minchton Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 It pays to make absolutely sure who you are dealing with. We have put our house on the market and decided to get a commercial cleaner in to waterblast the brickwork outside. We asked did they use any chemicals when spraying and were assured that they did not use any. Day after they left I discovered that my pond of lionheads was full of floating dead fish. I rung the company and asked again "did you use any chemicals" they replied no we dont use chemicals. Further questions to discover that we just use a household detergent to assure a good clean. Detergent of course, even in small doses is fatal to most fish hence why I have lost a pond of fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeous Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 SUE!!!! :evil: :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minchton Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Answer " read the small print" all care but no responsibility. What makes it worse from my point of view is that this comes on top of some low life cleaning out a pond with 28 celestials from the front lawn pond so all in all it has been a rather expensive week of losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 bummer, it is mindblowing the amount of people handling chemicals in a trade situation who do not know what they are handling or applying sorry for your loss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 that whould make you cry,,,i suppose they where a good collection and breeding stock...bummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 that sucks, IME never trust a tradesmen. We have the houses where we live water blasted each year - they tell us no chemicals (enviro friendly) but what ever they use stinks of chlorine and wipes out all our small garden plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Sorry to hear that Minch. Heartbreaking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 So detergent isn't a chemical? Riiiiight... I'd tell them you want the clean for free or the fish replaced. Definitely don't pay the bill if you haven't yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Totally what David said. You did your part, you asked if they used chemicals, they misled you, they need to rectify the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Why don't we have a whip round guys and try to offset the cost of replacement ? I would be willing to donate the first $20. ( I know it does not bring back the dead fish ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minchton Posted February 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Hey JimR I really appreciate what you are saying but this is the type of things that happen in fish keeping and it is something that we just have to live with. As I say, while I really appreciate the thought I would not like to start a precedent which would see every person losing fish possibly expecting financial help. I am not casting aspersions at anybody I am just trying to say thank you for the thought in the best way I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 minchton sorry for you losses! Although I know you don't use detergent/soap around fishies, I'd have to admit I would not think of detergent as a chemical per say:oops: :oops: Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 I'd have to admit I would not think of detergent as a chemical per say:oops: because we use these on a daily basis many of us overlook them as being a "chemical" and dangerous to boot under OSH rules you are supposed to have read the labels of any thing you use in the workplace and apply it accordingly there is a case for the tradesman to answer, possibly paying compensation, and he can be found liable if that is a road you want to go down OSH = Occupational Safety And Health Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Everything is combinations of different chemicals... If you're going to use any additive in any situation, whatever you are adding is made from chemicals. It's very important to know what you are putting into things - food is a good example... I wouldn't pay the bill or at least offset it by the cost of replacing the fish. You did your part prior to the work taking place and they stuffed up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 yeah I like the way people think chemicals are nasty and bad. The active ingredients in 'natural' or 'herbal' products are still chemicals and some of them definitely can be nasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Your cleaners need to rectify the situation somehow. As everyone else has said.. you asked because you had a requirement that no chemicals be used. They definitely misled you and I'm sure these people will have dealings with other folks that have ponds. Take them to task and make them realise the error of their ways.. you certainly shouldn't have to pay the bill AND pay to replace the fish.. either or I'd say but not both. most respectable companies will have insurance to cover such mishaps anyway.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aftaburn Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 that sucks, IME never trust a tradesmen. We have the houses where we live water blasted each year - they tell us no chemicals (enviro friendly) but what ever they use stinks of chlorine and wipes out all our small garden plants. I've water blasted houses prior to painting years ago. A couple of things they might use & not think of as chemicals.. sugar soap.. probably however chlorine and are thinking it breaks down quickly with sunlight so therefore not counting it as chemical treatment. Chlorine is used to prevent or remove mould.. whenever I've waterbasted houses its been just water nothing else but I suspect that could be one possible answer. Another could be if the building has been previously sprayed with pyrethrum for spider control or if the neighbours house has been sprayed with overspray drifting into the pond.. from what I've heard it can be lethal to fish at a little as 1 part per billion. Chlorine can also be something sprayed on afterward once again to control mould usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subzer0 Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 send them the dead fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEd Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Detergent is also very efficient at killing aphids which can be hard to kill with some insecticides! It apparently also contains some carcinogens! We possibly don't tend to look at it as a chemical because it looks and smells nice especially when they put pictures of lemons and fruit on them (dangerous to young children) where as powdered laundry detergent looks like does look like one .... to me anyway! Don't pay them until they compensate you for the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchKiwiCowboy2 Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 As a painter I clean houses before painting regularly, we usually use chlorine or cloudy ammonia. I will always check for ponds before starting from now on, to be honest it's something I had never really considdered before. Sorry for your loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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