Tenting the house to fumigate, what can i do?

[Craig W]

Doh, have termites, house has to be tented.

120 gallon reef tank with 100 gallon sump. All glass tank, probably 200 pounds of liverock. 3 fish, yellow tang, 6 line wrasse, pygmy angel. Fairly wide assortment of soft and hard corals, including about 6-8 SPS's.

The tanks is a nightmare to move because the tank it self is so heavy it has to be completley emptied of all rock to move it.

So does anyone have any ideas to make moving it easier?

Or, could it be sealed with plastic for the 24-48 hours the house will be tented?

Help me brainstorm guys, I'm out of ideas!

[ August 16, 2001: Message edited by: Craig W ]

 

[scallop]

To be honest with you. That sucks big. A normal house spray for insects is one thing. The tank can be covered with plastic. A tented fumigation can be another. Simply covering it with plastic might work, but I doubt it. The best suggestion I can come up with is several 55 gallon trash cans with all of your tank water, LR, LS, and animals. This is probably as impossible as moving the tank as a whole.

Best of luck man. Let us know how it goes.

 

[JohnD]

What does the exterminator have to say? Has he given you any suggestions as to what to do?

 

[pathos]

how about tent your tank?

 

[bowfront]

Sorry, but you have no choice but to break down your tank and move everthing live out of the house until its safe to move back in. The gas that they use will kill everything that you leave behind - no ifs, ands or buts. I know I had my house tented once. Ask your exterminator and he will tell you the same thing. Don't even consider covering the tank up as a remedy. You aren't dealing with aerosol bug spray.

[ August 16, 2001: Message edited by: bowfront ]

 

[Carpentersreef]

Why don't you seal up the tank with vapour barrior from "the depot" and tape and run two lines outside, one with an outside airpump attached and another for exhaust?

[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: Carpentersreef ]

 

[hectina]

While your at it, ask the exterminator what type of fumigant they use. If it is for termites, most likely it is highly volatile and has excellent residual characteristics.

I'm think that no matter how well you seal the tank, the fumigant will find a way in. You might try looking at a plastic horse trough for a temporary holding basin. Transfer your rock and animals into it and place your light hood over the top. If you have plenty of sponges, place a bucket in the tank first, and put the rock into the bucket and pull the bucket out.

 

[bcobra]

Well I did it about 18 yrs ago dont know if the chemicals are different or the way they tent now. But the house had to go under the tent for termites. What I did was sealed the tank with plastic and duck tape.Bought a lot of air line tubing and ran it to a bubble wand inside the tank sealed around the hole with silicone.Also I put a short piece of tubing comming out of the plastic attached to a airline check valve in case there was a build up of air inside. It worked for me the tank was a 100g show tank FO did not lose a thing.

Robin

 

[bcobra]

Well I did it about 18 yrs ago dont know if the chemicals are different or the way they tent now. But the house had to go under the tent for termites. What I did was sealed the tank with plastic and duck tape.Bought a lot of air line tubing and ran it to a bubble wand inside the tank sealed around the hole with silicone.Also I put a short piece of tubing comming out of the plastic attached to a airline check valve in case there was a build up of air inside. It worked for me the tank was a 100g show tank FO did not lose a thing.

Robin

 

[bowfront]

Just noticed the nonsense above. Please don't listen to it. The chemicals used today are toxic and a FO tank is not in any way shape or form a reef tank. My tenting killled shrubs outside of the tent. If you value your tank don't listen to the invariable desent on this BB.

 

[scallop]

Jesus Christ man!

Here. I have an idea. Why don't you go to Robin's house and kill him/her. Then mabye knock his/her tank over. Kick their dog if they've got one.

Crap. It's one thing to have an opinion. I agree. A reef tank needs to be torn down. But why don't you offer some adult insight instead of sophmoric slander. This is how those damned "flame wars" start. What a bunch of crap. Hopeless. Freaking hopeless.

 

[albee1947]

The gases they use Don't penetrate water or glass. When they seal the house they make sure the ground is wet. if you seal the tank top with a plexiglass top and can produce an air supply to the tank you'll be OK. but remember the lines going outside should not be flexible hose, 1/8 thickness solid tubing should be used. yes it will kill shrubs around the house, but they allow you to leave glass bottles in the pantry and refridge. There are also NO residuals after the gas is dispursed. AS for Don't listen to the nonsence above, i would have your exterminator come back and do it right. They failed to seal the house right, if you lost shrubs outside of the tent. Unless the root system of the shrub was under the tent in which case the plant may have suffer a loss.