Reef Tank Sickness

[n-kleine]

Hello everyone. My son has had an odd cough for several years. We noticed it became worse after upgrading to larger tanks. We went through several doctors and were told by a specialist to remove the tank from the house because it was aggrivating my son. Anyone out there had this???? What does a reef aquarium release into the air? Does the sand bed release sulfur or some other toxic gas?

 

[Allmost]

a couple of years back [I live in a one bedroom condo, full of tanks] I had the same problem.

now I leave windows open and let sun in ... it has stopped since.

so basically I am not sure. it would increase humidity ... which can give ground to bacteria to grow ... but Im not sure.


hope he feels better soon

 

[n-kleine]

We measured humidity at 45% in the winter and 65 % right now at 80F outside. Can a humidity cause this? Was your cough very odd sounding? Thanks!!

 

[Allmost]

hopefully an MD would chime in, I really cant say if it was or no, but my coughs went away after !

or maybe something else in the air was bothering me at the time and leaving windows open helped ...

really not sure.

 

[Steveb]

It may have been due to the higher relative humidity vs. something being released into the air. My wife's mom has asthma and it is very difficult for her to come down to Houston to visit due the higher humidity levels. After 3 or 4 days she will be begin to get a shallow cough. This was even when we didn't have a reef tank in the house.

 

[n-kleine]

It may have been due to the higher relative humidity vs. something being released into the air. My wife's mom has asthma and it is very difficult for her to come down to Houston to visit due the higher humidity levels. After 3 or 4 days she will be begin to get a shallow cough. This was even when we didn't have a reef tank in the house.

Do you feel 65% is too high. It did seem to get worse when the temp jumps around as well.

 

[mc-cro]

I think 65% humidity is pretty high. I turn my dehumidifier on in the basement when it gets above 50%.

 

[n-kleine]

I think 65% humidity is pretty high. I turn my dehumidifier on in the basement when it gets above 50%.

Maybe I will pick one up and try that for a couple weeks before I tear the tank down.

 

[OodleyBoodely]

You might also try an air purifier. Some household types take out alergens (dust, molds, pollens, ect) common in the home and some will remove toxic chemicals such solvents.

 

[n-kleine]

You might also try an air purifier. Some household types take out alergens (dust, molds, pollens, ect) common in the home and some will remove toxic chemicals such solvents.

Already have 2 of them running

 

[Habib]

Hello everyone. My son has had an odd cough for several years. We noticed it became worse after upgrading to larger tanks. We went through several doctors and were told by a specialist to remove the tank from the house because it was aggrivating my son. Anyone out there had this???? What does a reef aquarium release into the air? Does the sand bed release sulfur or some other toxic gas?

There are plenty of organisms like algae and zoanthids which release substances in the water which can be inhaled either as a mist or gas and has (in rare cases) caused serious reactions.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19505494

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070722/

 

[n-kleine]

There are plenty of organisms like algae and zoanthids which release substances in the water which can be inhaled either as a mist or gas and has (in rare cases) caused serious reactions.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19505494

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070722/

Thank you for that. I know I have at least one colony of zoo that are shown in the pictures. Also the turf scrubber I am using is a "red" algae screen. I think I am going to go ahead and take it down just in case.

 

[Steveb]

Do you feel 65% is too high. It did seem to get worse when the temp jumps around as well.

Its all kind of relative we get up 90% humidity here in the summer so 65% feels dry to me. Except for the summer I actually sleep with a humidifier in the room.