Now common sense suggests that one unplug aquarium equipment before fiddling with it. Installing GFI outlets where possible and flat out banning open heaters from near the fish, also is wise. Indeed there is now a whole generation of electric heaters with the heating element enclosed in a sealed reservoir of oil which is a lot more realistic than the old style, cheaper, electric heaters which cause far too many, tragic fires, every winter around here.

Just thinking ahead about what to do if a tank drops and being careful around glass will prevent a lot of grief and rehab at the medical center. Cleaning a cut with hydrogen peroxide and staying out of the water until the scratch heals will avoid all manner of infection.

Several acquaintances were recently dismayed to discover that the Darwin Awards are a Web Hoax. (Not that such a revelation stopped the publication of the book.) There is no reason to begin the Stupid Aquarist Awards.

Heard a new possible threat to aquarists a while back. Evidentially it is better to wash gravel or sand outside, perhaps on a windy day so airborne particles are carried away. The dust from that stuff, though one would have to wash a LOT of gravel and shove their face in the cloud which rises from dry gravel, could theoretically help one to a case of silicosis.

It used to be a joke that breathing is harmful to one's health.

Silicosis? Well maybe. It's an affliction which too many miners, and, I think, a glass worker I know, have had to endure when their lungs get crippled by the stuff in the air. It is known in different levels as Acute silicosis; Chronic silicosis; Accelerated silicosis; Progressive massive fibrosis; and Conglomerate silicosis.

These all sound awful. So a brief search turned up symptoms. Among the signs: Coughing (nope), Shortness of breath (yep), weight loss (well never mind). So it's not likely an issue for an aquarist.

Never the less, even if it is not a real likelihood, it makes sense to not go out of one's way to snort gravel dust.

See also
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000134.htm

There was a perceived need, last week, for some more gravel and we found a 100-pound bag of red flint for $22. Since 5 pound bags cost about $5 locally and the 10 and 50 pound bags also are a lot more expensive per pound, out came the checkbook. A bright and fit, oh yes and attractive, young lady plunked the bag on her hand truck and we loaded it into the trunk.

Last week it was colder than an ex-fiancée's smile. It is the middle of November after all. The bag was toted across the lawn. A couple five-gallon buckets and the hose were rustled up.

A handy tool for washing gravel has been a 30-year old steel framed and meshed colander, which naturally couldn't be found. A heavy duty, new, green net was substituted for it. 10 to 20 pounds of gravel was poured into a bucket of water, sloshed, drained into the garden or under the shrubs (which can use a good watering at the onset of winter anyway) filled and decanted again. As the water rose in the bucket a third time, small quantities of the gravel were netted up, directly rinsed and dumped in the other bucket. It took longer because the net would have been in danger of breaking if colander-sized dollops were processed.

If the day had been a little bit colder, a cheap pair of surgical gloves would have been worn. If one's hands are dry, quite a bit of cold weather can be endured doing fishy stuff.

Despite the near freezing temperatures, 60-70 pounds of the gravel could be comfortably rinsed and the dust safely washed away. Neither breathing problems (yet) nor frostbite were experienced. It may seem odd to take a whole bucket (actually two buckets) to store washed gravel, but one may need it setting up new tanks and plants. It is harder to rinse indoors later in the winter and awkward explaining clogged drains to family members.

The next day, a couple of renewed tanks were to be set up. And fish were to be moved to those more spacious quarters, after water, gravel and floating plants were added.

Before that could happen, Mr. Fix-it here had cut one hand in a couple of places with a box knife while trimming floor tile. He then managed to clumsily get caught by the tile cutter (basically a fast moving, heavy-duty, paper cutter with an attitude) and nearly sever the tip of his thumb on the other hand. His wife began addressing him as Nick.

After the unscheduled visit to a medical center for a few strategic stitches, a couple of aspirin and a quick night's sleep, it was finish the tile cutting and laying; trim the kitchen; and on to those fish tanks. Using the net to lay out the gravel in four tanks and cut open milk jugs to transfer water from established tanks, the new tanks were set up, largely without getting the dressings on the hands wet or anything infected.

Another time, common sense on the home improvement front can be considered. ;)