Effect of cooking fumes , candles and diffusers

[wkscott]

I look at it from a bird owners perspective. You have to be extremely careful with these types of things with a bird in the house, ANYWHERE in the house! If I were to burn a Teflon pan, it doesn't matter where the bird is in the house, it will harm him. Therefore if something is not harming a birds delicate respiratory system, I have no worries that it will harm my tanks

You're absolutely right. If your home is chemically safe for birds, your aquarium is pretty safe. Bird owners in general are aware of the extreme hazards presented by scented air products, nonstick cookware, visible and invisible cooking smoke, etc. If aquarium owners actually knew what these products can do to birds, they might have second thoughts about using some of these products long-term, especially around infants and children. Canary in a coal mine...

 

[revhtree]

Nice topic!

 

[Fourstars]

I have my tank in the laundry room (not by choose). I use a HEPA filter in the room and also have it vented outdoors. Also very careful of the cleaning chemicals we use. I would think that a good skimmer would take care of the cooking oils.

 

[Brew12]

I think the biggest concern would be any alcohol that some scented candles and oils put in the air. If they get absorbed into your aquarium in enough volume and under the right conditions, it can cause a bacteria bloom. If you start seeing clear slimy bacteria forming in your tank, you probably need to change air fresheners or candles.

 

[Abhishek]

I have my tank in the laundry room (not by choose). I use a HEPA filter in the room and also have it vented outdoors. Also very careful of the cleaning chemicals we use. I would think that a good skimmer would take care of the cooking oils.

Interesting choice in the HEPA filter . I didn't think of that at all ..

Won't a good GAC fluidized through a reactor and replaced frequently like once in 2 weeks combined with a Deltec skimmer take care of any risks ?

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Bluefish9]

I think the biggest problem you're going to have is your fish developing a lust for tikka masala...

 

[Abhishek]

I think the biggest problem you're going to have is your fish developing a lust for tikka masala...

.. when I told my wife about the risks , she said - why waste money on coral food , aminos and fish food when we can share INDIAN cuisines with them .. they would grow exponentially from all the oily food and Chicken curries

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Bluefish9]

she's right... Ive been growing exponentially from oily foods as well

 

[Fourthwind]

All kinds of things can get into your tank, RODI storage tanks, ect. Lot of good ideas and thoughts here. I will add this as something I ran into with a friend's RODI water. He was having constant issues with ammonia in his storage tanks. Water would be TDS of zero then two days later be reading 1 to 3 ppm of ammonia. After trying every trick in the book, we found that his cats were to blame. Ammonia was becoming airborn from the litter box and was being sucked up by the Pure water like it was a magnet. Lessons learned.

 

[skim]

Good topic. I have read a post a while back and I can't remember where, but it was a post on this guy having trouble with his tank. It was slowly dying, melting away and for the life of himself could not figure out why. It just started out of blue and got worse everyday. Then one day he went down stairs on a day off and found his wife spraying Lysol all over the room and the light went off in his head. he asked how long has she been doing it " few weeks now " , she was bothered by the smell from the Skimmer and sump. Stopped and everything reversed itself and became normal. Just a coincidence? Who knows.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Spraying lysol all over the room is a little different, IMO.

 

[locito277]

This is how close my tank is. I've always had tanks in my kitchen.... even on the counter in my seahorse breeding days. Use carbon if it makes you nervous.

Wow that tank looks great!! Btw feel free to send all Naan, Tikka masala and butter chicken to my home! I know teflon is mortal to pet birds. I have macaws and had to go stainless steel as all non stick pottery is lethal.

 

[Lowstorm]

I have a macaw too, about 10 feet from the tank. And my tank is next to the kitchen. I switched mostly to cast iron pans. Smoke doesn't seem to be much of a bother. Since I already follow parrot rules, I guess the only thing I do is not let cleaning sprays on the counter next to the tank. Aerosols aren't allowed in the livingroom or kitchen already.

 

[Abhishek]

Amazing replies and thank you all for sharing your experiences . Looking forward to hear from others too ..

Few things became clarified for me :-

1. No aerosols or spraying near the tank or in the vicinity of it .

2. Cooking may not have negative impact as well candles might not . But better to be on top of carbon change and a good working skimmer .

3. Wife is super excited as I promised her a new set of iron cast utensils replacing her teflons .. she already made a list for Black Friday .. the total price might put my acro list to shame

Regards,
ABHISHEK

 

[Lowstorm]

Cast iron is awesome to cook with but there's a learning curve to it. The pans retain a high temp for quite a while after being taken from the heat, and you absolutely do not put them in a dishwasher, and no soap to clean it.

 

[Brew12]

Amazing replies and thank you all for sharing your experiences . Looking forward to hear from others too ..

Few things became clarified for me :-

1. No aerosols or spraying near the tank or in the vicinity of it .

2. Cooking may not have negative impact as well candles might not . But better to be on top of carbon change and a good working skimmer .

3. Wife is super excited as I promised her a new set of iron cast utensils replacing her teflons .. she already made a list for Black Friday .. the total price might put my acro list to shame

Regards,
ABHISHEK

Not exactly fish related but.... I have 1 large cast iron pan and have never felt the need for more. For every day use I much prefer a good stainless steel pan. I also wouldn't fear Teflon, it only becomes a problem if left over heat with no liquids in the pan.

 

[Bob Escher]

This is how close my tank is. I've always had tanks in my kitchen.... even on the counter in my seahorse breeding days. Use carbon if it makes you nervous.

Wow love that view and nice tank

 

[reeferfoxx]

Wow love that view and nice tank

+1. I'm drooling over the orphek fixtures!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Thanks guys!

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

I want to ask this without implicating too much. Sometimes, in the great state of Colorado, we'll indulge on certain medical, ehem, recreational substances. I've always wondered the effects on a tank, being a one time exposure or prolonged contact.