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Post by Juliet on May 29, 2007 13:04:15 GMT
I need some advice from anyone who keeps fish indoors! The house we're thinking of buying has a built-in fishtank - impossible to remove without making a lot of dust & mess. The owners are happy to leave the fish or to remove them & clean out the tank & just leave it empty, but not to remove it!
I'd be happy to have fish, but I have a problem with the pump - it's noisy and my bedroom would be immediately above it & I'm acutely sensitive to noise. The owner says I can turn it off for part of the time, but the question is - how many hours a day can I do this for? I'm in bed for about 10 hours at night and 2 or 3 - irregular - hours during the day, so it would end up being off more than it would be on, I couldn't put it on a timer, & I have short term memory problems so I'd inevitably end up forgetting to turn it back on sometimes - would this kill the fish? There are oxygenating plants in the tank too if this would help!
Any advice?
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Post by snowowl on May 29, 2007 13:29:52 GMT
Hi Juliet are the fish Tropical, Marine or cold water fish? I have 2 Tropical fish tanks and the pumps are not noisey at all and i would never turn of the filter.
It is ok for a short while if we have a power cut but i would NEVER turn it of intentionaly.
If they dont get proper filterd water then yes its bad for the fish.
Could there be something wrong with the pump if its making such noise maybe it needs replacing?
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Post by madonplants on May 29, 2007 13:30:45 GMT
Juliet, when you say the pump is noisy, do you mean the bubbles from an air pump or the pump itself? What fish are there? How big is the tank, do you know? As long as there is surface agitation, air from an air pump is not really needed, but it depends on what fish are there. Are there any filters being left or is it a coldwater tank with no filter, hence the air? Hope that is not too many questions!!  Keith |
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Post by Juliet on May 29, 2007 16:56:24 GMT
Um ...  I didn't know keeping fish was so complicated! The pump is probably not noisy to people with normal hearing, & I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it - it's just the background humming is a problem for me. I suffer from hyperacusis, which means my brain doesn't filter out noise the way other people's do and everything seems much louder than it actually is. It's very difficult to for people who haven't experienced it to understand, but it's so severe that R can't charge his shaver while I'm resting - he can't even hear the noise it makes when he's standing in the bathroom next to it, but I can hear it through the wall at the far end of the bedroom and it's like someone operating a dentist's drill next to my ear  - so I'm pretty sure I couldn't sleep above something humming. I don't know what type the fish are, or whether it's a coldwater tank (I don't remember it feeling warm) but I can try to find out - the house owner is probably fed up with me asking so many questions though! If the fish turn out to be marine or cold water, are they more likely to be OK with the pump off than the tropical ones? The tank is a fairly standard fish tank size - about the size of a large bookshelf - I'd guess about 25-30" wide by about 10-12" deep and about 25-30" high. I got the impression from the owner that the pump filters things too - she said it removes debris from the fish chewing bits of plant (if I've got that right). I'll see what else I can find out ... |
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Post by andy on May 29, 2007 17:22:07 GMT
Ok Juliet. You are now in charge of Live animals so it is your responsibililty to give them the best care you can.
This means learning how to keep your fish. You will need to do several things. Firstly, get a good book and understand the principles of filteration and water quality. Go to some fish shops and ask there, visit a few websites and forums on the net and ask lots of questions.
Has your tank got a heater in....it's a long (approx10-12") glass test tube with an electric wire coming out of the top leading to a plug. A simple thermometer will tell you whether the tank is set for tropical (75-80 degrees F) or coldwater (60-70 deg F)
You'll need to know the type of filter you have.....can you get any photos...it will help immensely.
As for the pump....i presume you mean air pump ?...again photos would be good. Sometimes putting these on a small tile of carpet, rubber, polystyrene or cork gets rid of most of the noise.
So learn about your new hobby....you'll be amaized how much enjoyment you'll get out of it and if you get it right....which isn't difficult, you will have a superb piece of living furnature.
So get asking those questions
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Post by snowowl on May 29, 2007 17:25:07 GMT
Juliet sorry you have the problem with noise.If the tank is tropical or marine you will have to leave the filter on.
It cleans the fish waste and keeps the water clear so is a very important part of a tank maintinance.
Maybe you would be better of letting the owner empty the tank for you and you could then maybe use it to plant things in like a larger version of a bottle garden.
That way you would have no need of filters and pumps.
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Post by andy on May 29, 2007 17:35:55 GMT
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Post by Juliet on May 29, 2007 20:03:23 GMT
Ok Juliet. You are now in charge of Live animals so it is your responsibililty to give them the best care you can. We haven't even put in an offer for the house yet, Andy! I'm pretty sure there wasn't a heater - there was a socket immediately above the tank & the filter was the only thing plugged into it. I like the idea of a bottle garden or a paludarium though  |
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Post by andy on May 30, 2007 15:31:03 GMT
Ok Juliet. You are now in charge of Live animals so it is your responsibililty to give them the best care you can. We haven't even put in an offer for the house yet, Andy! So why are you asking for advice  |
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Post by Juliet on May 30, 2007 17:14:16 GMT
To help us decide whether to ask the owners to take the fish away with them or leave them; and whether to offer slightly less on the basis that we might have to pay to have the tank removed if we can't use it |
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Post by madonplants on May 30, 2007 21:04:13 GMT
Juliet, this really is a difficult one, without seeing the setup. May I suggest you (if you chose to buy) to get the present owners to take the fish away and then you can experiment with equipment to find one that suits. There are plenty of air pumps that are quiet running. Do you know anyone with a fish tank that has an internal filter (or any filter for that matter) and you could see if that noise affects you? If it didn't you wouldn't really need an air pump as long as the surface water was agitated and you kept the temperature on the low end of the tropical side! Cooler water, holds more oxygen! Could the 'pump' be kept in a different room with the piping brought in? This is normally the advise given to kids who want a tank in their bedroom, but can't sleep because of the noise.
Not all tropical tanks have heaters in the tank, one of my my external filters has a heater built in, a bit like a kettle!
Like I said, this is a difficult one and don't envy you. I suppose it is down to the question, do YOU want a tank or not? Sorry to hear about your problem, can't be easy to live with.
Feel free to pick our brains again!
Keith
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Post by Juliet on May 30, 2007 21:39:57 GMT
Thanks Keith - we have actually been talking to the owners today and agreed that if they accept our offer they'll take the fish with them. They don't think it would be a good idea to turn off the filter for more than half the day & after what people have said here, I think they're right.
I don't think I know anyone who keeps fish - or at least not within visiting distance. There's a garden centre near here with a big aquarium section though, so I could try talking to them about it - don't think the thing with pipes elsewhere would be feasible for us, but the internal filter might, if I can find one that's really inaudible ...
... I do really rather like the idea of growing plants in the tank though! - or maybe keeping newts or something like that?
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Post by madonplants on May 30, 2007 23:47:58 GMT
Snakes even!!! ;D
No seriously, I don't have an internal anymore, or you could have come here, as you are just down the road from us!! Internal filters are recommended for tanks in kids ooms as well! Let me know how you get on and if I can help any further I will do. Sorry I didn't get back sooner, been out with the kids!! You could just have a heavily planted tank with a couple of small fish in and then no filter would be needed, but you can't feed them much, it's a bit like a pond with no filter, the plants do the job. Is the tank in a warm room?
Keith
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Post by Juliet on May 31, 2007 13:02:46 GMT
The owners have a snake too! - there's a vivarium in one of the bedrooms! But they are - I hope - taking the snake with them - it's very cute but I'm not sure I'd like to share a bedroom with it I'm thinking that just planting the fishtank up as a terrarium would probably be the best idea ... this is all if we get the house, of course - we've now made an offer, but the owners want to leave it on the market until we find a buyer. The fishtank is in a smallish dining room, just above the radiator, so I'd imagine it's pretty warm, yes! |
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Post by Plocket on May 31, 2007 18:21:30 GMT
How about you forget about the pump completely and have it as a sort of terrarium - one of those things where you grow tender and moisture loving plants.
Oooh hang on a mo I've just re-read your message - you've already thought of it!!!
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- so I'm pretty sure I couldn't sleep above something humming.
