Many times we have chemicals in our home environment, cleaning solvents, mishandled aquarium apparatus, even paint used on a house or fence across the way.  The fact is that your aquarium is affected by the environment in your home and in your life.  It is important to change your life routines to make an aquarium safe for your fish.

If you have ever had a dog or a cat, you don’t hesitate to change the way you store chemicals around your home.


  Having fish as pets is no different, if you commit to having fish and maintaining a healthy aquarium environment, there are certain precautions that must be taken.

The presence of paint (even if it is a house next door being painted, or deck being varnished), varnish, strong bath salts, cigarettes, cigars, disinfectants, DDT, strong smelling oil-containing matter, some kitchen smells, exterminator chemicals, any aerosol spray, are definitely potentially harmful. 

A scientific fact is that water absorbs some of these foreign elements to the distress of your fish.  Other foreign elements contain oil like substances that coat the top of the water in the tank and make a scum that is a barrier to the free exchange of oxygen into the aquarium environment.  The importance of this point can be underlined by the following list of examples that are of concern to the healthy life of your pet fish and the environment they live in:

1. Aerosol Sprays Near the Aquarium: An aquarium in a bathroom where strong aerosol cans are sprayed (hair spray, deodorant, cologne to mention a few) epically if Dettol is in the spray, the fish will likely fall ill within 10 days.  The solution is a complete cover hood, and closed filtration system so no residue from the aerosol spray can fall directly into the water. 

1. Improperly Purified Hands:  If you are baking in the kitchen, working on the car, or tinkering in the basement with a project, never use your hands to feed fish, or put your hands in any contact with the aquarium’s body of water or the equipment that goes into the aquarium at some time.  If you have filled your car or lawnmower with gasoline or oil, you have residue of the petroleum on your hands, if you even pick up fish food with bare hands, and the residue gets on the food and then in the aquarium, this simple act can kill your fish.  The same goes for cleaning fluids, glue, even cooking grease.  The solution is to thoroughly clean your hands, and make sure not to have soap residue on your hands; this too is deadly to your fish.  Use the smell test, if there is any odor what so ever on your hands, stay away from touching the aquarium. 
2. Wood Polish Dangers:  If you have wood or parquet flooring or wonderful wood furniture, make a point not to use aerosol spray polish, the chemicals contained within spray type polish is deadly to aquarium fish.  Make sure to have a complete cover on both the aquarium and the filtration system.  If there is a strong presence of “polish odor” in the room, this is not healthy for your aquarium.  If you can smell a chemical, it is a particulate that can penetrate or coat the surface of your aquarium and effect your aquarium environment.
3. Properly Wash Hands:  One more time, do not wash your hands with heavily scented soaps, scent = particulates that can enter your aquarium environment.  When you wash your hands before putting them in the aquarium, use unscented soap and rinse your hands, wrists and forearms thoroughly.  The best solution to this problem is to put your hands in the aquarium as little as possible.  Get aquarium equipment designed to rearrange plants and décor without putting your hands within the aquarium environment.  Remember, we wash our hands, but this is not enough if you don’t wash and thoroughly rinse your wrists and forearms as well.
4. Dangers of Air Fresheners: One thing we forget is that sweet smelling air freshener that is sprayed, or the solid air freshener plugged into the wall is releasing particulate matter into the air.  An open surface area of aquarium water will absorb this particulate matter (the part you smell).  Depending on the chemicals involved, this simple act can cause sickness or death.  At very least it will make your pet fish uncomfortable.

The solution to all of these problems is a covered aquarium environment.  A simple full aquarium hood and a filtration system with a cover on the filtering compartment should do the trick.  This simple step will lessen the damage our every day home environment can cause.  We want the best for our pets, and fish are your pets, they are each individual living creature and deserve the best protections from harmful elements that you can provide.

Enjoy your aquarium pets, help them be playful and active by paying attention to their environment.  Make it chemical free, give them hiding places, feed them well and keep their water clean and free of odor.  If you encounter problems, come back to D106 and I will do my best to help your aquarium thrive.  I love fish and I want you to grow with the hobby.  I want you to have all the information at your fingertips to create a happy healthy aquarium community for you and your family.