What does 'volatile' mean and why can it be bad for your tank?

Sk8r · 06/14/2016, 01:48 PM

"Volatile" ]vol-ih-TILE] comes from Latin "volare" to go airborne. Little molecules of the stuff actually leave the surface of some substances, either liquids or solids, and float through the air to reach our noses, informing us 'it smells.'

These little molecules can miss your nose and land right in your tank water.

The more a stuff 'smells', the more volatiles it emits. Sometimes a volatile comes along with other things, like oily film. Sometimes substances give off a lot more volatiles when heated.

Volatiles are emitted by: perfumes, perfumed candles, room deodorizers, carpet freshener, 'aromatherapy', perfumed oils, paints, bug sprays, various aerosols, paint removers, solvents, cleaning agents, furniture polish, and glass cleaners. If it smells, something physical is leaving that thing and floating around in the air.

If it is floating around in the air where your tank is, it can get into your water.

Many volatiles, particularly oils and perfumes, are not tank-friendly. Reconsider your basic housekeeping where it regards scents and cleaners in a closed space with your tank, and if someone other than you personally cleans in that room, have a specific discussion with that person. Housekeepers particularly have a set of substances they use, they're deeply into routine, and they don't readily vary that routine, and, well, it can be a problem. It's a good idea when cleaning tank glass, eg, to spray a cloth in another room, and bring just the cloth in to do the job. Same with, say, Pledge, or its like. When painting or varnishing, be sure you can open the windows. A small room in which a LOT of something has been used or accumulates is not good. A big room with good ventilation and sensible use of such substances will fare much better.

BigEZ77 · 06/14/2016, 03:05 PM

Good post. Funny that you posted this today...last night I had to ditch a batch of saltwater because the wife decided to clean the bathroom it was mixing in. One smell of the cleaning product and down the drain for the water. I was not impressed, lol. It's hard getting those who are not in the hobby to understand how sensitive these types of things are.

Bent · 06/14/2016, 03:09 PM

I thought volatile meant likely to change rapidly?

Sk8r · 06/14/2016, 03:38 PM

other meaning of 'to go airborne'.

kmbyrnes · 06/15/2016, 05:58 AM

As in 'My wife's temper can be volatile when we talk about keeping volatile cleaning products away from the tanks'.

06/14/2016, 01:48 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	What does 'volatile' mean and why can it be bad for your tank? "Volatile" ]vol-ih-TILE] comes from Latin "volare" to go airborne. Little molecules of the stuff actually leave the surface of some substances, either liquids or solids, and float through the air to reach our noses, informing us 'it smells.' These little molecules can miss your nose and land right in your tank water. The more a stuff 'smells', the more volatiles it emits. Sometimes a volatile comes along with other things, like oily film. Sometimes substances give off a lot more volatiles when heated. Volatiles are emitted by: perfumes, perfumed candles, room deodorizers, carpet freshener, 'aromatherapy', perfumed oils, paints, bug sprays, various aerosols, paint removers, solvents, cleaning agents, furniture polish, and glass cleaners. If it smells, something physical is leaving that thing and floating around in the air. If it is floating around in the air where your tank is, it can get into your water. Many volatiles, particularly oils and perfumes, are not tank-friendly. Reconsider your basic housekeeping where it regards scents and cleaners in a closed space with your tank, and if someone other than you personally cleans in that room, have a specific discussion with that person. Housekeepers particularly have a set of substances they use, they're deeply into routine, and they don't readily vary that routine, and, well, it can be a problem. It's a good idea when cleaning tank glass, eg, to spray a cloth in another room, and bring just the cloth in to do the job. Same with, say, Pledge, or its like. When painting or varnishing, be sure you can open the windows. A small room in which a LOT of something has been used or accumulates is not good. A big room with good ventilation and sensible use of such substances will fare much better. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/14/2016, 03:05 PM	#2
BigEZ77 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Ottawa ON Canada Posts: 797	Good post. Funny that you posted this today...last night I had to ditch a batch of saltwater because the wife decided to clean the bathroom it was mixing in. One smell of the cleaning product and down the drain for the water. I was not impressed, lol. It's hard getting those who are not in the hobby to understand how sensitive these types of things are. __________________ Russell Banggai / Yellow Wrasse / Black Ice and Davinci Clowns / Flame Angel / Royal Gramma / Blue Chromis / LPS (dominated) / Monti's / Softies / BTA's Current Tank Info: 45G Rimless, Tunze 9004, Kessil A160WE, Gyre XF130, 50lbs rock, Reef Crystals, Phosguard in reactor, Matrix, Chemipure Blue and NP XL biopellets in sump

06/14/2016, 03:09 PM	#3
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I thought volatile meant likely to change rapidly? __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

06/14/2016, 03:38 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	other meaning of 'to go airborne'. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/15/2016, 05:58 AM	#5
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	As in 'My wife's temper can be volatile when we talk about keeping volatile cleaning products away from the tanks'. __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small