Stresso, Tank stress Options

[CHLeong]

Hi Bros,
Would like to share with everyone what I am doing and investigating. I have been trying to understand the differences in environment for goldfish raised in a pond and tank. Noise is one area I am looking at and I understand that noise/vibration multiply many times in water media.
I am no scientist so feel free to rebuke my discoveries. As we understand that generally fishes react to the environment via their lateral line. So I placed my ear against the wall of my tank, and realised that they are living in a very noisy envirnoment. Vibration from the internal water pump, air pump, the sponge filter are generating a lot of noise. Its like blasting a mini compo in a bed room(tank) as compare to placing in a park(pond).
Bros, put your ear to your tank wall, off all equipment and realise how peaceful. Then turn on everything, do you find any difference?
Attach are pictures which I have made to reduce the noise in their environment.


I am in a middle designing a less stress tub for my fishes, that I will also share with everyone.

Comments?

[HappyBuddha]

I must confess when I read your post I thought you're too free.

I have never listened to my tank ever before. Out of sheer boredom I decided to try (but I make sure no one is around.)

OH MY GOD! You're right. It's so noisy! Those of you who have never placed your ear against the glass tank do so to experience it.

So I turn off the IOS's water pump first. Strange, the noise has reduced somewhat only. Next I turn off the air-pump and boy, it's near complete silcence except for the ticking noise made by the Auto-feeder!

In my setup, the bubbling sponge filters make the most noise. The air-pump itself is not even place on the tank but hang on a wall.

Since everyone has some form of aerating bubbles in their tank, I don't think the noise hurts the fish at all. I think this may have to do with the noise is a constant and, I'm not sure about fishes, for human our brain automatically filters away constant "white" noise. If you have a fan blowing at you now, you probably didn't notice its noise until I asked you to pay attention to it. So in a tank, the noise in it may be ignored by our fishes, but a sudden loud bang will definitely shock them.

In any case, does your modifcation to reduce noise and vibration helps your fish?

Thanks for sharing this very unique topic!

[CHLeong]

You are definitely right that it will adjust itself eventually. However, I felt that since we spent dollars on our fishes, a less stress envirnoment will benefit our expensive collection.
With the modification, the noise/echo level has reduced but not eradicted. I intend to use a outside pump to draw the water into my top filer. I just came back from the stores, looking for a out-of-water pump but futile, lots of cheap taiwanese and chinese submersible.
Just in case bros here asked whether I check out the echo in the pond. I did visit the farm, initially the ah pek agreed to my request. But before I put my head in, he asked what kind of hair gel I used. My reply was "Catsby" and he stopped me. He doesn't wants his fishes killed as the advert of catsby where man had turned to skeleton. Ha..kidding...

[James]

Hi, recently i bought an airpump to make some green water.
as the air pumb has 2 outlet, i connected the spare one to my goldfish tank. When I do that, notice that there is a very large noise (like the air pump is inside the tank) when i press my ear against the tank.

Want to know whether this is ok? will it stress the goldfish (currently having 5 ranchu in the tank)

Rgds.

[James]

yeap, i feel that the noise is very high too. i used to have used a OHF where the motor is above water but impeler in the water. almost no noise when press ear against tank. Then i day i bought a submersible pump for another ohf, and i thot the since 1 more filtration so can add more fish. so buy 3 more goldfish. however, i always not comfortable with the large noise generated by the sub pump. Anyway, few weeks later, somehow disease breakout and almost all the fishes died (2 fancy, 2 comet, 2 ryukin). i still think is overcrowding, but then there is always the nagging doubt in my mind whether the noise is a factor too.
but since so many ppl has no problem with the pump in water, so should be ok.

anyway, for sharing..

[mountain]

my airpump does not come into contact with any part of the tank . other then that , its just the sponge bubbling away .. old man ears so Sharp!! can hear the ticker clock... i can't!!

[CHLeong]

Hi Bros, I,m still making investigation and as HB said it will adjust itself to the envirnoment. So I do not think it will cause much alarm but definitely it a stressor. Through my experience of mistakes, adding too many fishes to a tank instantly will definitely cause an outbreak. Reason is the bios system is just not ready to handle the load.
The filter I like to use for goldfish is ohf, reason is its easy mantainence. Especially the latest ohf with three tiers with over head pump. As we know that babies goldfish cannot have to deep water depth or else it will affect its swim bladder development. Besides I also observed that most farms do not put junior ranchu in deep tanks. So a requirement for with lower water level is a better option for junior goldfish. Thats where the overhead pump cannot work, which comes the submersible, a terrible substitute.
As for air bubbles in a tank, do use a diffuser and hold the air line with a sucker. With it...its much sweeter.

[HappyBuddha]

Like I mentioned earlier, my airpump is not in contact with the tank. The noise I heard thus is not made by the airpump itself. It's the exploding bubbles that is making the loud noise. I seriously doubt you can reduce the noise except turning down the bubbling rate. But it's important we aerate a goldfish tank well, much better than for other fancy fishes as goldfish is said to require more DO. So I rather opt for noise over less DO.

[CyberET]

i can't sleep if i leave my toilet door open
the bubbling of so many airstones will stress me instead