Question about flutes and bettas

[KatieMR]

This is a bit of a weird question, but I am wondering if anyone has experience with or found studies about playing flutes or other high instruments/music/noises around aquariums. I'm posting this in the betta forum, since I have a betta, but if it needs to be moved somewhere else, moderators, please feel free to move it!

I play flute, and the best room in my house for practicing also happens to have my betta's aquarium in it. I've been avoiding practicing in that room, because I'm concerned that the high frequencies may be bad for my betta. I haven't had any luck researching if it is safe or not. Anyone have any idea if I'm just over thinking, or if it actually would be detrimental to my aquarium inhabitants? I am an advanced player, so most of what I'm playing is at the top of the flute range.

We do have a piano in the same room and it has never effected my fish, but the flute consistently hits higher frequency noises much louder than the piano does. I know lots of people will watch tv around their aquariums, but that also usually falls at a lower frequency than flutes.

 

[Colin_T]

Do you have a dog?
If yes, does it howl when you play?
I know that sounds like a joke but if the pitch is high enough to get a dog going, it might affect the fish. However, I doubt the flute would be an issue to fish.

Loud noises and sudden changes in noise are an issue to some fish. This is mostly if people play drums or guitars with an amplifier near the tank. The sound waves can disturb some fish. But the flute isn't what I would call extreme when it comes to noise, I also wouldn't call it excessively loud. I don't think there should be any problems.

If your fish starts swaying back and forth while you're playing, film it so we can see him getting down

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

Bettas and fish in general tend to be sensitive to vibrations, including sound waves. Sound uses energy to travel, so the higher the frequency the faster that energy dissipates. Think sprinter (high energy output) vs marathon runner. This means that lower frequencies travel farther than higher frequencies.

I think the best way to gauge if you fish is bothered by the flute is to play it and closely monitor his behavior to watch for stress signs.

 

[KatieMR]

Thank you so much for the responses!

I do not have a dog @Colin_T, so I can't judge by that; the only animals I have are the betta and a nerite snail, so I can't go by that.

Thank you for a bit more of the science, @Valkyrie_Lips! I did try playing a bit on Sunday in the same room, and didn't notice any signs of stress. I'll keep monitoring!

 

[GaryE]

I doubt a Betta would pick up frequencies as high as a flute. The volume just isn't there. I have a system for recorded music in my fishroom, and there is no reaction whatsoever to it. I don't crank the bass on dub reggae in there. They don't seem to mind recorded flute as long as it's from the Baroque era, because they have good taste.

There have been experiments done where fish are played music by different composers, and fed when one of them is played. They figure it out fast, so they do hear. But hearing and being bothered are different. They have been shown to run when a new set of sounds arrives in their world, but to adjust and pay no attention to it quickly.

When I was a kid and still fished, I would catch perch in the shadow of a roller skating rink that played all my favourite tunes really loud. That's why I'd fish there in the evening when they were warming up for the incoming crowd. The fishing was no better or worse than elsewhere on the lake...

This isn't a fish thing, but I met a fisherman in Newfoundland who swore the whales would come when he played Beethoven on his boat - the 9th, 5th and 6th symphonies to be precise. We tried it, but it was too foggy to see if anyone showed up.

 

[KatieMR]

Thanks for the response @GaryE! That is very reassuring!

This isn't a fish thing, but I met a fisherman in Newfoundland who swore the whales would come when he played Beethoven on his boat - the 9th, 5th and 6th symphonies to be precise. We tried it, but it was too foggy to see if anyone showed up.

That is very interesting! I would love to test that theory out! Too bad there are so few whales in the midwest!

 

[GaryE]

That is very interesting! I would love to test that theory out! Too bad there are so few whales in the midwest!

Sit by your Betta, get really good on that flute and go on a tour that takes you to the slightly northern Atlantic coast. Or, stay healthy, play for a very long time, and maybe Iowa will be ocean again...

 

[Morganna]

I know someone who swears that her Betta would come to the front of the tank everytime she sang.

 

[Colin_T]

I know someone who swears that her Betta would come to the front of the tank everytime she sang.

that's normal fish behaviour when their owner enters the room
"gimme food, gimme food, gimme food"

 

[GaryE]

Every time I have ever sung around bettas, they've flared and tried to attack me. Back when I was in the 70s punk scene, bettas would spit entire bubblenests at me.

This is further proof they are able to not just hear, but evaluate music.