Tinytank Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 So I am having my house sprayed for fleas tomorrow because my outside cat has made my house a breeding ground. I am not happy about this and my fears of tank demise are growing to anxiety attack levels. I just spoke to the company who would be doing the treatment and here is what they had to say: All animals out of the house for four hours (yeah not moving a 40B with 20l sump) heat/air off for four hours vacuum every three hours once the 4 hours time limit has expired So my question is what do I do with my tank? Anyone have experience with this? There is basically NO WAY to seal up the tank as it is open top, and the sump has a skimmer, HOB, and drain/return lines. Please advise as I am freaking out. I could take the most of my corals and fish to a LFS but that seems like a lot of stress/risk especially since the LFS here sucksssss. Link to comment
StevieT Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 This may help http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=35715 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=246733 Link to comment
qwiksilver711 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 So I am having my house sprayed for fleas tomorrow because my outside cat has made my house a breeding ground. I am not happy about this and my fears of tank demise are growing to anxiety attack levels. I just spoke to the company who would be doing the treatment and here is what they had to say: All animals out of the house for four hours (yeah not moving a 40B with 20l sump) heat/air off for four hours vacuum every three hours once the 4 hours time limit has expired So my question is what do I do with my tank? Anyone have experience with this? There is basically NO WAY to seal up the tank as it is open top, and the sump has a skimmer, HOB, and drain/return lines. Please advise as I am freaking out. I could take the most of my corals and fish to a LFS but that seems like a lot of stress/risk especially since the LFS here sucksssss. what about shutting the sump and skimmer down, just running some powerheads in the tank, saran wrap everything to seal it up, run an air pump with an intake line from outside... I dont know if that would work, just a thought Link to comment
Tinytank Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 what about shutting the sump and skimmer down, just running some powerheads in the tank, saran wrap everything to seal it up, run an air pump with an intake line from outside... I dont know if that would work, just a thought Thanks for the help everyone. As for the air pump I had a similar idea but I was thinking of using the air line from the skimmer. What about if I pull anything that protrudes from the top of the tank, then cover sump and DT as if they are two separate tanks (with plastic and duct tape)? I can run an airstone from outside into each of the tanks but this is going to mess with my seal? Thank you again! Link to comment
Tinytank Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 From one of the threads Stevie linked... i blame the pest control guy for killing my tank, but actually this is what probably caused my crash..... i sealed it air tight for 6-8 hours or how ever long we had to stay out, the wrap was sucked inward towards the water.... they used up all the air i guess..... you could probably rig some sort of air pump to it, but its just a pain in the ass.... CRAAAPPP. So maybe sealing it isn't the way to go. If I'm running an airstone their should be positive pressure inside the seals right? So it would actually be forcing out the chemicals if there is an opening right? What about circulation pumps? Should I leave them on just not have them breaking the surface? I have to leave the heaters on if I have to turn my house heat off for four hours when its freezing outside. UGH. Link to comment
Tinytank Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Anyone else dealt with this firsthand before? I canceled the appointment that was going to be today and am weighing my options about moving the tank to a friends house for a while since there are going to be 3 treatments 2 weeks apart. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 i bombed my house with 75g cichlid tank inside i 1000% sealed it up, etc.... all of my fish lived -- all of my lobsters/snails died. the poison is very specific, and....... I don't know what to tell you man........I think you'll lose stuff if you don't move tank. Link to comment
Tinytank Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 i bombed my house with 75g cichlid tank inside i 1000% sealed it up, etc.... all of my fish lived -- all of my lobsters/snails died. the poison is very specific, and....... I don't know what to tell you man........I think you'll lose stuff if you don't move tank. That's what I am worried about. I read your reply in the linked thread and though I don't give a shi if my peppermint shrimp survives I would much like to keep the corals from dying. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 That's what I am worried about. I read your reply in the linked thread and though I don't give a shi if my peppermint shrimp survives I would much like to keep the corals from dying. I derno bout the coral -- but I'd say any invert is doomed. Link to comment
senoufo Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 sealing with duck tape and shrink wrap + running air from outside ( or filtered if you wrap the pump(s) in charcoal filter media that looks like floss ) would be my suggestion like above. no lights of course. maybe 2-3 air pumps to make sure about positive pressure inside your "bubble". if your tank is in a corner wall or the like, tape up and bubble that section completely from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. hope all goes well Link to comment
Mudfish Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 if your tank is in a corner wall or the like, tape up and bubble that section completely from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. I bet if you were to do that, the pest control company would no longer want to warranty their work, as some of the carpeting would no longer be exposed to their product. Link to comment
paneubert Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 if your tank is in a corner wall or the like, tape up and bubble that section completely from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. This might be the best bet......let things run as usual but seal off a larger bubble around the tank to allow for more overall oxygen in the "bubble". Even if the tank is centered on a wall....you could rig up some sort of frame to make it look like an old school couch cushion fort from when you were a kid. Link to comment
markandstaci Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I had to bomb my house for cockroaches and I have two large cichlid tanks and a 5.5 pico reef. For all tanks, I turned off air pumps, wrapped them in painter's drop cloth (actually 0.75 mil plastic sheets, but it was called painter's drop cloth at Home Depot), duct-taped the hell out of everything, and proceeded to bomb. Everything made it through. Just be careful about cross-contamination; i.e., if you touch anything that has been exposed to the poison (and I mean ANYTHING), be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before you put them in your tank. Good luck! Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 you could probably take a roll of poly film and tarp the tank and run a section of dryer hose outside from the tarp area to the window so it gets air only from the outside. as long as the only hole in the tent is to the hose and its taped up really well you should be fine. I would tape the poly to the floor with duct tape (if hardwood) so that its sealed really well. Link to comment
Dani3d Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Good thing. if you have the cat treated for fleas, it won't affect your aquarium and they fleas will eventualy die off. you can buy some fleas product at your vet that is intended for the house but it is safe for animals. you spray that along walls and you stay away from the aquarium. That would be much safer than a company who's business is to kill everything. I think they use much too strong products. It is not necessary. I would only treat the cat so that it does not remain a flea vector, and wait until you can open the windows for aeration before doing any spraying in the house. When we had fleas, we used that safe spray and none of the animals were affected but I did not have a tank then. Anyone else dealt with this firsthand before? I canceled the appointment that was going to be today and am weighing my options about moving the tank to a friends house for a while since there are going to be 3 treatments 2 weeks apart. Link to comment
Dnic Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Run an intake line from alllllll the way outside of the house, to an airstone inside the tank, wrap the top of the tank except for small effusion holes. Just an idea, but that may blow the nasties out while introducing clean air Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Good thing. if you have the cat treated for fleas, it won't affect your aquarium and they fleas will eventualy die off. you can buy some fleas product at your vet that is intended for the house but it is safe for animals. you spray that along walls and you stay away from the aquarium. That would be much safer than a company who's business is to kill everything. I think they use much too strong products. It is not necessary. I would only treat the cat so that it does not remain a flea vector, and wait until you can open the windows for aeration before doing any spraying in the house. When we had fleas, we used that safe spray and none of the animals were affected but I did not have a tank then. my wife had a flear problem thanks to our cats in our basement that got so bad that if you stood there for more than 30seconds in one place you would be able to kill almost 60 fleas.. it was horrible. i h ave a relative who is an exterminator and he said to bomb the basement.. we tried some more natural methods.. only to have no luck whatsoever... the day we bombed the house we never saw another flea. fleas can even lay eggs on the walls too and on furniture and in cracks on the floor.. bombing is really the only 100% effective way to kill them. we tried for months to avoid bombing.. i wish we just did it the first day we saw the fleas. make sure that when you do bomb the house that you wash and flea dip the cats before you leave the house.. that way when you get back you wont be bringing fleas back in the house. Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 What kind of pesticide are they using?Canisters?Tell that pest control company to take a hike.Go down to your local farm co op or John Deere landscape supply and buy a bottle of Bifentrin mix it 1 1/2 ounces to a gallon in a pump sprayer spray the your lawn if you have one. Then inside spray around base boards,cracks crevises anywhere you want on the ground.Keep they pump sprayer dialed to a liquid and not a mist. Bifentrin is not a contact killer.Fleas,crickets,bees,ticks will walk thru it and when they clean there bodies they ingest it kills them.Bifentrin is used in hospitals restraunts and tons of public places.It is also oder free.I have been using this product for 10-15 years in my business.Canister bombs are so 1980's technology. Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Flea foggers or bombs are not the way to kill fleas period end of story.They usually contain sodium borate or sodium tetrate which if inhaled by infants can make there lungs bleed.Then you have that crap all over your entire house furniture ceiling etc.It takes months if not years to get it out of your house. Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 What kind of pesticide are they using?Canisters?Tell that pest control company to take a hike.Go down to your local farm co op or John Deere landscape supply and buy a bottle of Bifentrin mix it 1 1/2 ounces to a gallon in a pump sprayer spray the your lawn if you have one. Then inside spray around base boards,cracks crevises anywhere you want on the ground.Keep they pump sprayer dialed to a liquid and not a mist. Bifentrin is not a contact killer.Fleas,crickets,bees,ticks will walk thru it and when they clean there bodies they ingest it kills them.Bifentrin is used in hospitals restraunts and tons of public places.It is also oder free.I have been using this product for 10-15 years in my business.Canister bombs are so 1980's technology. interesting. never heard of that. wish i had before would have been worth a shot Link to comment
Tinytank Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 What kind of pesticide are they using?Canisters?Tell that pest control company to take a hike.Go down to your local farm co op or John Deere landscape supply and buy a bottle of Bifentrin mix it 1 1/2 ounces to a gallon in a pump sprayer spray the your lawn if you have one. Then inside spray around base boards,cracks crevises anywhere you want on the ground.Keep they pump sprayer dialed to a liquid and not a mist. Bifentrin is not a contact killer.Fleas,crickets,bees,ticks will walk thru it and when they clean there bodies they ingest it kills them.Bifentrin is used in hospitals restraunts and tons of public places.It is also oder free.I have been using this product for 10-15 years in my business.Canister bombs are so 1980's technology. Thanks for the info everyone! I don't think I will build a second insulating bubble around the tank for the aforementioned issue of making an area untreatable and possibly having the fleas survive. Lawnman I am going to see if I can find this chemical. It would not hurt my feelings to do the application myself because then I can be more precise. The company didn't tell me what they would be using, just that it would be toxic to the aquarium. Link to comment
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