Aquarium Child & Pet Safety: What are you doing to stay safe?

revhtree · Dec 28, 2020

Hello friends and happy Monday!

I have been thinking more and more about aquarium safety when it comes to children and pets. I don't have any young children living in my house so it hasn't been too much of a concern for me but lately it's becoming more and more of a thought for me because of my dog, Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bingley loves it when we go feed the fish. He'll beat me down the stairs and to the tank and as I'm preparing the food or even working on stuff in the tank he'll roam around and sniff things. I have a tank room so more things are out in the open and I don't want him "tasting" something he shouldn't be tasting! So can we talk about this today?

1. What are some concerns you have when it comes to kids and pets and your aquarium?

2. What are some safety "protocols" you have in place to safeguard against an accident happening that involves kids or pets?

image via @mykidsclownfish

MarshallB · Dec 28, 2020

I have a completely enclosed system due to a cat that loved jumping on top of my freshwater tank to paw at the fish through the lid cutouts for the filtration. Made sure to have a canopy over the salt water tank.

My stand has 2 doors with the handles near each other. When kids come over I have some small chain that I link together to prevent the doors from being opened. There is also about 3-4 inches of space between the back of the tank and the wall which I have enclosed with some wood to prevent any animals or children from reaching all the electrical wires and outlets.

andrewkw · Dec 28, 2020

I just had a rabbitfish jump from my frag tank. Obviously any fish can jump but I am so glad my cats did not hear him flopping around and try and play with him and get stung. I had him for 13 months in my frag tank and I had been toying with adding him to my display but never got around to it

James210ReefLife · Dec 28, 2020

Grandson and cat. Taught G to help me from when he could barely walk. and 4 years later he only goes under the hood when I'm home. He will pull a chair over and scrape the glass for me.

DeniseAndy · Dec 28, 2020

I began keeping reef systems when my first son was 6m old. After the twins were born, just more hands to help. I guess I let them explore the water in changes and watch what I did. I told them what not to do and how to help. They were pretty good.
My dogs were different. They loved to drink the water change water and try to steal anything they could while I was not looking.

Now, it is just a standard in the house and kids do not touch anything or even try to help

Current dog will steal stuff, but mostly buckets or cleaning tools. Anything I do not notice him grabbing. Usually he is good as the sump and all fishy stuff is in the basement and he only has access when we go down
.
The main system is on the main floor, but not an easy system to get into as it is tall and large. Plus all cords and other stuff is out of reach.

Clownfish_Boy · Dec 28, 2020

I have a 24 year old autistic son who is mentally like an 18 month old. One time he dumped a bowl of potato chips into the tank and fouled the water and everything in it so bad I had to break it down, clean everything, and set it up all over again.

DeniseAndy · Dec 28, 2020

Clownfish_Boy said:
I have a 24 year old autistic son who is mentally like an 18 month old. One time he dumped a bowl of potato chips into the tank and fouled the water and everything in it so bad I had to break it down and set it up all over again.

You will have to get a AIO type system with a locked hood. Although, like many kids, they will find a way. Does he like watching the fish and inverts? Maybe try to work on proper behavior around the system.
I have worked with a few autistic kids. They are definitely wonderful once you break their code and form a bond.

Clownfish_Boy · Dec 28, 2020

He seems to like the aquarium; he smudges the glass sometimes. He's smart, he seems to realize that he made a big mess of things and has not put anything into the tank since. I put a couple of knickknacks on top of the cover hatches and so far no problem.

nereefpat · Dec 28, 2020

2 young kids, but they don't have access since the tank is behind a wall.

Subtropic Reefer · Dec 28, 2020

revhtree said:
Hello friends and happy Monday!

I have been thinking more and more about aquarium safety when it comes to children and pets. I don't have any young children living in my house so it hasn't been too much of a concern for me but lately it's becoming more and more of a thought for me because of my dog, Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bingley loves it when we go feed the fish. He'll beat me down the stairs and to the tank and as I'm preparing the food or even working on stuff in the tank he'll roam around and sniff things. I have a tank room so more things are out in the open and I don't want him "tasting" something he shouldn't be tasting! So can we talk about this today?

1. What are some concerns you have when it comes to kids and pets and your aquarium?

2. What are some safety "protocols" you have in place to safeguard against an accident happening that involves kids or pets?

image via @mykidsclownfish

I am a kid and take care of my on reef. Well I’d say more like a teen. (I’m in middle school.) my dog could have access but I keep the door locked. So I think it is fine. All my chemicals and food are stored in a cabinet with handles a dog can’t open.

AnotherReefHobbyist · Dec 28, 2020

3 cats, two of them kittens, I keep the tank and the cats safe by having my lizard near the tank, they care much more for my lizard than for the fish. Although the lizard cage has already been replaced after only a year of having it due to........ difficulties as far as the lid not collapsing goes. ( the lizard and cats are both okay)

Kellie in CA · Dec 28, 2020

I had my tank stand built high and extremely sturdy. My daughter is only 5, but she knows that she is not supposed to touch. She's pretty good about it.

Kinjirra · Dec 28, 2020

Daughter 8, a cat and two dogs. Lid on the tank and location helps will keep animals from getting in...cant do much if a fish finds a hole and commits seppuku however. As i've learned about the hobby I've in turn taught my daughter about it. So she knows what to do and what not too.... Surprisingly this has gotten her into bearded dragons(LFS is a reptile place as well) so now she cares for her own exotic pet.

sfin52 · Dec 28, 2020

Lids on my tanks. Kids are not a concern since they are older. (Teens). Our cat is another matter before tops our cat nemo scooped out coral and marlin. In fact she got 4 clowns before I figured out was happening. The last one she left a paw print. Glass tops solved that.

revhtree · Dec 28, 2020

Great input so far!

TriggerFinger · Dec 28, 2020

I have a nearly 4 year old and a 1 year old; my tank is in the basement behind a door for their protection. My daughter loves the tank and she doesn’t “mess around” with it. She helps feed the fish, hold hoses, screw caps on my water containers, flips power strip switches for me, etc. Chemicals, food, tools and supplies are all out of reach. Little man is a climber and is very sneaky so I don’t take him down in the basement if I have to do maintenance tasks; only for feeding. He would be in my observation tank or sump quicker than a flash. The entire back of my stand is open to my sump so he .cannot. be trusted for a millisecond. My dog; she’s older (9) and isn’t interested in going down the basement steps anymore.

kelp47 · Dec 28, 2020

My little boy will be 3 next month. I've kept the doors on the cabinet locked with child safety locks. The new tank doesn't have them yet, and I'm trying to get a feel for whether or not I will need to. I will if it seems too tempting still. The major electrical components are hidden. I've intentionally decided not to include any kind animals/corals that are toxic, just in case.

The one thing I'm a little unsure about is whether I should ancor the stand to the wall. I'm not sure if it could be pulled over, and hoping the word "no" will suffice. It's a 32 gallon on a 36" stand. Does anyone else ancor?

Auquanut · Dec 28, 2020

kelp47 said:
The one thing I'm a little unsure about is whether I should ancor the stand to the wall. I'm not sure if it could be pulled over, and hoping the word "no" will suffice. It's a 32 gallon on a 36" stand. Does anyone else ancor?

If you're the least bit unsure, anchor. If for nothing else, just the peace of mind. All of our kids are grown, but we have 2 book cases and 2 curio cabinets that are anchored for the grandkids.

I don't childproof the tanks. I don't keep any chemicals or wiring within reach of the grandkids, and I try to stay close when they're over.

We've got 3 dogs, and the schnauzer is fascinated with the sump of my 125. Likes to help do maintenance. I'm sure one of these days I'll turn my back with the cabinet doors open, and Merlin will get a belly full of sump water.

ca1ore · Dec 28, 2020

I always anchored the tanks stand to the wall so there was no chance of curious hands pulling anything down. Aquarium related chemicals treated like any other household chemicals. I also but screens on my light rack so that my kids could not look directly into the lights.

DivingTheWorld · Dec 28, 2020

We’ve always had a fish tank and our current one was set up when our kids were just a couple years old. We were very lucky and our kids never got into things. We’d tell them once and they wouldn’t test us. “No touching Daddy’s fish tank.” We never had child safety locks or gates or any of that stuff. Good kids!