# Can Aquariums Cause Asthma?



## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

Like the title says, can they? My kids are asthmatics and both of them have 2 ten gallon tanks in thier rooms for about 5 months. Everything has been normal(meaning the usual attacks and wheezing) but this past week they have been in the ER 3 days in a row! And one of them is there now with my wife. Has anybody had any reactions or allergies to fish tanks?
I know if I touch freezedried bloodworms and then rub my eyes they will blow up to the point of being completly closed! Had to be rushed to a doctor once for this.


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

Btw, They sleep with their doors closed and when I go in there in the morning you can pick that fish store "smell".


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## pwolfe (Mar 2, 2011)

in my experience if there is a smell the tank is in need of cleaning or is under filtered. my tanks have zero odor whatsoever.

no idea about the asthma though


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

pwolfe said:


> in my experience if there is a smell the tank is in need of cleaning or is under filtered. my tanks have zero odor whatsoever.
> 
> no idea about the asthma though


Tanks get weekly water changes and have no water parameter issues. Lots of plant in 3 of the 4 tanks and all growing well.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

sounds like a humidity issue


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

The only time that I have ever observed bad fish tank smell is when I have used foods with a lot of garlic. Are the kids' rooms pretty small? I wonder if something like shellfish content or other likely allergens in fish food could trigger asthma(?). If the tanks have any bubbling or splashing I think that could increase the likelihood of that kind of thing getting into the air.


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Funky smells usually mean something's up. Sometimes, you get a rainforest kinda scent goin on, but I can't imagine that scent would do much harm. Run some purigen in their rooms, it should strip the water of any organic funky stuff. 

My little brother has asthma, it was worse when we were younger, but we were always out fishing and playing in the river. My brother, in fact, used to stock the bait shop with leaches. I can't recall any reaction from anything other than pollen when we were out. 

Maybe they have a plant allergy to something in the tanks? Any predominant plants or any that boomed or flowered up?


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## BarefootPixie (Jan 23, 2012)

Some people have reactions to the freeze dried bloodworms. I know that if I keep the jar open for too long the smell will irritate my throat. Maybe avoid the freeze dried stuff?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Shangrila said:


> Like the title says, can they? My kids are asthmatics and both of them have 2 ten gallon tanks in thier rooms for about 5 months. Everything has been normal(meaning the usual attacks and wheezing) but this past week they have been in the ER 3 days in a row! And one of them is there now with my wife. Has anybody had any reactions or allergies to fish tanks?
> I know if I touch freezedried bloodworms and then rub my eyes they will blow up to the point of being completly closed! Had to be rushed to a doctor once for this.


Hi Shangrila,

+1 for msjinkzd comment. Aquariums increase humidity; increased humidity can lead to increased spores and molds (even if they are not visible). If in doubt take the tank out of the room, increase the ventilation for a few days with a fan, and see if the problems continue or diminish.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

steven p said:


> Funky smells usually mean something's up. Sometimes, you get a rainforest kinda scent goin on, but I can't imagine that scent would do much harm.


Coompleeetteellly agree. I get this smell and I love it. It smells fresh.

Smells that stink = bacteria. Bacteria = mold or an excess of decaying things. 

Check around for a leak or double check the tanks.. Any pictures of them/their setups?


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## pandacory (Apr 18, 2011)

Check for mold if there is a humidity issue. Mold can cause havoc with respiration. Check your whole house. Asthmatics will be more sensitive and doctors won't test for it.

As a kid I was asthmatic, and a humidifier helped me, but if there is an underlying mold issue the tank will make it worse.

Clean everything. Open windows and do an air exchange. Clean everything. My mom used to vacuum the dust off the walls even and that helped me. Check your hvac system. Especially if you heat with wood. 

I hope your kids get better. Asthma sucks.


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

No leaks or molds around the rooms or tanks. They have been sleeping on the couch downstairs in my living room for the past 3 days and there has not been any improvement. I'm wondering if its not the tanks and its just a bad go round with the asthma. They have had some really bad episodes in the past(before tanks). The ER treats them and we treat them but they just cant shake it. Sometimes we are up every 2 hours giving them both nebulizers. it's exhausting to say the least and know I feel like I am getting sick.


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## DanSanDiego (Sep 15, 2012)

Check the heater filter for the house. When was the last time it was changed? I assume being in NY, you are running the heater this time of year. Just a thought.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

+1 on the humidity and mold. In addition to the wet winter, the tank's humidity could be a problem. Keep the tanks covered and maybe add a dehumidifier.

A good hepa filter would be nice too. I developed allergies in NYC when I lived there. It got bad in the meldewed subways. It's not the cleanest city.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

First - Take them to their allergy/asthma specialist to see if there's something more serious going on.

Second - Make sure the tanks are covered to prevent evaporation and increased humidity in their rooms. This makes a huge difference.

I have crazy asthma and take things to an extreme. No carpeting in most of the house, dehumidifiers, fancy HVAC filtration system, mattresses sealed, pillows in special casing, no plants with pollen, no cleaners to irritate the lungs, no perfumes, no scented anything.

Also have tons of tanks in my home and find that covering them is the best bet.


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

I have had asthma attacks from certain things like some cats, carpeted houses mostly (acharids) and redwood dust (I was a carpenter)... If something an aquarium in their room would help their respiratory systems, that is why people buy humidifiers.

I hope you don't live in a carpeted house, that was killing me. Never again.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Aquarium evaporate water into the home, thus making it more humid, this alone is better than drier air for some.

But this also means a higher % of mold if you have a lot of tanks, and colder weather, humid wet winters, non double pane windows and other sweating/humidity overload type issues. I run a dehumidifier at night and cover the tanks in the winter. 

Some serious asthmatics find desert dry air to some of the best.

Depends on what sets it off.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> First - Take them to their allergy/asthma specialist to see if there's something more serious going on.
> 
> Second - Make sure the tanks are covered to prevent evaporation and increased humidity in their rooms. This makes a huge difference.
> 
> ...


i want to live in your house! my daughter and I have SUPER bad allergies and would love to tear out all the carpets... we have air purifiers etc... but ... oooo..

as far as fish tanks... the only time my allergies /asthema acts up is when i;m cleaning them... (but i'm allergic to all things green) and that 'rainforest' scent messes with my lungs... but who cares plants rule!


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## concepts88 (Oct 4, 2012)

You should seek out a good allergist. My son had problems, when tested 12 things on his arm, x 3, he was positive for almost all 36, and off he charts. He also had neubelizer when he was younger.

He now goes every week for shots, which is building his immunity. Its a 2 year thing, it is quite expensive, but this allergy season, his eyes didnt even get puffy. Its worth the investment, and its good for the rest of his life.
But talk to a professional.


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## NyteBlade (Aug 19, 2006)

I'm a pretty big allergy sufferer, and I've had quite a bit of experience with stuff like this over my years in the hobby. None of this is scientifically or medically based, but...

Aquariums themselves don't really contribute to allergies at all. That is the aquarium itself. There's lots of things related to aquariums that can create issues.

- Humidity is a major problem. I used to not be able to go near my aquariums for long periods of time. I discovered the evaporation off the top of the tanks, combined with the high humidity in the basement, had created mold on the ceiling in the basement. Adding glass tops to my aquariums as well as making sure the humidity is low year round with 2 dehumidifiers has helped significantly.

- Unclean aquariums has been an issue for me. Algae causes allergy symptoms. Cleaning the tanks when they're dirty causes allergy symptoms. Keeping your aquariums very clean and over filtering helps. Clean the filters mroe often too. It helps when you're cleaning a filter that's just a bit dirty versus 2 years of sludge!

- Be careful of all of the dirt/sludge/plant matter you leave around the tanks. Leaving rocks or aquarium equipment laying around all adds up. Keep your space neat and tidy. Keep your aquariums on hard surfaces makes water spills much easier to clean up. I like keeping my aquariums in the basement on tile, just because it's much easier to clean up.

- Keeping your aquarium running like a well oiled machine, so you don't have to keep poking around all the time in the tanks helps too. I'm not saying low-tech (I don't run low-tech), but a simple iwagumi-type layout with just a few types of plants helps out.

Keep in mind allergies aren't an all or nothing thing (for me, anyway). It all kind of adds up. So just improving my habits in some of these areas has helped.

Also going to an ENT/allergy specialist helped a lot too. I've been on allergy shots for 2 1/2 years now. I used to feel very dizzy, tired, and just very ill during allergy season. I swore I had mono or cancer or something...but it turned out to be very bad allergies! There's really not a cure, but allergy meds/allergy shots have allowed me to be more of a functional human being during bad allergy/sinus times!


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## tomfromstlouis (Apr 2, 2012)

I hope that my wife's experience with adult asthma and allergy doctors can benefit someone here. 

She had/has asthma as bad as anyone mentioned in this thread and two years ago was on five different medications that controlled the symptoms reasonably well. She had been using these meds for years and began to worry about the long term consequences of the steroids involved. She read the fine print that came with some of the meds and one had side effects "including death"!

Asthma is an auto-immune disorder, so strengthening the immune system through nutrition was the plan she devised (on her own, without the traditional allergy medical establishment). It worked! After two years of plant strong eating she has eliminated all but one med and that one is just one puff per day and is beginning to seem optional. 

Moral #1: The medical/pharma industry is full of well meaning individuals stuck in an expensive symptom treating industry; none of these people ever suggested curing this illness with nutrition.

Moral #2: the human body is amazingly resilient and giving it proper nutrition is very powerful. I eat nearly the same way she does and my energy level is noticiably improved. I caught a virus last year that would have had me down for days before; it was gone in a day. 

Moral #3: The Standard American Diet (SAD) is an invitation to illness. "Genetics loads the gun but environment pulls the trigger." If your genes make you susceptible to heart disease, cancer, or immune system challenges, provide yourself with a supportive environment. This includes carpeting, bedding etc. but there is no more important part of your environment than that which you swallow.


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## trgiboney (Apr 1, 2012)

*Test for Mold*

You can get a test kit at your local DIY store to test for mold. It has a petri dish or two that you sit out for a few days. This way you can rule out mold. I had a house that was only 4 years old and did not realize that there was mold in it until my child hood allergies started acting up. I also thought it was related to a tank that I had but it was only a 10 Gallon in a large house. I got rid of the tank and I didn’t see any improvements after 3 months. So I decided to test and found I had the black mold in one wall of the house because a windows was leaking allowing water in the wall that we never saw in the inside. 
Good luck and hopefully it’s just the change in the weather or something else other than mold because if it’s mold it’s hard to find. My house had over 30 holes in the walls from the air samples the health board was taking and then one whole wall was tore out and rebuilt.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

My oldest son has been battling asthma for the past 6 years. I keep lots of tanks in my place and so far nothing as bad as you've explained with your kids. I just bought a dehumidifier and that thing keeps my fish room very dry. It seems to help alot with the random attacks as well. 

What medication are you giving them? I find that albuterol alone will not help if they are having severe attacks. Budesonide is my go to drug when my kid starts getting attacks back to back. 

Hope your kids get better soon. I know and share your pain.


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## brainwavepc.com (Sep 27, 2011)

honestly I used to have asthma issues weekly until my wife and I started drinking fresh fruit and veggie smoothies and eating organic. 

Now I rarely have any issues. just saying it could be a diet issue. there is so much garbage in non organic foods that your body can't handle it. I won't go off about it but just do the research yourself. I felt horrible until switching and now I feel great!


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

I agree with the notion that the diet is key to have a healthier immune system thus less allergies. Sedentary life, Animal products, soy/corn based products plus sugar or even worse corn syrup and lack of sun are our nemesis.

Also... Dirt, fresh air, exercise, outdoors are our nature... We just spend too much time inside IMO.

My allergies/asthma fade out in humid and hot places such as Puna in the big island. Dry environments kill me.


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## NyteBlade (Aug 19, 2006)

tomfromstlouis said:


> I hope that my wife's experience with adult asthma and allergy doctors can benefit someone here.
> 
> She had/has asthma as bad as anyone mentioned in this thread and two years ago was on five different medications that controlled the symptoms reasonably well. She had been using these meds for years and began to worry about the long term consequences of the steroids involved. She read the fine print that came with some of the meds and one had side effects "including death"!
> 
> ...


 I wouldn't say this "cured" my allergies, but eating healthy in general...there's something to be said for that. When I worked at my first desk job I ate pop tarts for breakfast, fast food for lunch and I felt awful and developed some health issues. When I eat better I feel much better. I haven't eaten well as of late and I haven't felt great. Unhealthy foods really are an addiction; like a drug addict I eat things I know aren't good for me. I *really* need to improve my diet...I'm sure I'd notice an improvement in allergies too.


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

Your kids' health is more important than their enjoyment of aquariums. I would move the tanks out... if it's only 10 gallons, it will be an easy move (take out as much water as possible, place tank on a sturdy platform like a large piece of wood, then move that platform with tank on top somewhere like your kitchen or family room)

It might not be the cause of asthma, but at least this way you can rule it out and your kids can still enjoy the tanks as they're just elsewhere in the house. And like others said, a warm tank in cold winter in a small closed door environment will create humidity. The simple solution to rule out this problem is to move it out. Perhaps add something new to the kids' tanks or take them to your LFS when they're better so it still sparks their interest in aquarium and so it's not just total disapointment that the tank is no longer "theirs" in their own room.


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> First - Take them to their allergy/asthma specialist to see if there's something more serious going on.
> 
> Second - Make sure the tanks are covered to prevent evaporation and increased humidity in their rooms. This makes a huge difference.
> 
> ...


They do go to a asthma specialist. All tanks in the house are covered. I spent a fortune tearing up rugs and installing hardwood flooring. I really think this peticular episode was from a flu virus because not only are my kids sick but my wife and I are sick. I myself was deathly ill with fever and aches and pains all day yesterday. Today I am slightly better but far from perfect. We had to cancel a trip to my sisters in South Carolina for christmas because of this. This sucks.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

we have REALLY bad allergies here (asthema the works) and here is my 2 cents ..

AIR PURIFIER .. get WAY bigger then it should be and CLEAN weekly

tanks are fine just insure no alge issues (UV HOB filters help) and insure they are not allergic to the plants in the tank

CLOSE all chemicals TIGHT... prime has sulfer in it (I'm SERIOUSLY allergic to sulfer, so is my daughter), and most of the ferts make me sneeze.

cover the tanks (i don't) but i have an air filter NEXT to the tank (had to move it in there) as i'm allergic to all things green, furry, etc.. (and i have carpet so that means i'm always on allergy stuff)

my daughter actually ruled out going to some colleges due to allergins in the classrooms/dorms (sorry Princeton, stop emailing not happening) another thing that might be causing it could be the stand .. pressed wood is full of glue and stuff that is not great for allergies. 

i use the air purifier from lowes and leave on HIGH every time she leaves the room, it's SO quite you can run it on medium when they are IN the room. 

Oh, NO DIY CO2 (the smell is an issue for me, but as i'm the only one i suffer) i have college to pay for in the fall so a regulator system is out.

and a duh, NO (no matter how much the beg) fluffy, soft, teen, carpets ...

oh, and get a dyson - they REALLY do work if you have ANY carpet left - i do 

we went through a 1.5 year on meds allergy cycle that we KICKED with LOTS AND LOTS of air purifiers ... we didn't run them during sandy and she got sick ASAP... 

it's prob. not the tank...

ps.. love the willingness to tear up the carpet ... WISH we could.

i feel your pain... lots of Dr bills on this side, lots of things canceled, and i drive hotels crazy when we travel (allergy free rooms, or i bring my air purifier and run it for a few hours before i let her 'hang' in the room) ... i wish i could say it gets easier but it seems to get worse with stress and 'growth' stages.


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## AirstoND (Jun 17, 2011)

Carpeting, pet dander, high house humidity, and low temperatures are a recipe for asthma disasters.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

life is a recipe for asthma disasters.. not to mention stinky dance studios, and dusty dance competitions...


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