music and fish?

[TheWolfman]

I think you should do it again and film it. You could see what music would sound best under water. I don't think fish can hear. I would imagine they pickup the vibrations through their lateral line though.

 

[robmcd]

I wonder if the "passsive smoking" may affect their appetite? Grateful dead live is funny, a song starts and 45 minutes later you realise it's still the same song......

Seriously though, in my young days I had My tanks in my bedroom where I always had music blasting and now most people have tanks in there living rooms so the fish would be exposed to lots of background noise. I'm not sure if there would be a huge effect, most likely water quality and diet will make a much bigger difference than a bit of music playing.
I have seen fish panic and scatter with the sound of a door suddenly slamming or dropping a heavy object but never seen them react to music at all, maybe some loud techno with heavy bass might do something but I wouldn't experiment on them with it.

I have been completely sober for 13 years now, although before that, I am positive that the ''passive'' smoking had its effects on my fish

 

[jjohnwm]

I get the distinct impression that some of you are not taking this seriously... It was a hot summer day, the water was cool...

Kidding aside, I've noticed very little response from fish to typical noise or sound in the fishroom under typical conditions. In my case, "typical conditions" means a constant background noise consisting of pumps humming, a bit of water flowing and the everpresent bubbling. With that "white noise" in the background, a person speaking, cranking a radio or clapping hands produces no reaction. But...turn off a couple pumps and the room is eerily silent. Wait a few minutes, clap your hands loudly, and watch the fish closely. Many of them give a slight "start" or other reactive twitch; nothing extreme, but still noticeable. Enough to suggest that they are at least aware of the sound in some way.

Considering the efficiency with which sound waves propagate underwater, it suggests that fish would naturally have evolved an ability that allows them to detect and interpret these vibrations. Lateral line, inner ear, both...seems easiest to simply call it "hearing". Nowadays hearing protection is almost universally mandated for workers exposed to high sound volumes. Doesn't seem too far fetched to consider reduced sound volume to be a benefit for fish?

robmcd , was the weed affecting your fish...or just your ability to observe them...?

 

[esoxlucius]

If you're an angler you know full well that bankside noise can clear your swim in a heartbeat. Whether this is a loud radio on the bank (i've seen this countless times) or loud footfall. Hammering a keep net pole into the ground or your umbrella pole. All these noises are picked up via the lateral line which must be extremely sensitive to noise and vibration.

In a fish tank the poor fish have to endure the constant drone of pumps, filters, powerheads, made even worse when you consider how well water carries noise. Not only that you've got the thud of footfall, doors banging, televisions, music centres etc etc.

And let's not forget the unforgettable raucous clatter of the wife nagging at you as well, the fish hear it all. Lol.

And on top of that they've got to put up with all the visual distraction too. Shadows passing the tank, lights going on and off, the picture of the TV flashing away.

Put it all together and it's no wonder fish sometimes spook that bad that they knock themselves out or worse, jump out!

 

[Raka]

Having started filming in my tanks recently I was suprised how loud even the smallest sponge filter makes a tank. Much less a HOB, my AC70 completely drowns out any other noise in the tank.

I will note that I have "smoked out" a betta in the past, it was no bueno... He took one breath from the surface full of smoke and that was the end of him.