Airpumps and fragrance?

[mooflakes]

So I have two airpumps and I also love burning incense. I was told that any strong fragrance is a problem for airpumps and your tank. (Which makes sense to me.)
I can't really burn it anywhere else, so I'm wondering if there are ways to protect the airpumps and my tank?

Could I temporarily turn them off?
Could I put a bag or something around them?
Thanks!

 

[Petersgirl]

Personally, I'm a worrywart so I don't use incense (although previously I absolutely loved the stuff, and being Wiccan it really ties into my practice), or any kind of perfumed agent. If I have to spray anything (deo, perfume, etc) I go into the hall and use it. I won't even use the gel type fresheners because the gel inside is so toxic to aquatic animals (I know it's nowhere near the tank, but hey, I confessed to worrywart-ism).

To freshen my room I use Shake N Vac (after closing the axolotls' tank lid) and launder the bedding with scent boosters (UnStoppables by Lenor) to get around the problem, along with plenty of fresh air.

I think the main problem with incense and air pumps/tanks is that the smoke can 'settle' on your tank, and obviously, that's toxic for your tank. Personally, and I hate to say this, I've just gone cold turkey on anything smelly and airborne. I'd rather have my babies than a nice-smelling room, even if the incense is absolutely divine.

 

[xxianxx]

All that stuff is banned from my house, I send my boys outside to use deodorant etc and my wife gets whinged at if I smell air freshener and the offending can gets booted over my garden fence. I don't know how dangerous these chemicals are to amphibians but I know several people who have lost axolotls etc to fly killers used by people who can't follow basic instructions such as

"Don't use that fly spray in the house you will kill my axolotls !"

Either way I prefer to be safe than sorry, its all banned. I also don't smoke in my house, that's mainly for my families benefit but I don't smoke over my amphibians in my shed either.