16 Dangerous Things - What Should You Not Put In A Fish Tank

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It is a common question people ask, what should you not put in a fish tank? A fish tank may be an excellent addition to your home’s design. They are usually attractive and might be a pleasant diversion. When it comes to owning a fish tank, many individuals choose to educate themselves and conduct research. What should you not put in a fish tank – the issue is that many people merely go over the fundamentals, such as how to set it up and cleanse the water.

Fish and aquatic creatures, like you, require a clean and safe environment in which to survive. So, when it comes to designing an aquarium or the house of your small aquatic pals, strive to make it as safe and sanitary as your own home.

You obviously like your adorable swimming friends as if they were your children, so why should you jeopardize their safety and pleasure by adding unneeded items to the tank? Avoid placing any harmful chemicals, bacterial substances, or dangerous goods in an aquarium to maintain it germ-free.

What should you not put in a fish tank

You may wish to experiment with different materials to decorate your fish tank, but you must not jeopardize the sanitation and health of your little pet fish. A little caution on your part might save the lives of your aquatic companions.

Knowing that is great, but there are a few things you should avoid doing in order to properly maintain the tank and the fish inside. Let’s have a look at a few of the particles that should not be put in a fish tank:

1. Coins

You may have seen individuals throwing pennies into water fountains and big tanks in aquatic museums to wish themselves luck. When you have an aquarium in your house, though, you should never make this mistake.

Keep in mind that the fountains and vast aquatic museums are large in scale, and the employees who manage the facilities clean them every day.

However, you will not be able to clean your fish tank on a regular basis. Furthermore, let go of the notion that your pet fish is capable of fulfilling your wishes.

Copper is used to making coins, which is toxic to all living things, including fish. Copper releases harmful poisons and compounds, which may make the water in a fish tank toxic and life-threatening.

Fish and other aquatic animals cannot survive in such a hazardous environment, therefore keep no coins or other metals in your fish tank to prevent them from dying in order to find answers on what should you not put in a fish tank.

2. Gravels and rocks that haven’t been treated

Good gravels and shaped rocks are fine to maintain in an aquarium, however untreated sharp rocks and hard gravels should never be kept near the bottom. Don’t throw rocks from the outside that might cut the fish.

Furthermore, unshaped pebbles or gravels may have sharp edges that might injure fish, resulting in fungal and bacterial diseases in the fish.

Wash the rocks at the bottom of the aquarium and shape them by eliminating the sharp edges if you want to keep them clean. Ensure that the rocks and gravel do not do any harm to the aquatic creatures so that you will find answers on what should you not put in a fish tank.

3. Ceramics

Many people maintain ceramic in their fish tanks because it may be utilized as a decoration or a hiding spot for the small fish. It’s now quite OK to retain hiding spots in the fish tank, but instead of pottery, use caverns or miniature wooden cottages.

Ceramics are polished clay potteries constructed of terra-cotta clay and lead, both of which are toxic to aquatic life. If your tiny companion attempts to lick and chew the ceramics, the fish will contract deadly infections, become poisoned, lose their color, lose their wings, or die.

As a result, remember that taking care of your pet fish comes first, rather than providing a hiding spot or adorning the fish tank so that you find a solution on what should you not put in a fish tank.

4. Objects that are sharp

Fish and other aquatic animals in your aquarium, like humans, should not be kept in touch with sharp things that might damage or harm them.

Sharp-edged things, such as pebbles, spikey ornaments, sharp gravel, painted glass, and so on, can cause wounds and bloodshed, causing your innocent pet fish to suffer and die.

As a result, while selecting house decorations for fish breeds, exercise extreme caution. Whether the species is little or large, you must avoid putting any sharp objects at the bottom of the fish tank that might accidentally harm the species.

5. Things that are prone to decomposition

Avoid adding worms, dead bugs, and snails into your fish tank since you need to keep an eye on the cleanliness and health of your pet fish, just like your kids.

The immune system of fish breeds may be harmed by feeding them unclean and dead animals.
Furthermore, they enjoy eating live worms, so go to a pet store and buy live blood worms or frozen fish feeds that are safer and healthier than those found in the wild.

When dead shrimp, worms, and snails are placed in a fish tank, they decompose and contaminate the water. Multiple fungal and bacterial infections that might cause fish mortality can be caused by consuming excessively unclean water or living in a decomposed or degraded environment. A bad habitat can sometimes cause worry and anxiety in the fish.

6. Chemical solutions

Whenever possible, clean your aquarium with a gentle or soft liquid that has very few chemicals. Fish breeds are disturbed by the scent of harsh chemicals, which also cause dangerous skin problems.

Furthermore, some individuals add chlorine or other chemical compounds to the water in their fish tanks to clean the unclean water, but this is not a good idea.

If at all feasible, replace the water three to four times each week to maintain hygiene, but never add any chemical hazardous substances to the water.

Remember that this quick fix of adding preservatives and chemicals to purify the water may hurt innocent aquatic species by causing sickness or death. So, don’t be an unintentional cause of the death of your small companions by cleaning the aquarium incorrectly.

7. Foods that Remind You of Fish

The adorable tiny fish have trouble identifying their food and have a nasty habit of biting and nibbling on various items in the aquarium. As a result, do not include any superfluous soft chewable toys, human foods such as bread or chips, as they are harmful to fish.

Soft toys produce chemical pollutants that can endanger the fish’s life, while chips or bread are human meals that fish cannot digest due to their distinct digestive systems.

Furthermore, chips include salt, which is bad for freshwater fish’s appetite and living circumstances. So, consider hard before installing dangerous or needless materials in your fish tank that might endanger your aquatic companion.

8. Beach sand

Beach sand should not be kept in either a freshwater or a marine aquarium since it is typically contaminated with bacteria, dust, and chemical residue, which can harm your aquatic friends.

Don’t equate natural sand in nature with the ambiance of your aquarium since although a fish living free in the sea has plenty of room, the same cannot be said for a fish tank.

So, if you want to avoid pollution and infections, don’t use beach sand as a decoration in your aquarium. There are a variety of additional simple ways to decorate the fish tank that should you not put in a fish tank.

9. Hands

You can use your hands to feed your fish on occasion but clean them first with light liquid hand soap, lotions, and sanitizer before placing them in the water of the fish tank to feed the fish, remove the fish’s eggs, or move one fish to another location.

Putting unclean hands in the water might cause the healthy fish in the aquarium to die and transmit illnesses.

After washing your hands, dry them with a clean towel and place them in the tank because if the soap’s chemical residue is left on your hands, it can induce choking and spread toxins into the water.

10. Plastic

Many plastic toys, showpieces, and painted objects are available on the market to decorate or delight your finned friends, but do you know if they are safe for your fish tank?

Don’t put the lives of innocent aquatic animals in jeopardy by picking the wrong decorations. This may enhance the appearance of the fish house, but it might also be the cause of their untimely death.

Plastic items introduce chemicals and poisons into the little aquatic family of adorable fish, causing choking dangers that can lead to a variety of diseases and infections.

The hazardous chemicals pollute the tank’s water, and if the fish nibble or lick the plastics, the compounds might be the cause of their death. As a result, use caution while selecting aquarium decorations to reply what should you not put in a fish tank.

11. Breeds of Fish That Aren’t Right

You must choose appropriate partners for each fish in your aquarium, since placing the incorrect species together may result in fighting and other issues between the fish. It is never a good idea to maintain aggressive fish alongside calm types since this might lead to battles and carnage.

Also, never mix huge and little fish breeds since the big fish will consume the small ones. As a result, in a fish tank, strive to retain the same species of fish of similar sizes. Furthermore, have a thorough understanding of each fish’s compatibility before grouping the breeds together.

12. Oysters and corals

Shells, oysters, corals, and other live sea fruits are great for creating a reef ambiance in a marine aquarium. However, never put any sea animals, sea plants, or marine ecosystem-related items in an aerated fish tank with freshwater fish.

Other than maintaining seawater creatures, plants, or other materials in a freshwater aquarium, find another way to decorate your freshwater fish tank since corals and shells have pH, hardness, and high chemicals that might affect the health of freshwater fish.

Reef items with sharp edges may also injure unhabituated fish brought in from deep rivers. As a result, don’t make their environment unwelcoming by using inappropriate décor.

13. Electronics

If you want to provide a shining look to your fish tank, place the light on the top-most area of the ceiling. Never put a light in the aquarium’s bottom section, and don’t store additional devices in the tank, such as a battery or a sound device. These are the harmful items that should not be placed in a fish tank for the sake of the pet fish’s safety.

Keeping unneeded devices might cause an electric shock, and the rust particles from batteries or other electronics are harmful, putting your small pet fish’s life in danger to sustain what should you not put in a fish tank.

It is not required to include sound or light effects in your aquarium since the safety of your pet aquatic species is paramount, and the installation of electronics in the tank may result in the fish’s unintentional death due to short circuits. Simply place the light on the upper area of the aquarium to illuminate it.

14. Driftwood or untreated rock

Driftwood or beautifully formed wooden ornaments can be placed in a fish tank because certain fish enjoy eating the algae that grow on the driftwood. Furthermore, well-designed wooden decors can enhance the appearance of your aquarium.

Expert aquarists, on the other hand, advise against using untreated timbers, hardwoods, or decomposing woods in an aquarium.
When your tiny buddy wants to swim and play in the water, keeping rough and crude wood may damage it.

Furthermore, storing degraded or decomposed timbers may lead to the spread of harmful illnesses and diseases. As a result, avoid selecting unshaped woods for the fish tank’s hiding spot or décor.

If you find some really amazing driftwood, the greatest thing you can do is boil or soak it for a few hours beforehand. To get a little off-topic, saltwater driftwood may be used in a freshwater tank with no problems.

15. Plants with thorns

Keep thorny plants and herbs out of your aquarium since they can prick or harm your fish and other aquatic creatures that don’t know how to be safe. It is only your obligation to keep them safe from thorny and bushy items that might cause internal or external bleeding.

16. Anything that can be eaten

Aside from the food you provide your fish, there should be no other consumable items in your tank.

Fish do a lot of chewing and biting. It’s likely that if you put a loose rock in there, they’ll gnaw out a little chunk, which may be deadly. Toxic substances might also be discharged into the water.

Make sure you’re aware of all the potential negative effects of introducing new items to your tank; some plants may be dangerous to fish, so do your homework.

Take away

Keep both safety and visibility in mind. It’s not a good idea to place your fish tank near a doorway or in a high-traffic area where it might be knocked over by a rambunctious dog or a rushing youngster.

Also, avoid placing the tank directly behind a door, since this may form an obstruction and cause it to be knocked every time the door is opened and thoroughly learn what should you not put in a fish tank.

One Reply to “16 Dangerous Things – What Should You Not Put In A Fish Tank”

Regina Miller says:

March 16, 2022 at 4:58 pm

Thank you for writing such an informative article. My child likes to play with our goldfish, sometimes she place stones, pebbles and mostly tiny bits that she can see in the surroundings. We will surely place our tank somewhere she cannot reach.

SeaFish