As with anything, safety comes first. When you have a glass box filled with water and include various electrical appliances connected to it, you can see there is the potential for disaster. Here are some tips on making your fishtank safe for both your fish and your family.
Tank placement is very important.
Do not place the tank on a piece of furniture not specifically built
for holding a fishtank. Water is very heavy, for instance... a 10
gallon tank filled with water and decorations can weigh over 100 pounds!
Also, do not place the tank on the floor where it could be kicked or tripped
over.
Make the tank as level as possible.
With all that weight of the water pushing against the glass sides of the
tank, you really don't want anything to weaken the tank and compromise
its integrity. One of the main things is to make sure the surface the tank
is resting on is flat and regular. If there is a small bump or irregularity
on the surface it could stress one portion of your tank where it may crack.
Tether the tank to the wall if necessary.
If your tank height is large (18"+) or on a stand which is fairly tall then
it would be a good idea if the tank was tethered to one or two studs in the wall.
This would make the tank much more sturdy and less prone to tipping in the
wrong direction. Tethering is especially important if it is in a high traffic
area or if there are climbing monkeys in the house.
Loop the power cords.
If you have a fishtank on a typical stand, it is about two feet above
the usual placement of an electrical outlet. It is important that
the outlet is not along the lowest track of the power cord. There
should be a dip in the cord which is lower than the outlet. This will
prevent water from dripping into the electrical outlet, which would be
very bad news!
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Use a Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor (GFCI).
If your outlet does not have a GFCI built in, then you
should purchase a power strip which does use one. The surge protector
ensures that if an electrical current should enter the tank (either from
a frayed wire, sunken light strip, or broken heater) that the circuit will immediately
be broken, saving you and your fish from a powerful repetitive shock.
Turn off all electrical appliances when servicing the tank.
As mentioned earlier, water and electricity is a dangerous thing when
combined together. To prevent any electrical shock to you or your fish,
always turn off ALL of the electric appliances that are connected to your
fish tank when you are servicing it (water changes, algae scraping, etc.)
Use a cover adequate for the aquarium.
There are many reasons to put a cover over your tank. One reason is
to prevent some fish from jumping out (many fish do this regularly).
Another reason is to keep foreign objects out of the tank. Objects
such as cat paws come to mind, but also children's hands can be just as
bad for the fish. Especially when they have a fistful of cheerios to
"feed the fish" with...
Put the fish food and medicine in a safe place.
There are a lot of products on the market which are indended for
aquarium use only. Fish foods, medicines, chemical test kits, and
other such products need to be stored in a safe place. Brightly colored
bottles with screw-tops will definitely be found interesting to children
or sneaky pets, and that must be avoided.
Wash hands before and after servicing the tank.
There are many living organisms in your tank other than your precious fish. This
is to protect you and your fish. Various bacteria, algae spores, nematodes (worms),
even single-celled organisms such as paramecia are moving about in the tank. It is
extremely rare that anything would be transmitted to a human, but it is still a very
good idea to prevent any potential risks by scrubbing your hands/arms with unscented
soap prior to and after servicing your tank. Make sure your hands are devoid of any
soap residue before putting them in the tank.