Subwoofers and our aquariums

[jeffrey750750]

Hello, I have both of my fish tanks in my living room. Along with those tanks is a subwoofer for the TV and music. I know everything vibrates in the room but I just moved the woofer next to the tank. Im sure its more vibration in the tank, is that bad?

 

[Jib]

This is an interesting question. Id love to set up a tank in my man cave, but I've hesitated due to the subwoofer I have. It's a PSA V1811, and it has some serious output. I was thinking when its on for a movie or video game, it would seriously annoy the fish and corals.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Maybe it'll support better coral growth, lol

 

[Albertan22]

How do the fish react when the volume is cranked? Turn it on but watch the tanks, do the fish dart for cover when something goes boom? If not, I wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[Mical]

It might help coral growth but it's going to make fish more nervous, like tapping on the glass with a hammer.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Fishies are still swimming like normal but I think I'll move it. The hammer quote got me

 

[CubsFan]

I’ve thought about this. I wonder if the vibration from my pumps and plumbing are a problem. The fish seem fine. Clowns are always making babies, al green or not. Do you have the tk421 modification?

 

[SeaJay]

Mine is in the living room too, in a cabinet attached to the side of the stand. I wondered about it too, but not enough to put it somewhere else. I don't crank mine up, but it does rumble sometimes and make me think.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hi! While diving we often have boats drive over us, very loud and you can feel the vibration from the propellor in your chest. The fish don’t seem to mind because they’ve gotten used to it over time. The worst is when there’s a cruise ship nearby (like being shaken in a bag) and the fish don’t seem to mind. I would definitely watch the fish though and make sure they’re not overly stressed, and don’t turn up the volume crazy loud

 

[JAC-]

So there are always exceptions to the norm but my opinion is the norm in this case is no concern.

I've done it for years with quite large woofers and high output horns. The higher frequencys are actually more of a concern for damaging living things btw.
As many others have said, fish get used to noise pretty quickly and it is already pretty loud in your tank with pumps, skimmers, and things outside the tank making noise.

Additionally there are quite a few critters in the ocean that make quite a loud racket at times.

Now for the exception
If you're changing pressure (sound is small changes in ambient pressure, louder sounds is more pressure) enough to see the effects in your water, you probably want to do something else.

This would be a massive volume that you probably experience hearing loss from.

That is my opinion though.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine at 350wt us directed towards tank.
I think at first fish would dart but they like mine eventually get used to it. My Tv faces tank and recently getting an 80 “ spooked them and when TV goes on, they do scatter

 

[Jon Fishman]

I have a JL Audio Fathom and it hets pretty darn low sometimes, and I’ve never noticed anything respond to it from the fish tank. It spooks the dogs sometimes, and I have a Caiman that hides during its’ usage

 

[Mical]

So there are always exceptions to the norm but my opinion is the norm in this case is no concern.

I've done it for years with quite large woofers and high output horns. The higher frequencys are actually more of a concern for damaging living things btw.
As many others have said, fish get used to noise pretty quickly and it is already pretty loud in your tank with pumps, skimmers, and things outside the tank making noise.

Additionally there are quite a few critters in the ocean that make quite a loud racket at times.

Now for the exception
If you're changing pressure (sound is small changes in ambient pressure, louder sounds is more pressure) enough to see the effects in your water, you probably want to do something else.

This would be a massive volume that you probably experience hearing loss from.

That is my opinion though.

This is very open for debate. As a semi retired concert audio engineer, I can attest "low end" (Sub woofer freqs) sound waves can produce a fair amount of damage not just in terms of hearing but in physical damage. We've been known to crack concrete with low end (ask my old tour manager who was presented the bill)

In the case of fish reaction to low end sound - it's all about how much. If you can feel it in your chest, they feel it as an earthquake or a freight train passing by.Hopefully the OP isn't "thumping it" too hard.

 

[Neuratox]

I'm glad that this is being discussed. Personally, I'm tried to make sure that my tank has low noise, not for me, but for the inhabitants. Its been well documented that reefs with lots of noise tend to loose biodiversity and can become abandon over time - this is largely due to the noises of the reef being drown out from noise pollution resulting in the return of pelagic developing fish to my understanding. I think its fair to speculate that the remaining inhabitants aren't too crazy about the noise either.
I think Mical makes a good point about the damage of the low frequency sound waves. I think another thing to consider is testing the noise levels in your tank with a hydrophone decibel meter. I've always wanted to make a DIY version of this, partly to check noise levels and partly just to listen to the sounds in my tank.

 

[drtechno]

It’s interesting that this has been recently posted since I am doing this exact same thing. I will have a living room fish tank with a 600w subwoofer on the other side of the room. There is simply no way it will not vibrate the water when we watch movies. But frankly, I’m not concerned that much with the occupants (since I believe it’s fine) but more about glass seam integrity over time.
Any thoughts on structural damage?
I know vibrations from my washer spin cycle can easily crack grout joints, but that’s more brittle and sensitive to vibration I suppose.

 

[Krzydmnd]

Mine like it when i pump the intro to Outkast Speakerboxxx. best song to test your bass for your bass. (sea what i did there? and there?)

 

[Freelamp944]

But frankly, I’m not concerned that much with the occupants (since I believe it’s fine) but more about glass seam integrity over time.

This would be my concern as well. I had some subs in my Jeep in high school and it definitely caused some damage to the car over time. It was mostly screws falling out, but they also made my rear view mirror come off the windshield.

I would imagine for the occupants of a tank a subwoofer might sound similar to a whale call. I did a night dive in Hawaii and had the opportunity to hear some humpbacks that were near by. I could feel the vibration through my whole body and I could especially feel my tank vibrating on my back.

As a semi retired concert audio engineer

Nice to see another roadie on here! Until recently, I was a touring lighting tech/programmer.

 

[syrinx]

We have had band practice in a room with a reef for the last 20 years with no problems. Fish dont care in the least. As long as rockwork is stable- no issues.

 

[Mical]

This would be my concern as well. I had some subs in my Jeep in high school and it definitely caused some damage to the car over time. It was mostly screws falling out, but they also made my rear view mirror come off the windshield.

I would imagine for the occupants of a tank a subwoofer might sound similar to a whale call. I did a night dive in Hawaii and had the opportunity to hear some humpbacks that were near by. I could feel the vibration through my whole body and I could especially feel my tank vibrating on my back.


Nice to see another roadie on here! Until recently, I was a touring lighting tech/programmer.

Yea, I miss the days "at the office"

 

[albertski]

It’s interesting that this has been recently posted since I am doing this exact same thing. I will have a living room fish tank with a 600w subwoofer on the other side of the room. There is simply no way it will not vibrate the water when we watch movies. But frankly, I’m not concerned that much with the occupants (since I believe it’s fine) but more about glass seam integrity over time.
Any thoughts on structural damage?
I know vibrations from my washer spin cycle can easily crack grout joints, but that’s more brittle and sensitive to vibration I suppose.

I'm also considering putting the tank across the room from the TV with a subwoofer. Did you end up going that route and did the fish get used to it?