BornToHula Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I am thinking of having an exterminator come to my house and spray the inside (not fumigation or bug bombs). I was wondering whether or not this is a good idea with my open top reef tank inside? Would there be any precautions I should take before they spray? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Do you know what they're spraying with? Most pesticides are extremely toxic to inverts, usually hundreds of times more toxic to aquatic ones, so you would want to cover everything and make sure they don't spray directly around the tank and stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToHula Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 No, I haven't even called any exterminators yet. Sounds like I may be better off/safer just having them spray the lawn and outside the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Grog Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Just tell them to be careful around the aqurium(s). If you are super worried, build a 2X4 frame around the aqarium and cover with plastic sheeting. We did this when we had a major investation we had treated. Tank and inverts were fine and the stuff the exterminator used was definitely fish/invert toxic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin S. Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 They will be able to tell you hopefully. They told me the spray is toxic to fish and to turn off all pumps and cover the tank for a few hours. I just close the door and don't have them spray that room, if that's an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I have them spray everywhere but the room the tank is in as well. I also made sure to turn off my HVAC for a couple of hours and turned off my skimmer for the day to avoid any potential mode of transfer through the air. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvrEnuf Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 All good advice! 1. MSDS sheets can be emailed to you; but most people wou;dn't know how to really read them. you can post them here and it seems like there are a few that can decipher latin well enough to read most chems. 2. containment - is a good option/ insurance policy; "zip-pole" (s) can be purchased at home depot for not too much, I recommend 3 mil plastic of greater. Positive air pressure is even better! 3. Off-gas time is the varible that people often miss in this conversation. Different companies (I would assume) are going to use different chems, understand the difference betweeen dry and done off-gassing! Overall I'd say so long as you have a conversation with the bug company both when you call to set an appointment and when the tech is onsite you should be fine provided you are using a reputable vendor. So, don't call AAA-best carpet cleaning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Reefer Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Seems I just read somewhere about spraying from a pressurized container onto the floor with pesticides for in home use crashed a tank and the insurance company paid off on the insured tank when their investigation revealed that a significant portion of the pesticide becomes aerosolized and then can settle onto the tank water or be pulled into the water with any kind of air intake IE a skimmer or intake from the overflow. My advise is to cover the tank and turn off skimmers or airstones until all contaminates have had a chance to settle out of air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToHula Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Thank you for the great advice everyone. Since I don't have an infestation inside the house (the pest issue was spiders in the garage), I decided just to have them treat the outside of the house & garage for the time being. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.