Raid and a reef tank

[jhutto]

In the spirit of sharing ideas, let me share something that we should not do. While I was out Saturday morning my better half decided to spray the rugs in the living room with Raid flea killer. The fan cooling the tank was running and the tank was not covered. When I got home later in day, I noticed the zoos closing up but thought it was okay. Sunday morning headed to church and noticed they were not open. When got home from church we had a house full of company, I thought something was wrong but was dealing with lunch and company.

As soon as I finished eating I went to tank and noticed my pajama cardinal dead and the clowns laboring with the zoos closed and the small blasto looking ugly. I checked all the parameters to include salinity, temperature,ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, ph, dkh, etc. All were fine. I immediately changed water once of about 8 gallons, zoos still closed,etc. I did it again, and then 10 gallons. Still same with zoos etc. I asked if my wife sprayed and if the fans were off and tank covered. She turned overhead fan off but not tank fan nor covered the tank. The mist got in tank!

I put carbon in hang on back filter and purigen in another. On early Monday, I talked to George at Pure Reef. He said I did the right thing with water changes, carbon and purigen. He added that due to the strong contamination, I should change out all the water and leave only enough for the clowns to swim on bottom. He said the zoos would then open the next day. He was right! They are now opening back up. It was in my 25 gallon tank. I lost a pajama cardinal and the small polyp blasto. One clown is okay and the other is still not eating. The really good news is it was not my 210 downstairs in basement. Nothing will ever get close to that tank. My wife is sick about it but she learned something from it. She knew how cautious I am with stuff around tanks but forgot. Oh well, she will never do that again. Bottom line.. be careful about chemicals around your tanks.

Joe

 

[smallblock]

good I'm glad it didnt go worse than it did, I hope your wife did learn. Seems the wives always have to kill or destroy something before they get it though. Anway I'm glad you got it worked out bud.

 

[jhutto]

Barbara, thanks. She is okay and I am okay. We all make mistakes. She is worth more than a fish and a coral. We are both sick about the cardinal as we had him/her for about 6 or 7 years.

 

[qasimja]

hey everyone makes mistakes thats life

 

[lifestudent]

Thanks for the warning!

I've also heard from a few LFSs that Fabreeze (sp?) also has negative affects on reef tanks.

 

[mrflameangel]

Lifestudent;670901 wrote: Thanks for the warning!

I've also heard from a few LFSs that Fabreeze (sp?) also has negative affects on reef tanks.

Oh my I never even thought about fabreeze. My wife luvs that stuff. But so far nothing bad has came out of it. But I will be more cautious. Thanks for the info.

 

[jennm]

Blake... wives??? C'mon now... if the lady of the house is the hobbyist, the "husband" may be the one to make the mistake... just sayin'...

Febreeze will kill birds too (ie parrots).

Scented oil air fresheners or anything that atomizes into the air, is potentially harmful also in my experience.

A hand with lotion on it, dipped into the tank to fix a powerhead that came off its suction cups will do it too...

The surface of the tank is like a large "lung". Agitation of water at the surface is where much of the gas exchange occurs, so anything that's in the air, can get drawn into the tank.

Unfortunate error - hopefully sharing it might help prevent it from happening to someone else.

And for fleas, borax crystals in the carpet, leave for 24 hours, then vacuum, are very effective and much safer. Probably cheaper too.

Jenn

 

[grouper therapy]

Smallblock;670744 wrote: good I'm glad it didnt go worse than it did, I hope your wife did learn. Seems the wives always have to kill or destroy something before they get it though. Anway I'm glad you got it worked out bud.

I'm guessing your wife does not read your post.

 

[jhutto]

Jenn,
I had read that the Borax was an alternative but I was afraid to try that due to the dust.
I was not aware they made crystals. Where can I get the Borax crystals?

I did not know about the Fabreeze. Thanks for sharing.

Joe

 

[jennm]

My vet sold me some once (very expensive...) when I realized what was in it... :doh:

I hadn't compared it to the "20-Mule Team" stuff but I figured it was the same... I guess one should be careful about fine powder, like with anything. Still, Borax is not a pesticide. The substance gets into the carapace of the flea and kills it. So it's more of a mechanical killing versus a chemical one, at least as I read it.

Jenn

 

[hhughes]

Seriously... some of us wives are the only thing standing between husbands and a glass box o death

My husband has learned quickly, but still does stuff like forget water conditioner on the pond or FW tank, or leave all his crap on top of the lights just because it's by the door.

He doesn't touch the reef. Not after The Incident.

It may be more accurate to say "spouses"

 

[smallblock]

sorry sorry I didn't mean to be so harsh. She has messed a bunch of stuff up and it bothers me. I really didn't mean to come across that way. Thanks for putting me in my place.

Lemme give an example of recent screw ups of my loving gorgeous love of my life. The one time I left my ps3 game out of the case. I set it on top of a netflix envelope not in the envelope but on top. It was turned upside down. The next day I go looking for it. after 10 mins of I know I checked and had the right movie in it she admits she may have. Luckily it was sitting on her desk at work and hadn't sent it off yet. She opens it 2 cds are in the envelope the game and the right movie.

2. I gave her a pistol, she leaves her window cracked at work and it rains. She keeps the pistol in the door. A week later I go to check on it. Its completely rusted.

The list could go on and on. I just thought this was the norm LMAO

For real I didnt mean to be so harsh I apologize

 

[qasimja]

if it wasnt for my wife i would be in deep trouble lol im always forgetting to do things

 

[jennm]

Smallblock;671046 wrote:
The list could go on and on. I just thought this was the norm LMAO

For real I didnt mean to be so harsh I apologize

Dude... you're digging yourself a very deep hole, especially if make a mistake and you leave your browser open and your beloved reads this thread! :lol: You might be finding yourself in the dog house!

All people make mistakes. Some folks are much more conscientious than others - in all things. Sometimes people have so much other stuff on their minds that things slip off their minds - I have that happen frequently - especially as I get older (and more senile)...

Crap happens - life is short.

Unfortunate what happened to jhutto (trying desperately to put this thread back on track)... definitely an honest mistake that was made, that has happened in many households, where tanks are concerned. Good information that should give us all pause for thought when it comes to stuff that goes on in and around our tanks.

Jenn

 

[smallblock]

I'll shut up now

 

[jennm]

Smallblock;671095 wrote: I'll shut up now

HAHA good plan :yes:

You do know I'm just funnin' you, right? You weren't completely offensive, just "almost"... :lol2:

 

[haninja]

Smallblock;671095 wrote: I'll shut up now

please.