Smoking

[Nevergone815]

tsk tsk tsk sam. admitting to smoking something maybe not so legal on a public message board who really cares though.

i never sed anything about anything illegal

i was just messing with you anyways lol

 

[ncjharris]

2nd hand smoke has never been proven but im sure it does effect you.

erm, i think it has.............

lets remember guys, this is a fish forum, not a moral debating chamber!!

On the subject of cigarette smoke, I think that there is every chance the smoke and particles in the smoke would be present on the surface of the water and would find its way (dissolved or otherwise) into the water.
Considering some of the side products of cigarette smoke (cyanide, carbon monoxide etc) it certainly wouldn't beneifit any of the lifestock in your tank!

 

[Redbled]

I think the best solution of course is for him to quit, but that is really tough. Until that time, ask him to smoke outside. If he's a quality guy, he will have no trouble doing this. Not just for pets and furniture, but for you as well. There is no need to hurt your lungs in this process either.

 

[wendywc]

And I would suggest trying to stop because my grandpas life was shortened because he had cancer and all his fish suffered bad.

Austin

Sorry to hear on your grandpa... but exactly how did his fish suffer? Can you give details; I'm interested in how smoking affect fish too!

 

[dgwebster]

giving up is alot more difficult than "1 a day then just slowly stop" - you NEVER stop wanting one. It may change from every day to every other day but at least several times a week, you will always think "i would like one" and that is for the rest of your life.

I have thought about taking up heroin in order to take me off the cigarettes, as it is easier to get off smoked heroin (injection is another issue) than it is nicotine.

Recently I quit for 19 weeks before caving in and about to start again. This time its monthly presents for being good. At the end of April, if I've been good, I buy myself the season 1-4 box set of futurama.

Ive also set myself a 6 month target to buy myself a projector for bigs screen movies and x-box!!! The year target means a new car

 

[atmmachine816]

Well I don't know if the smoking affected him but when he got cancer he couldn't take care of the fish anymore and it went about two months without a clean, somehow they survived. All I'm saying is that his wife would only feed them but not clean the tank and the two months when he was too week to clean the tanks they suffered badly.

Austin

 

[nate9]

yes the best solution to this problem, for the happiness and wellbeing of both your fish and yourself, is for him to quit, or at least smoke outside since second hand smoke is extremely dangerous. with the number of problems it causes in humans i can only imagin what it will do to your pets(fish). all you have to do is look at the facts, Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000-62,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year. i do not mean to tell you what to do or sound bosy but that is just my personal opinion.

in my opinion....

 

[wendywc]

Well I don't know if the smoking affected him but when he got cancer he couldn't take care of the fish anymore and it went about two months without a clean, somehow they survived. All I'm saying is that his wife would only feed them but not clean the tank and the two months when he was too week to clean the tanks they suffered badly.

Austin

Sorry Austin, but if this is the case, then I believe your original post is misleading. I thought you meant the smoking had a direct affect on his fish, but it was just that the tank was not regularly cleaned. Makes me go back to what I was originally thinking --- that smoking probably has no affect on fish.

 

[Fella]

I can't imagine it would have a massive effect on a tank to be honest.

 

[Synirr]

Only somewhat related, but one of my aunts smokes a pack a day and a few years back her dog died of lung cancer... if that isn't enough reason for pet owners to want to smoke outside or quit altogether, I don't know what is.

 

[Discomafia]

I smoke 3-4 sticks in my room a day (having one right now in fact), and my fish don't seem to suffer from it. In fact, some of them (cories, rasboras and kribs) have even spawned before, so they can't be that uncomfortable with it...

I think a lot depends on how far the smoker is from the tank, how much gap there is in your tank's hood, and also perhaps how much surface agitation you have...

If I had an ADA tank with no hood, then I may get concerned that the smoke particles and what not might enter the water... But since my hood only has a 1" gap throughout the back, and I smoke maybe 10' away from the tank, this may be the/a reason my fish don't seem to suffer from second hand smoke. But then again, maybe it takes time for the disease or cancer or whatever to set it, just like in humans...

Anyways, great topic, and this would make for a great research paper IMO.

 

[cutie mcwhiskers]

thanks for all the replies guys! i think i will have a word with him bout smoking outside or if it raining (which it usually is, lol!) in the kitchen with the back door open.

 

[Bloo]

Not having a "dig" at smokers, but it interesting how it's all the smokers who say they believe it has no ill effect on their fish. Have you dissected them ? Do you know why your latest fish really died ? And if it was bacterial, was it due to bad water quality or lowering immune system ? How do you really know ? As with humans, outward signs aren't always that easy to see - while inward things are going to pot. Fish don't get yellow teeth and wrinkly skin But there is not an ounce of doubt in my mind that pollution from smoke will effect the fish.

One quote from here:

NON-LIVING SOURCES OF STRESS

Under ideal circumstances – proper water conditions, a diet including a variety of foods, uncrowded conditions, and an environment lacking other stress – diseases rarely affect fish. Usually fish will only get sick when something in the environment is not right, or when new fish is added to the tank. Healthy fish generally have strong immune systems and are capable of resisting most pathogens, but when stress weakens the fish, the fish becomes more susceptible to illness. There are several circumstances, including non-living and living factors, that can lead to fish stress.

There are other chemicals (cigarette smoke, paint fumes, pesticides) that sometimes make their way into the fish tank. The best way to combat these pollutants is not to allow them to get in the tank in the first place. However, once a foreign pollutant enters the tank, the results can be drastic for the inhabitants. Try making water changes and filtering with activated carbon to alleviate the problem.

A further link & quote from here:

In general, anything in the air that's not good for you is not good for your fish. In fact it's worse for the fish because the water in the tank acts as a filter for the air in the room. Do not allow anyone to smoke in the same room as your fish. I have seen fish raised in smoke filled rooms. The survivors are always stunted and ugly, and show signs of various diseases.

 

[The-Lion]

hi,

just wondering if cigarette smoke can affect your tank? i dont smoke but my boyfriend does and i've often wondered what affect, if any, the smoke could be having on fish? he's not a heavy smoker and probably has 3 or 4 a night in the living room, which is where the tank is, but as its cold none of the windows are open and the living room door is kept shut most of the time to keep the heat in but i wouldn't say it gets very smokey in there.

does anyone have any opinions on this?

I think bloozoo2 post says it all one i will add is what about your lungs? the easiest solution short term is to have him smoke outside for yours & the fish sake

 

[Nevergone815]

Not having a "dig" at smokers, but it interesting how it's all the smokers who say they believe it has no ill effect on their fish. Have you dissected them ? Do you know why your latest fish really died ? And if it was bacterial, was it due to bad water quality or lowering immune system ? How do you really know ? As with humans, outward signs aren't always that easy to see - while inward things are going to pot. Fish don't get yellow teeth and wrinkly skin But there is not an ounce of doubt in my mind that pollution from smoke will effect the fish.

One quote from here:

NON-LIVING SOURCES OF STRESS

Under ideal circumstances – proper water conditions, a diet including a variety of foods, uncrowded conditions, and an environment lacking other stress – diseases rarely affect fish. Usually fish will only get sick when something in the environment is not right, or when new fish is added to the tank. Healthy fish generally have strong immune systems and are capable of resisting most pathogens, but when stress weakens the fish, the fish becomes more susceptible to illness. There are several circumstances, including non-living and living factors, that can lead to fish stress.

There are other chemicals (cigarette smoke, paint fumes, pesticides) that sometimes make their way into the fish tank. The best way to combat these pollutants is not to allow them to get in the tank in the first place. However, once a foreign pollutant enters the tank, the results can be drastic for the inhabitants. Try making water changes and filtering with activated carbon to alleviate the problem.

A further link & quote from here:

In general, anything in the air that's not good for you is not good for your fish. In fact it's worse for the fish because the water in the tank acts as a filter for the air in the room. Do not allow anyone to smoke in the same room as your fish. I have seen fish raised in smoke filled rooms. The survivors are always stunted and ugly, and show signs of various diseases.

ok for starters, if you also oticed its all the non-smokers who say that it WILL harm the fish, so there is bias either way. btw i'm a non-smoker and have never seen adverse affects on fish or any other pet or even myself, and my parents smoked my entire lifetime and before that. and none of our pets suffered or died from apparent causes. personally i feel that second hand smoke is just a gimmick and that it isn't nearly as harmful as first hand. after all smokers lungs are filtering most of the stuff out along with the filter in the cigarette right?

as for the first quote, activated carbon removes harmful chemicals (i.e. cigarette smoke) along with water changes and a hood on the tank (prevents them from entering to begin with). even smokers do water changes and most likely have activated carbon in their filters.

like atmmachine said, his grandfather had cancer and couldn't care for the tanks (btw i'm sorry for your loss), but the cigarette smoke in the house (the stuff that never leaves and clings to the walls and such) could have built up into the water along with pollutants from food and fish waste. thus causing death there as water changes were never done.

also for the second quote, that means no aresols either as it is harmful to your fish, but i'm sure many people apply hair spray or deodorant and perfume/colone or aresol odor removers or other aresol products. and girls the fumes from your nail polish/nail polish remover isn't good either as i could always smell that from any part of the house and would linger for hours. so really nothing is trully good for fish unless you put them into a bubble or just don't keep them at all. the only sure way to keep a fish healthy (and this is becoming less true) is to keep it in their natural environment.

as a closing, i feel that if a fish tank is taken care of properly (i.e. proper filtration and activated carbon, and weekly water changes) the fish should not be affected by it all that much. sure some smoke or other toxins may stay in the water but will soon find its way out via water changes and filtration. we can never fully remove toxins from the water as they will always be there, wether the person smokes or uses other products that release fumes or just living in a city-like environment. bottom line, if the boyfriend smokes in the house, i can't see it hurting the fish unless you aren't taking proper care of them. if you have him smoke outside the best you will get is a better smelling house, thats all.