Is It Okay to Sleep Close to a Fish Tank in the Bedroom?
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The idea of a fish tank in a bedroom may be a turn off for some people, but the sight of your cute, little fish jumping around and having the time of their life is truly a joy. As with the case with other pets, keeping a close proximity to your fish endears you closer to them.
You are able to monitor their progress and with such wonderful company, there will never be a dull moment in your room. But is it safe to sleep next to a fish tank? The answer can be a yes or a no depending on what angle you look at it from. Read on for more insight on this topic.
Is It Okay to Sleep Close to a Fish Tank in the Bedroom?
There’s nothing wrong with sleeping close to a fish tank provided you take some precautionary measures. First, you should decide on an appropriate position for the tank. At the very least, ensure the tank is placed in a spot where you cannot easily tip it over. Well, most fish tanks are fairly heavy and a minor bump may not do any harm. In the event it actually tips over, however, the extent of loss and damage may be too grave to contemplate. From a messy floor to your fish possibly dying of oxygen deficiency.
Another precaution you should take is to ensure regular cleaning of the fish tank. As it attracts a lot of humidity, fish tanks can offer breeding grounds for germs, fungi, bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms. The situation could be worse if you have children around. When cleaning a fish aquarium, ensure you also disinfect them using an antiseptic so as to prevent any possible bacterial regrowth.
Lastly, there should not be a problem at all if the noise given during the night is not a bother to you. There are two ways to look at this. First, your room could be large enough to diffuse the noise, thereby making you sleep soundly with the tank in the room. Secondly, the noise may be too feeble which interferes with your sleep. In either case, you will find the idea of a fish aquarium in your room quite welcome.
Benefits of Sleeping Next to a Fish Tank
Minimal Danger Depending on the Quality – We have discussed what could possibly go wrong when sleeping close to a fish aquarium, such as tipping it over; however, if the tank is made of high-quality glass or acrylic and backed by enough weight, it may be difficult to easily tip it over. Also, with a high quality tank , you may want to consider acrylic over glass if you’re concerned about humidity and excessive moisture accumulating in the room.
May Improve Sleep – Some people may readily dismiss fish aquariums as being too noisy. But what they sometimes don’t realize is that the noise given by these tanks may actually promote better sleep. Fish tanks give off white noise which masks any background noises, thereby helping you fall asleep. Also, as we already mentioned, there is a therapeutic feel you get just by watching fish play in their aquarium. This feeling is also known to improve the quality of sleep.
Stress and Anxiety Relief – Fish tanks are known to help manage stress and anxiety. This is especially true for seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. With a fish aquarium in their bedroom, their nerves will be calmer and as such, sleep will come naturally. They will also wake up to a day full of energy and vigor, just by watching the fish move in their aquariums.
Easy to Monitor Your Fish – There is a huge sense of convenience that comes with placing a fish aquarium in the same room as you sleep. You can watch and track the progress of your fish anytime of the night without the need to go out of the room. Even better, you can do so from the comfort of your bed.
Calm Light for Better Sleep – Last but not least, fish aquariums provide gentle light, which again is known to induce sleep. Consider it a healthier and less-costly replacement for low-wattage bulbs in your bedroom. The gentle light given by fish tanks has this calming effect on your eyes, seamlessly drifting you off to a sound sleep.
Possible Dangers of Sleeping Close to a Fish Tank
It May Tip Over
As has already been discussed, one of the most nasty drawbacks of sleeping close to a fish tank is the possibility of the water tipping over. And as expected, this comes with even nastier challenges. First, it is only natural that when the tank tips over, water will splash out and flood your room, thereby subjecting you to hours of cleaning up after the mess.
And imagine if the water splashes onto your sheets – the kind of cleaning up that would follow is something you do not want to imagine. Another possible effect of water splashing out of the fish tank is that bad bacteria may splash onto your face or your bed sheet. Some of these bacteria and other microorganisms could cause a wide range of health problems such as skin sensitivities and allergic reactions.
Possible EMF Radiation from the Motor
The motor that operates your fish aquarium uses electricity to run. As such, it gives out substantial Electromagnetic Field radiation. You do not need to be a clinical researcher to understand the relationship between EMF radiation [or any other forms of radiation for that matter], and DNA & cellular damage.
And it gets worse considering fish tanks may not adhere to the recommended EMF emission levels of between 0.5 mG and 2.5 mG. With extended exposure to such harmful radiation, you could be opening up your immunity for attack by cancers or worse yet, your DNA could face permanent damage.
For measuring the amount of radiation in your environment, use a detector such as the Latnex HF-B3G Power Meter Analyzer and Detector on Amazon.
Excess Humidity
High humidity is yet another known adverse effect of keeping a fish tank in your bedroom. High humidity is associated with the growth of mildew and mold that cause various health concerns such as allergic reactions and asthma. If high humidity is coupled with high temperature conditions, you could even suffer from more severe health risks such as heat stroke, especially if you also suffer from heart conditions.
However, the good news is that high humidity can easily be managed. One effective method is to use a dehumidifier to reduce any excessive moisture that’s given off by the aquarium. A more proactive measure is to constantly monitor humidity conditions and ensure they do not surpass the normal levels.
It Promotes Bad Feng Shui
There are various reasons as to why the idea of a fish aquarium in your bedroom is bad feng shui. For starters, it is important to ensure good feng shui inside your bedroom if you wish to improve your health, sleep and personal energy. Therefore, a higher feng shui energy directly equates to higher personal energy. One of the most notable bedroom feng shui taboos is water elements. And whether we’re talking about the actual presence of water in things like fountains, fish tanks, or images, this is a feng shui taboo you certainly want to watch out for.
According to the feng shui concept, water is associated with emotions of fear, grief and despondency. You may also be aware that one of the most effective elements of bedroom feng shui is fire, so it is only natural that water, being the opposite of fire, gives quite the opposite feeling. Water in the bedroom adversely affects your ability to catch sleep and communicate with your partner. One reason the fish aquarium is especially discouraged for good bedroom feng shui is because it has a double negative effect – the water and glass imitate a mirror, which could also bring negative energy into the room.
So while the energy of a good feng-shui aquarium is generally calming, it is also associated with powerful and active movement. The constant movement is caused by the main elements of the aquarium that include fish, water and the vegetation. Together, these elements go against the nourishing energy required in the bedroom, thereby making you to be less sensible with your partner.
May Take up Too Much Space
Fish tanks can be very big depending on the fish species you keep or the number of tank mates there are. For example, fish species like the Oscar require tanks as large as 150 gallons. This may not be a problem if your room is spacious but for the standard-size bedrooms, it could take up quite a bit of space.
In addition to space consumption, the lighting requirements of a fish aquarium may be very strenuous on the power supply in your room.
The Light Could Interfere with Your Sleep
Fish tanks are designed with aquarium lights, and understandably so. Aquarium lights enable you to see through the tank and spot any visible problems. Through them, you can check out what fishes are becoming aggressive with their tank mates, which ones appear sick and which ones are not feeding like they should. Also, the lights are instrumental in regulating the eating and sleeping habits of the fish, not to mention adding some aesthetic flair to the tank. But while aquarium lights are of immense benefit to the fish, they are not so helpful in improving the quality of your sleep.
Generally, we sleep more profoundly when the room is dark. Exposure to too much light in the bedroom may offset our biological clock and delay sleep or come sooner. Our retinas are built with light-sensitive cells that dictate our internal clock. The aquarium lights in your bedroom will make the light-sensitive cells in your retina to relay false signals to the brain region responsible for sleep, to the effect that it is still day time hence sleep should not be induced.
Conclusion – Is It Okay to Sleep Close to a Fish Tank in the Bedroom?
There are so many benefits of having a fish aquarium in your bedroom, just as there are reasons against it. As long as you can take care of the sleep deprivation part, the idea of a fish aquarium in your bedroom should be welcome.
