Smoking cigarettes in the same room as your tank?

[mayreee]

I know it has to be bad, but I was wondering what can happen if I smoke in the same room as my 10 gallon fish tank is in? The fish in here started to seem ill reciently and I was wondering if it could be because of that. I do a 50% water change once per week.

Thanks,
Marie

 

[Mazdaman]

I don't think smoking can be all that bad as smoke tends to rise and it would need a way to get forced into the water. Just my thoughts.

 

[millipede]

Any bad stuff in the air can affect water quality. And smoking we all want you around for a while, please quit... I'm sure you love hearing people say stuff like that. Large amounts of smoke would probably be toxic but I'm guessing you're not smoking in there 24/7 and you do water changes. I'm sure that helps, though I doubt %50 is necessary. I'd guess keeping fresh activated carbon in there would help as well.
In all seriousness, I'd worry about your own health before your fish.
Feel free to roll your eyes at my "preaching" but though we are called to watch over the well being of all animals, it is far more important to take care of our own selves.
Anyway, I could go on but I'm sure you're thinking ""

 

[Jchillin]

I was "informed" by several experts that if you have an airstone, there is a good chance that carbon monoxide will get into the air supply and enter your tank. Other than that, smoking would not be able to really enter the tank water. I don't know how true this is.

Millipede...I understand your concern for smoker's. I happen to be one of them.

 

[Bad Jeff]

Thanks for asking the question I was afraid to. Unfortunately I do smoke in one room in my basement and even with a big air purifier I find it does get dusty down there pretty quick. I have one open tank in there and have always been concerned if the dust(ash) settling in the tank may affect them. I do frequent pwc's always being sure to vac the bottom to suck up any residue. Overall the tank seems very healthy and I have not noted any issues with the fish.

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

If you have filters for your air pumps and use carbon chances are they wont be effected. But I suppose if you smoked right over the tank or blew` smoke directly into the water that could make a difference. Anyhow I am sure In some cases Smoke does effect fish in some way. I know I smoke and I havent seen any thing unhealthy from my fish. I also use carbon and do regular water changes 1-2 times a week.

heres a pic of my males and females 7 1/2 weeks old they were eating baby brine shrimp at the time.

 

[QTOFFER]

If it will get you to consider quitting, then yes, smoking cigarettes near your tanks is bad for the fish. Besides, the fish probably make fun of you when they see you lighting up.

Seriously, smoking shouldn't affect the fish at all. But consider all the neat aquarium stuff you could buy with the money you are now spending on smokes.

 

[shawmutt]

Try not smoking in the room for a week. If the fish are climbing out of your tank and looking for your smokes, they are addicted--throw a piece of nicorette in the tank once a day for a month.

Seriously, I agree, smoking won't affect your fish's health. I do, however, think more troubleshooting is needed if your fish aren't doing well. What are your water parameters?

 

[kukerdan]

i think instead of worry whats gonna happen to your fish, you should worry about your self........... honestly, your concerned what will happen if by some chance, its effecting the water, just think of your self...... I have an experiment for ya, next time you smoke, go outside, and blow the smoke into some loose fluffy snow.
It turns it a musty yellow , one puff...................

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

I say to each his own theres enough population on this planet that a few of us dying early isnt going to even make a dent in the pollution thats going to be created in 20 years. Light em UP!!! if ya got em!

 

[xray]

I don't think smoking can be all that bad as smoke tends to rise and it would need a way to get forced into the water

My father used to smoke like a smoke stack. The smoke actually settles in the room about the hight of the top of your average 20 gal. Weather the smoke in the air is bad or not I don't know, but I can tell you that the nicotine in the ashes is very deadly. I knew this guy (very evil guy), he dipped his finger tip in an ash tray and put it in a 20 gal community tank. Over night everything in that tank was dead. I didn't know why he was doing it until they were dead.

I work in a hospital where I see the results of smoking every day. Trust me you want to quit. I know doctors that will refuse to see patients that wont quit smoking.

 

[Billsgate]

I cant smoke in my room, but I do so outside.....and I'm quiting after my exams, during a one week vacation I have. I don't want to become a sickly old man who coughs his lungs out. I don't even like it anymore, but it has become such a habbit that I still do. I've been smoking for around 3 years now.(It is not illegal to smoke under 18 in Belgium, recently they changed the law and now it is not allowed to sell cigarettes to people who are under 16.)
When I think about it it makes me sick that they allow us to harm our health from such a young age. Even though I'm 18 and thus 'young', I now realise that it is extremely bad. But it took me 3-4 years of smoking to realize it and to do something about it!

I don't think the smoke will affect your fish much. I sometimes do some work in the tank (replanting,....) right after I went smoking and didn't wash my hands. They don't seem to mind, even though I think there are still residues from my cigarette sticking to my hands.

 

[millipede]

billsgate, next time you feel you "need" a cigarette just pull your fingers to your mouth and take some slow deep breaths. I think snacking helps people, which is why some people gain a ton of weight when they quit... but you could always snack on veggies. I forget which lethal weapon movie it was but the guy was quitting and ended up hooked on dog biscuits

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

OK enough about he wuit smoking routine any facts would be great like some studies on fish without carbon or with carbon. Something to get an idea of the overall effect in a few years.

Anyhow Since we are going to talk about smoking

If you family has a history of problems such as heart disease and cancer it might not be a good idea to smoke. But I want to remind eveyone that there are those who have smoked everyday of their lives well into the 90's thats quite long enough to live I think.

 

[millipede]

You can't argue for something and at the same time ask people to not argue back. Smoking is bad. That doesn't make anyone here bad, but it is bad. There's no other way to look at it... One thing I'll never understand is why anyone would start smoking in the first place. There's not a thing in the world a person could say that would make me understand that... not unless someone's willing to admit they did it just to be "cool". Which is another dumb thing I just dont get... anyway...

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

why do people become alcoholics? why do people do drugs? because they make you feel good.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm sure no one says "gee...I wanna get addicted to something that may kill me". However, it happens and there could be thousands of reasons why. There are some people addicted because they emulated their parents (and their parents and so on). Some are lucky and/or consentious enough to have never indulged and I personally admire them. Some who were "kicked" it. Nevertheless, an addiction is just that and some sympathy can be afforded to those who are.

*Places soapbox down *

*We continue our original program already in progress"

 

[shawmutt]

Jeez, the person didn't ask for a lecture on the smoking habit, just if it will hurt the fish.

I smoke a pipe from time to time. Yeah that's right, I'm a 28 year old pipe smoker who also drinks manhattens in the winter and martinis in the summer. I like the old stuff what can I say. I smoke within the privacy of my home or outside, and am considerate of non-smokers. But if I was smoking outside somewhere, and someone came up to me and started lecturing me about the evils of smoking, they might just wind up with a pipe-stem in their eye.

I like to smoke, I like to drink, and don't fall in with all this "uncool" crap thrown around today about it.

 

[millipede]

Ok, I'll zip my lip but I wont apologize. I was not lecturing anyone. Especially Mayreee the one who started the topic. I replied to her and just said "hey, smokings bad and I care..." Then people started arguing with me. Someone is trying to say that it's only bad for some people and to each his own. That's a load of crap to me. That's like saying "keeping a betta in 6oz of water has worked for me so it's ok..." Actually it's worse than saying that. This is people and their health we're talking about. I care about people and their health more than I do any fish. When you're convicted about something you share it with people, especially people you've come to care about.
I was never lecturing. There is no two ways about it 'smoking is bad for you'. And that's all I said. But people argued me keeping the conversation going. "conversation".
I'm not in any way saying people are bad for smoking. I'm not judging saying you're less of a person or less of a friend for smoking... All I did was say it's bad and that's fact. Accept it, argue it, ignore it or whatever you want to do.
whatever...

Mayree, I hope you don't feel like I was lecturing you. Most of my comments were directed at people that replied to my comments. I hope you got all the info you needed out of this topic...

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

WOW.....I personally would think its bad for the fish because if the filter creates airation in the water isnt it pushing air from outside the tank into it? If so, its pushing the smokey air into the tank. I know smoke is bad for small animal respiration systems like hamsters, bunnies, etc. so how could it be ok for fish? Plus the ashes and yucky junk that fall into the tank. In my opinion, if its bad for people and animals, its bad for fish. If you absolutely have the need to smoke, go outside. Its a little better for your health too.