Can You Keep an Aquarium in a Bedroom?

The majority of us spend most of our time in our bedroom.

We sleep, study, and get dressed there. Many of us go the extra mile to make our bedrooms cozier by enhancing their aura.

One way to do that is by adding a fish tank.

Adding an aquarium to your bedroom has its perks as well as consequences. Let’s discuss these in detail.

Is it OK to Keep an Aquarium in a Bedroom?

Yes, you can keep an aquarium in your bedroom.

When placing an aquarium around the house, you must ensure that you keep it in a quiet corner where there is a limited activity.

Fish tend to react to their surroundings and disturbances, such as loud noises, can startle them and severely affect their health.

That being said, if your room has a quiet corner, you can totally keep an aquarium in your bedroom!

A bedroom is usually the quietest part of the house, with not much activity going on. Compare your bedroom to your kitchen or lounge.

The clang of utensils, the noises from the TV, and the constant chatter can disturb your fish that survive best in a quiet environment, like in your bedroom.

However, there is a downside to placing an aquarium in your bedroom.

While the aquarium can be a cozy sight to look a while falling asleep at night, the noises from the aquarium heater and filter and the flashing lights can cause distractions and keep you awake.

If the noises and lights don’t bother you, feel free to keep an aquarium in your bedroom.

If your bedroom, unlike most bedrooms, has a lot of human activity going on, it will be best if you found another place for your fish tank around the house.

Fish are spooked by humans very quickly and will hide out of fear if there is a lot of movement around their tank.

If you have an open aquarium or tank with significantly large fish, water may splash out of your tank occasionally.

You might need to clean your bedroom more often than you already do if you place a fish tank inside.

Whenever it is time to clean the fish tank, you must prepare yourself as your room will get messy as well. If you don’t mind the mess or the smell, you are good to go!

Benefits of keeping Aquarium in the Bedroom

Other than making your bedroom cozier, an aquarium also radiates positive energy.

The vibrant colors of the fish, the green plants, the colorful decorations, and the twinkling lights can create a beautiful ambiance in your room.

If you place your aquarium in your bedroom, you will be closer to your fish.

You can check up on them every morning and each night before going to bed. If you are worried about any side effects on your health, then don’t worry because there aren’t any.

What to Do When Putting an Aquarium in a Bedroom

Keeping a fish tank in a bedroom is quite similar to placing it anywhere else in the house.

However, there are some special things you must take care of:

1. Get a Quiet Filter

An aquarium filter with an air pump will make some noise at night while you are sleeping.

If you are someone who needs complete silence to fall asleep, you might want to switch out the noisy filter in your fish tank for a quieter one.

Filters that usually come with a fish tank when you buy it are extremely noisy and can disturb you at night.

You can get an excellent, quiet filter from the pet store if you invest some money.

However, if you are on a tight budget, there are other ways to eliminate the noise from your filter.

Attach a piece of fleece to your filter or place the air pump on a soft surface to lower the noise level.

Whatever you do, do not switch the filter off at night. Your fish needs it all the time.

Also read: 6 Simple Tricks to Quiet the Air Pump In Your Aquarium

2. Control the Humidity

Fish do not dwell well in too much moisture. If you keep your bedroom windows closed, especially at night, your surroundings can get quite humid.

Please do not open the windows as it can cause a temperature change. Instead, it would be best if you covered your fish tank with a lid.

Alternatively, you can also get a dehumidifier for your bedroom.

Please turn it on during the night or in the morning so you can control the humidity in the surroundings.

3. Avoid Keeping the Tank under Direct Sunlight

Even though fish survive in plenty of sunlight in the wild, direct sunlight can be harmful to them. Direct sunlight boosts the production of algae inside the tank.

Within a short period, you will notice escalated algae production in the tank. You will have to clean the fish tank more often if this happens.

When you wake up in the morning and draw your curtains, ensure the sunlight doesn’t hit your tank.

Also read: How to Remove Brown Algae from the Fish Tank?

4. Avoid using the Air Conditioner

If you live in a region where you absolutely need to turn on the air conditioner (AC) whenever you are in your room, placing the tank in your bedroom might not be such a great idea after all.

While you will enjoy a good night’s sleep in a cool environment, your fish will not appreciate it.

Unlike humans, fish are cold-blooded and need a stable temperature throughout the day to survive.

Instead of changing the temperature in your room by turning on the AC, switch your blankets out for their thinner versions.

Sleep with less clothing on your body. This might eliminate the need for an AC in your room.

5. Keep the Aquarium Away from Electrical Sockets

An essential lesson from science class is that water and electricity do not mix at all.

If you have ever touched a plug or a switch with wet hands, you will know what we’re talking about.

Even though you can survive these small electric shocks, there is no way that the little fish in your tank will be able to live after an electric jolt.

Keep the aquarium in your bedroom at least 4 feet away from any electrical connection.

If you need a socket for the heater, filter, and tank lights, get longer cords or extension cables but do not bring your tank any closer to the socket.

6. Clean the Tank Regularly

This goes without saying: you MUST clean your fish tank regularly. However, clean your aquarium more frequently when it is placed in your bedroom.

Spraying scents like perfumes, deodorants, and air fresheners in your bedroom regularly can cause their tiny droplets to be absorbed by the water in the fish tank.

These scents contain harmful chemicals that can harm the health of your fish and even kill them.

If you don’t clean your fish tank regularly, the foul smell of the unpleasant water and the nasty gases will make their way into your bedroom.

Such an environment will not be good for you or your fish.

The Best Places in the House to Keep an Aquarium

Here are the best places you can keep your aquarium in your house.

1. The Hallway

Placing an aquarium in a shadowed and quiet hallway with natural lighting is a great idea.

If you have a significantly big house with hallways between rooms, consider putting your fish tank there.

Not only can the aquarium spruce up a dull hallway, but it can also serve as a division between two rooms.

Hallways also have adequate ventilation from all sides, creating a comfortable environment for the fish.

2. The Lounge

Even though the noise of your TV can spook out the fish, placing your fish tank in the lounge isn’t such a bad idea.

A lounge is usually the center of the house. Putting a tank in the lounge will enable you to keep an eye on your fish as you go around the house doing your daily activities.

Since it’s an open space, a lounge will also have plenty of sunlight, which is beneficial for the fish.

3. The Study

If you have a study in your house, consider placing your aquarium in it. A study is not used much often.

It is the ideal calm and dark place for your little fish.

An aquarium can also be a beautiful addition to your study, standing out amongst the furniture, especially if your study has a vintage vibe.

Final Thoughts

Taking care of fish is, fortunately, quite simple.

As long as you give them a healthy environment and take care of their food, air, water, and temperature needs, you will be good to go.

While the placement of an aquarium around the house matters, it is not the only thing that you must focus all your attention on.

If you really want to keep your fish in your bedroom, go ahead. As long your fish are being cared for and looked after, they will thrive well in your bedroom.

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