Air Bourne Contamination

[Yuri De Lima]

I was wondering how easy is it to contaminate your tank through the air?

I have a tank in my room and when I go out I use cologne and sometimes I miss myself and spray it in the air, could that contaminate my tank? Tank and sump are both topless due to high temperatures.


What about when I mop the hardwood floor, those chemicals are pretty strong, (strong smell), could that contaminate the tank also?

[Grins]

Yes, you can contaminate the tank with airbornes. You have to be careful with hairspray and other aersols, paint fumes, exterminators, rug cleaning services, and I'd probably not spray cologne near it either.

[joander123]

thats funny, i was thinking this just the other day as i was spraying my underarms with deodorant.

How can one avoid doing this, and how likely is it to happen?

[skippy2]

I can't remember the last time I even put lotion on my hands. Absolutely no chemicals or anything that smells go near my tank. I am probably considered anal by my family but it is so worth it to me.

[Grins]

Do it in another room. In the case of carpet cleaners or exterminators talk to them about the tank and prepare to turn off the skimmer and cover it with a blanket even.

[emonemo420]

sometimes I miss myself and spray it in the air,

lol how do u miss urself? i do that sometimes to but i was wondering the same thing since i have the worlds tiniest room and i spray "smell good" in my room since barracks have the tendancy to smell like a mix of feet, babypuke, and old people (no offense to ne one that may be of the older generation:) ), but i turned my fan so it would blow away from the tank but i try and spary in limits

[Grins]

lol...I've been in barracks and you're right. They smell like like dirty gym socks left in a locker. Hmm come to think of it...that is the same smell my son's room has. I call it the "funk barrier" when I open the door.

[blackwolfXKAV]

yep. you can easily contaminate it throught the air. going to another room (for cologne and similar products) will work, and a towel over the tank might help when mopping or cleaning, in addition to good air ciruclation via fans or vents.

you can also contaminate via smoking/burning inscense, and you can mess w/ pH if too many people are in a poorly ventilated room (Co2 from respiration dissolves as carbonic acid in the tank, lowering pH, in both fresh and saline systems).

[joander123]

thats interesting, i never knew that, i thought about it... but figured it was unlikely.

[wantvws]

When my tank was set up initially by my brother years ago, my dad sprayed for some fleas or something in the other end of the house and a day or two later just about everything in the tank died. It never really recovered after that...
Robbie

[missc4]

I am not sure just how easy it would be to contaminate the tank..I think it would bepend on the size of the tank and how much you sprayed.I use lotion all the time the salt dries my hands out so bad and I use air freshner and perfume.My tank is near my kitchen so all the cooking and cleaning that is done in a kitchen is near my tank and I have never had a problem.
But I wouldn't just go over to the tank and spray anything.I do know that I have stuck my hand in the water a several times, forgetting that I had lotion on them.I just don't think normal every day stuff will cause a problem bearing in mind you don't do it over top the tank.
Just my 2 cents..lol

[BenMG]

Raid (and I'm guessing other fly killers) is deadly to aquatic life, so using it in the same room is a definite no-no. I was worried about people smoking near my tank as it has an open top...I might have to enforce some rules on the smokers who visit my flat! Also, I would've thought that the buffer capacity of the water would guard against the excess CO2 problem...hmm

Ben

[Riverserver]

I had a 33 gallon trash can in the bathroom because I was making salt. My girlfriend picks up this "leave in" hair product, I rushed in and covered it with a towel and she got mad at me because I mad her use it in the shower with the door closed lol.

I've often wondered what would happen to my tank if they "bug bombed" the house :(.

[Grins]

I'm laughing here. As a woman I can imagine her attitude towards you telling her she had to go into the closed shower. But as a fishkeeper I feel ya..lol