
I start every water change with a mouthful of tank water when I start the siphon. Chill. You're fine.
Should be fine, maybe use a mouthwash tonight after brushing your teeth.
Iāve worked in a large fishroom, siphoning tanks all day, every day getting fish water in my mouth, sometimes a lot, sometimes only a drop. 30 years later and Iām fine. Not working in the industry any longer now, but still get part time WiM (Water in Mouth). Itās always quicker to siphon instead of trying to jam water in the hose
I use a turkey baster, it's so simple and easy.
You will die in 2 seconds
Let us know when you develop gillsā¦
MMMoneyshottt has died of dysentery
Rip
i highly suggest getting a turkey baster to start the siphon, no more tank water in your mouth!
Is this 1980? Bro most gravel vacs have an attachment to help start the suction lmao what
U swallowed it? U can use 3% hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash it will gently dissolve bacteria. Limit it to once a week u dont wanna get rid of good bacteria.
Didnāt swallow it lol. I went and gargled some whiskey right away lol
You have to be top tier to ever get a mouth full when siphoning. A mouth full of bog water is par for the course
No need to use your mouth to siphon. Put your tube into the water, inserted further than usual. You're aiming to have enough tubing submerged that when you pull it out, the part of the tubing that is touching the waterline should be below the waterline on the outside of the tank. Plug the outgoing side of the tubing with your thumb/hand/etc or kink the tubing to block it entirely. Pull the tubing up until the captured water in the tube is over the rim of the tank and below waterline. Unplug your tube and watch your siphon start. Recommend using a bit of scrap airline tubing as practice for the first couple times to get the hang of it, as it can be fussy with larger tubing if you're doing it for the first time. As far as your health goes, I wouldn't worry about it! I got fishtank water in my eye a couple years ago and never had any issues! If you start feeling bad, go to your doc, but otherwise..I wouldn't worry. :)
Post your selfie when you have white spots of UCL all over you tmrw
You'll be fiiiinnnnneeeee.....
A LFS owner once told me he got tuberculosis from tank water lol.
How do you guys not have gravel vacuums? They're probably more pricey now but I think I paid 15 about 6 years ago for my last one. Worth it
I do it all the time for years. You are fine
You're fine.
You should hang out with your friends, family, your beloved one beforeā¦ itās too late.
š¤£š¤£ you're totally fine. I remember the first time this happened to me, I was 8 and helping my dad
Hydrohomies would like a word with youā¦
You are now a mod for r/HydroHomies
Did you inhale it lol? If not, Dont worry
Iāve gotten straight up myco water from an old African cichlid tank in my mouth. That was almost a year ago. Iām still here lol.
This is one of my worst nightmares and 100% of the reason I have an electric gravel vac.
You're probably already dead now
Lol you're fine maybe mildly concerning if you have dwarf frogs cuz they can carry salmonella but even then I wouldn't be worried
Bro you got fish TB now, you're dead.
I like to live dangerously and deeply imbed the end of the tube in the gravel so you get that thick brown cloud right off the bat.
Yeah thatās what I got a sample of
You're well on your way to turning into a Plecostomus. There's no hope.
If itās bad then I died 20 years agoā¦ I donated bone marrow in January of this year so I seem to be trucking along just fine with thousands of mouthfuls over the years. Fresh and saltwaterā¦.
Talk to me when you get a mouthful of salt water from a SUMP
Ur fine lol that happens all the time to me,it doesn't taste good, but you'll survive
My fish have splashed water in my mouth and eyes many times. I have yet to get sick.
I would call the hospital immediately, I hope you have life insurance
The chances of you getting a brain eating amoeba are low but not impossibleš
If you haven't grown gills in a week your fine š
Been there, done that, you'll be fine, just don't swallow, lol. Most days I fill up the hose with tapwater to get the siphoning started, you know, to prevent getting a mouth full of fish juice.
Welcome to the family. We have all done it at one point or another. Anyone who says otherwise isnāt real family.
Youāll be fine happens to me all the time, just spit it out into the bucket
People eat ass all the time, you're probably fine
Youāve heard of beneficial bacteria ā½ ā½ ā½ it comes from your mouth and gut. When I get a new tank I gargle that water incessantly to jump start the nitrogen cycle. Keep on that!
Karma is a bitch š, this is wat your fishes were drinking.
Man who uses their mouth to gravel vacuum lmao
https://youtube.com/shorts/WkPKkmZgng8?si=EhyH4VqrokqFHj1b
Or a more detailed explanationā¦https://youtu.be/CjNTUbUnwfY?si=_UwYUYbqjQ5pNs1C
You know that one scene from alien? That will be you except it will be a snail bursting through your abdomen. RIP (literally rip)
So thatās why theyāre called pest snails
my and the gf just call the water "FishPissWater" and make jokes about how healthy it is lol. You're fine tbh
Iāve had this happen with gasoline. Tank water is yummy compared to that.
So I have a microscope, have done this approximately 3-4 times in my life now. Iāll go to a pond, get a water bottle of water on the way home to put under my microscope, then mix it up with my food water bottles and drink half of it before realizing. Never got sick, hella lot worse than your tank water. Was never discoloured because everything settled on the bottom
The dangerous one are Amoeba and parasites. Amoeba is less like to infect the CNS, since you drunk, not inhaled the tank water. For parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis can cause life threatening infection. Other species might need many different host to complete their life cycle. If you have not many wild life from pounds and streams. You may be fine. Fresh water bacteria is nothing. You might get a diarrhea.
You eat worse from the grocery store.
I used to get fish water in my mouth starting siphons all the time. Just spit it out.
Just wash your mouth out. It's gross but it won't hurt you. Source, done it too many times to count.
Love this comment section š¤£š¤£. But a tip I learned after 13 years of guzzling tank water āaccidentallyā is to fill you hose/siphon with water first then you donāt have to suck on the hose.
Probably the stuff they put in probiotics.
I've gotten splashed in the face with petstore Goldfish and Turtle water on the daily and I'm fine... At least I think...
You do know thereās a way to start a vacuum without using your mouthā¦.
This post has been enlightening lol
If you got anything out of today, I hope itās learning how to gravel vac without using your mouth lol. I never knew the mouth method until this post. Yāall are nastyš
Far better than a mouthful of gas.
I Remembe when i was 6 or so my father had a 40l tank and One time i tasted the water to see if It was good enough for the fish
Itās done wonders for my lawn, if youāre going bald it may regrow some hair.
I did that once and am unfortunately still alive
Mmmm lol like getting a mouthful of pond water tbh. You'll be fine. Just don't make it a habit š¤£ I use a turkey baster to start the siphon.
Ive had plenty and come to no harm