Noise in Our Tanks!

[seaguru]

Just wondering if anyone has addressed the issue of how much sound we put into our water (with all the pumps that most of us probably have in our tanks for water motion/current) affect our fish?
In my 25 years in this hobby I have developed a superstition that pump noise in our tanks possibly contributes to our fish being stressed and/or to reduced immune system function. To that end I have put together my latest system (125g FOWLR) with overall inphasis on having all noise making components (pumps, etc) completely isolated from the tank i.e. plumbed out of my refugium which itself is not under the tank or physically attached to it. I feel our fish are used to wave/current sounds and not the constant hums put out by most pumps.
My point in this post is that some of us go to great lengths to avoid HLLE and other long term negative effects on our fish by using vitamins, grounding probes, etc. Well I just took it a step further in hopes of having problem free healthy fish for years, many years.
So does anyone out there have any data that supports my claims/suspicions? Thanks for any feedback you have, Joe.

 

[beth]

I don't think so, Sea, like any creatures, they get used to noise they hear all the time.
Have you ever noticed that your fish get stressed when the pumps go off?? Mine do!
Fish don't have ears anyway....I think its vibrations they are sensitive to.

 

[shadow678]

I have a friend that works at a fish store in a neighboring city that said he had a customer that kept having mysterious dieoff in his tank. His water params were all excellent, his quarantine methods were meticulous, and all the fish were very healthy when they went into his main tank. They would live for a few months in the Qtanks, then die after about a week in his main tank. They searched up and down for the reason:temp, pH, amm., trites, trates, KH, iron, everything they could think of. Then the thought occurred to them....his main tank was in his home theater room, beside a rather large su

oofer. The dieoff usually occured either right after or within a day or so of having the stereo on or watching a movie in there. The dramatic impact of a su

oofer thumping was enough to stress the hell out of the fish, and in most cases one occurrance was enough to do them in. Of course, pumps and such are not high-impact sound, but perhaps at certain frequencies, some fish may react poorly to it, but I can't imagine that would be enough to really affect the fish, or this would be a much more prevalent issue. But then again, maybe it is, and we just don't know about it? lol

 

[dubba-r]

mine is in my living room where the home theater is hooked up. Watch alot of dvds all the time. No problems with the fishes (knock on wood. )

 

[seaguru]

Thanks for your responses Beth, Shadow..., Dubba...
Ed (anthem), Terry B. I was hoping to get some input from you guys... ??? Any takers?

 

[seaguru]

Still waiting/hoping you sharks/long time aquarists out there will chime in... Joe.