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

[Gtinnel]

My kids are old enough (12) to know better than to do anything stupid to the aquarium. I do have a cat that would love to get on top of my lids so I have to make sure not to keep anything close enough to that tank that he can jump from it onto the top of the tank.

 

[josvanmeer]

My two kids are 7 and 4 and already are educated about most things pertaining to the tank and livestock. If you educate them, and they are interested, and raise them well, they should never want to do any harm to the tank or understand they shouldn't mess with it. Mine don't. They know I take care of it, and all they do is enjoy the tank by staring at it from time to time. I answer all of their questions that they have. I don't treat my kids like they don't know anything, they are just as smart as I am, and learn anything as long as you teach them.

 

[nukemdanno]

Just the dogs now...however when my kids were young everything got locked including the sump. I was a much safer reefer then lol

 

[Crotalus]

Having grand kids in the house is why I don't own something like a Lionfish.

 

[sp1187]

grandson that lives in state is old (12) enough not to create me any issues. he likes to look, but has no interest in what's going on behind the scenes.

Have 2 dogs. the lab has no interest in any of it.
Gizmo is my water change assistant. actually he's my shadow, my velcro child and has to be where ever I am.

 

[New&no clue]

I have a two-year-old, a five-year-old, and a dog, and I don't do much of anything. The dog likes to drink the water in the sump if I have the cabinet door open, so I try to keep it shut. My kids look at it occasionally, but honestly, they are more entertained by the fresh water tank at the doctor's office and think that one looks "cooler." My kids are soooo lame

 

[Jose Berry]

I’ve got a toddler and 2 small dogs. The dogs never bother the tank, my son on the other hand was going into my tank via the doors. A few smack on the bottom and no touching talks he’s left the doors alone. Actually if he sees them open he closes them for me. I’ve caught him throwing things at my tank (acrylic) it only took one throw to realize dad does not play and I move fast.

 

[Tmtdvm]

I have a lot of issues regarding both. My main display tank is behind the reception desk at the veterinary hospital. Dander and hair are always an issue with it accumulating on the lights and on top of the tank. I had a screen made for the top in order to help.

I do not allow the staff to spray any aerosols in this area. We have to disinfect the hospital and surfaces multiple times (with strong quartinary ammonia) a day but I have everyone wipe down surfaces and mop so that it does not affect the reef tank. To decrease traffic near the tank and human contact I placed it near the back wall where everyone can see and enjoy the corals and fish but limited access. I’m pretty strict regarding the tank and only one of my staff members is knowledgeable enough that I feel safe having her handle the tank if I’m gone. My staff looks at the tank daily and notifies me if anything is going on with any of the fish or corals. They even know (based on minimal sound) if the skimmer or filter socks need changing. It’s nice having a team to help me out with the reef tank and it truly does provide relaxation and stress reduction at the hospital.

 

[Martin Turrubiates]

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 have a godson that’s three and a parrot that’s as smart as a 5 year old so I have a custom built stand with a canopy enclosed top with magnetic child locks you can’t open anything without using a magnet I got the magnetic child locks from Amazon since my sump is 30 gallons the last thing I need is my godson crawling into it or my parrot biting my lighting wires he also loves watching the tank so now it’s pet and child proof

 

[VR28man]

[digression]

i've been doing this too long. When I first read the email that linked to the thread, my mental bias made me think it was talking about Cichlid safety.......

[/digression]

 

[EvanDeVita]

Only thing is my cat- she loves watching my fish and sometimes terrorizes them by leaping at the glass... a mesh cover keeps her out

 

[CanuckReefer]

We have always had dogs...Newfoundlands, my most recent girl just passed in early December sadly. She was super low key so no worries with her. But a few of these posts have me thinking on installing a clasp on my stand doors to eliminate any hijinks when the next one arrives (and it certainly will lol) , especially since they are often rescues and there is always a bit of unpredictability.
Also have a cat who sits beside the tank all day, yet shows zero interest surprisingly. But since we do have her my setup is glass covered with few openings.

Good topic.

 

[Butcher333]

I just finished my fish room and installed the locking door knob. It’s monitored by a motion camera. Nobody except my wife is allowed around my tanks unless I’m there to supervise. I wouldn’t want any kids helping uncle by adding soap to clean the tank and I don’t have to worry about people “helping” or showing friends that do something stupid.

 

[fishlover1478]

our dogs can't get into the tank or stand but our border collie sheds so much it clogs up the pumps

 

[boacvh]

Well, my subconscious read the question backwards (or did I?). My concern is for the tank, not my 2 kids or my dog
All 3 have been trained well on keeping their distance!

 

[CMMorgan]

I know that I grew up in a different time but I still think this holds true. My Dad thought a burglar alarm meant keeping some sort of gun behind most of the doors of our house. We knew what it was, how to use it and what the dangers were probably before we could write out names.
I followed suit to a degree with my daughters. While I did not have guns behind all of the doors, my girls knew how to shoot at a young age. I never wanted them to be afraid of it, rather I wanted them to be able to protect themselves and respect the danger.
A tank could be a bit more tantalizing, for certain. Sounds like most of the reefers believe the same lesson applies to reefing... teach them to respect it and understand it.
As for cats... well... maybe they can learn to swim. ;Happy

 

[vetteguy53081]

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

None. No little ones and all my friends have older kids. Cat tried but gave up a long time ago

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

Really dont need any . As you can see from my cabinet type, entry is impossible.

 

[Jenuvio]

Rule #1 Don't touch the glass/water
Rule#2 Wash your hands without soap if you do


Simple.

 

[don_chuwish]

One dog (my profile pic) likes to look at the tank and sometimes tries to bite the fish through the glass. The other dog and the cat have no interest. This whole marine aquarium thing started as a Christmas gift to my then 11 year old daughter. Now 19! Never had any issues or concerns regarding kids or pets around the tanks.

 

[KyOsIBa515]

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?

This was always a concern for me. If you anchor it. Hit a stud with a lag bolt. That’s a lot of weight if she decides to try and topple.
When I bought my tank I was uncomfortable with a tank 12” wide as I feel like that fear is legit with small kids of it being bumped too hard. I ended up going with a 75 gallon for my 1st tank being it was 18” wide and that is a big difference for stability.