Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => General Fishkeeping advice => Topic started by: ID2 on February 18, 2017, 11:46:17 AM
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Hi All
I've recently gotten into the hobby of burners and scented wax melts. Absolutely gutted to discover that these melts are actually toxic to aquatic life. Well the melts that I have anyway. Luckily I haven't burned any yet. I just noticed on the safety instructions on the packets that it's toxic to them.
Has anybody else used these while having a fish tank? Is there a way around it? Does it mean I can't burn them in the same room as the tank, but I can elsewhere in my house? Or does it mean a no go for the entire house?? Devastated :(
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I've since emailed the company I bought my wax from and they said it's not about the wax burning in the air that's toxic to aquatic life, it's about how it's disposed of afterwards. They said not to pour it down the sink afterwards. Although, I have no idea how this would affect aquatic life disposing of it this way? They said the information has to be added to certain safety labels due to the CLP, but have said it's fine to burn the wax near fish.
Any thoughts on this?
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Anything that gets into the air is potentially harmful to your fish. That includes a wide variety of things from paint to candles. I wouldn't use your melts in the same room as the fish, but as long as you keep the door shut, it should be OK in another room.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/2016/12/13/toxic-shock-the-everyday-chemicals-that-can-kill-your-fish
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We burn joss-sticks, scented candles, have a log burner etc all in the same room as the tank and there's never been a problem.
mmm - makes me sound like an old hippy. 8)
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@ColinB Does the sound of the little finger cymbals that go ting and the Gamelan in the garden keep them awake?
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This is interesting because I have lots of candles and scented stuff at Christmas time, next year will be the first year with the fish so looks like the candles will be moving rooms!! I get the fragrance in the air could bother them but yes the disposing down the sink seems an odd way to do any harm to the tank life :fishy1:
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@fish-friends I don't think they are referring to @ID2 aquatic life but the water will eventually end up in the water treatment works and their microbes plus the fish beyond it in the river system might see the effects
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Oh yes of course! :-[
That makes a lot more sense!
Having a dumb moment!!!
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I had a chat with a friend about it earlier and we came to the conclusion that not disposing it in the sink was to probably avoid getting it into the water system, rather than it affecting my fish directly. I guess they have to put these warnings on to meet regulations and to cover themselves.
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Anything that gets into the air is potentially harmful to your fish. That includes a wide variety of things from paint to candles. I wouldn't use your melts in the same room as the fish, but as long as you keep the door shut, it should be OK in another room.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/2016/12/13/toxic-shock-the-everyday-chemicals-that-can-kill-your-fish
I wouldn't run the risk of using them in the same room as my fish, even although I have a tight-fitting lid on the tank. Warnings are usually there for a reason, and I wouldn't want it on my conscience afterwards if anything happened to them and I'd knowingly gone against advice such as in this article. I have used non-scented candles in the presence of my fish, though - my goldfish got very stressed by the flickering frame and so I had to place them out of his sight.
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I have always used Josh sticks and melt wax scents. I burn them nearly everyday in same room as my fish. Ive never had a prob. I didn't even know they were a problem.
I do have open stairs so it's not used in a confined place. I use colonial candle simmer snaps and there is no warning on them.
Maria
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*phew* Not just me then!
Om...
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I too use air fresheners and scented doodahs at home. I've got tanks every room except the bath room and I've never had a problem.