My fish tank gave me pneumonia

[AmyKieran]

Hi there,

I was replacing my filter wool in my filters yesterday (207 and 1000ef)

The 207 went back in great, siphon started straight away and filter turned back on. The 1000ef lost its siphon and hence needed primed again, it has a priming button but I find it never works. So now the good old method of a suck on the pipe is in order.

I give my outlet pipe I huge suck and nothing happened (or so I thought). So I thought ‘must not have sucked hard enough, I’ll suck it harder’ and so I did. To now a huge mouthful of fish water and all chemicals in my water straight into my lungs. The filter had started filling but there was noise in my living room so I couldn’t hear it.

Since that point during the day I developed a terrible cough and couldn’t breath/talk, which I thought was temporary so I went with it. Until later on in the evening when I finally contacted 111 (healthcare provider in uk) who immediately sent me out an emergency ambulance. The paramedic team arrived and did all necessary checks and recommended I go to hospital immediately but there was an 18 hour wait to see a doctor and would probably be better to just wait til GP opens in the morning.

This morning I got an appointment straight away and was examined by the doctor. Apparently I have ‘aspiration pneumonia’ and needed an emergency X-ray on my chest (which I had within an hour) and a course of the strongest antibiotics the surgery could prescribe.

Still feeling terrible today and starting to cough up mucous. The doctor said that if my symptoms don’t change or I get any worse I need to be admitted into hospital.

Thought ide share to keep my kind active while my whole body hurts.

Stay safe sucking pipes

- Kieran

 

[Guyb93]

Done that loads of times to be fair it’s not great ahaha lucky not salt water apparently as small as a table spoon of salt water in your lung can kill you

 

[AmyKieran]

Done that loads of times to be fair it’s not great ahaha lucky not salt water apparently as small as a table spoon of salt water in your lung can kill you

I add salt to my water, but nowhere near enough for it to be considered saltwater lol

 

[Rocky998]

Thats insane! I hope you het better!
I personally have not had the pleasure of tasting aquarium water but I did accidentally get a big wiff of infusoria water and that burned out my nose for the rest of the day .

And do us a favor, try not to suck on aquarium pipe things

 

[AmyKieran]

Thats insane! I hope you het better!
I personally have not had the pleasure of tasting aquarium water but I did accidentally get a big wiff of infusoria water and that burned out my nose for the rest of the day .

And do us a favor, try not to suck on aquarium pipe things

I’ll try not haha it’s my 1000ef, I find never keeps the siphon very well

 

[Deleted member 149562]

When you service the filters do you re-attach empty....sounds like you are doing, maybe

I always made sure to refill my canister with bottled water before fixing the top back on and re-attaching the hoses. No re-priming required when the canister is full of water instead of empty air. Once all re-attached, opened the hose locks and there was little or no air trapped, so no priming required.

Give it a try next time...fill to the brim before locking the top down and opening the hoses.

Don't suck...only blow when doing things with aquariums.....and stand well back when cleaning the hoses with bottle brush....poo in the eye is not pleasant....as I know from experience

Take it easy

 

[AmyKieran]

When you service the filters do you re-attach empty....sounds like you are doing, maybe

I always made sure to refill my canister with bottled water before fixing the top back on and re-attaching the hoses. No re-priming required when the canister is full of water instead of empty air. Once all re-attached, opened the hose locks and there was little or no air trapped, so no priming required.

Give it a try next time...fill to the brim before locking the top down and opening the hoses.

Don't suck...only blow when doing things with aquariums.....and stand well back when cleaning the hoses with bottle brush....poo in the eye is not pleasant....as I know from experience

Take it easy

Thankyou yes I normally find it easier doing it with the canister empty but I’ll give a go with it full next time


Thanks

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Thankyou yes I normally find it easier doing it with the canister empty but I’ll give a go with it full next time


Thanks

Once you have done the media, refill right as high as you can, then lock the top down and refill again via the hose inlet/outlet holes before re-attaching the hoses and opening them back up.

Stand the canister in the sink cos when you reattach and lock down the top and then top up via the hose holes it will dribble and then place the entire thing in a washing up bowl or similar, carry back to the aquarium then lock down the hoses it may dribble a bit, hence the bowl...that is fine as it stops any air getting trapped so priming should not be required at all.

I used to have the same issues with Tetra EX800 til I decided to refill everything before turning back on and it worked for me....since most canisters run in the same sort of way, it should work on you APS EF1000 too.

 

[Guyb93]

When you service the filters do you re-attach empty....sounds like you are doing, maybe

I always made sure to refill my canister with bottled water before fixing the top back on and re-attaching the hoses. No re-priming required when the canister is full of water instead of empty air. Once all re-attached, opened the hose locks and there was little or no air trapped, so no priming required.

Give it a try next time...fill to the brim before locking the top down and opening the hoses.

Don't suck...only blow when doing things with aquariums.....and stand well back when cleaning the hoses with bottle brush....poo in the eye is not pleasant....as I know from experience

Take it easy

Isn’t bottled water treated and full of chlorine and chloramine ?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Isn’t bottled water treated and full of chlorine and chloramine ?

Not the bottled water I buy. I only use bottled spring mineral water such as Evian or Highland Spring

Sainsburys and other supermarkets sell bottled water for a few pence per litre that is tap water and does need to be dechlorinated....but spring mineral water doesn't need it.

 

[Guyb93]

Not the bottled water I buy. I only use bottled spring mineral water such as Evian or Highland Spring

Sainsburys and other supermarkets sell bottled water for a few pence per litre that is tap water and does need to be dechlorinated....but spring mineral water doesn't need it.

I automatically assumed that all commercial water was treated just to be safe even natural volcanic springs can’t be regulated and classified safe without treating , I’d be curious to buy different bottled water and chlorine test each one to see the variation

 

[GaryE]

That really sucks.

I've managed all the siphons here without putting my mouth on anything for years. I attach my refill hose to the inlet on canisters, underwater, and have finally managed to escape the endless battles with Fluval priming. For regular changes, I just submerge both ends of the siphon, cap one with my thumb and only release when it's lower than the one that's stayed submerged.

I had aspiration pneumonia once, caused by a sinus infection, and you have all my solidarity. I keep reading British politicians who seem to like the buzzword "aspirational", but I don't think their concept involves mbuna tanks. Hang in there, take care and I hope you feel better soon.

Bottled water is probably different in different countries/legal systems. Here, one of the big brand name transnational companies had a lawsuit with a municipality up in the mountains because they were taking all the chlorinated tap water directly outside the treatment plant and refusing to pay for it. It was just treated tapwater from a mountain town with springs around it. Nice town though, I guess.

 

[Alice B]

Done that loads of times to be fair it’s not great ahaha lucky not salt water apparently as small as a table spoon of salt water in your lung can kill you

I never got the saltwater in my lungs, but what I tasted out of my reef tank made me learn a new way to start a siphon..

It is good to know about aspiration pneumonia, hope you feel better soon

 

[Back in the fold]

I drink a little fish water almost every week. It's good for you. I judge the health of my tanks by the taste and smell.

 

[Guyb93]

I drink a little fish water almost every week. It's good for you. I judge the health of my tanks by the taste and smell.

I often smell my tank because I agree you can smell the difference in water once your used to it as for tasing iv done it before to prove a point that my water is as clean as tap water but not gonna lie there was alcohol involved