seahorsecrazy Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 Does anybody know of an insect repellent that is safe around fish tanks? We are anticipating a huge sandfly and mosquito season with the hot weather and evening rain. We have had Robocan running before I got my seahorses, but it says on the can "Very toxic to aquatic organisms. Do not use close to fish tanks" I have looked at the Ecomist range, and it says the same thing. These are auto dispensing units which I found brilliant over the summer we used them, but what is avaliable that is safe around tanks?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 Are they repellents or insecticides. The repellent we used to use was dimp -- dimethyl pthalate which we got cheap as it was used in manufacturing PVC products and was lying around in large drums. Don't know about toxicity to aquatic critters though. The toxicity can be caused by other products such as carrying agents or synergists which may also be present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 A rolled up newspaper would be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 Rolled up newspapers are very effective, invigorating and very very dangerous, I have the scars to prove it, just ask my wife :lol: I now use robocan without having to protect my vital statistics and my wife is now a very happy woman. My Discus,Gold nuggets and blue rams have lodged no complaints as yet. FINGERS CROSSED THEY NEVER DO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantedobe Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 We have a robocan in the same room as one of our tanks have had it running constantly for a couple of years and have had no deaths or ill effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seahorsecrazy Posted November 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 Thanks guys, I was just a little bit worried that it may effect the seahorses. I do have a lid on the tank, but with the hot weather we are getting I have had the lid open and a fan running to cool the tank. Seriously investigating a chiller unit. We hit a couple of days at 40 degrees last year! I will keep the Robocan in an adjacent room and watch my cuties carefully and remove at any sign of distress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 There is no way I would want to be in a room with some machine automatically spraying insecticide every few minutes. You might as well be a complete idiot and sniff a can of flyspray and end up with a pickled brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowfax Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 its not much different than spraying fly spray around. dont buy the mortein one its crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 There is no way I would want to be in a room with some machine automatically spraying insecticide every few minutes. You might as well be a complete idiot and sniff a can of flyspray and end up with a pickled brain. couldnt agree more, after working in a nursery in the past and doing the spaying job i cant stand chemicals some ppl even beleave organic sprays are safe to be around - imo its hardly natural to be around high concentrations of the stuf let alone breath it in or eat something covered in its residue, if it kill bugs you have to ask yourself what it does to ones self especially over time :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 I find those flower sticker things that you stick on windows quite effective. Ugly but effective! They attract the flies, then they die and you end up with a little fly pile on the floor. Don't know how well they would work on mosquitos though as we don't have a big problem with those down this way. Or how about those citronella candle thingys? Raid mozzy lamps?? Never used them so don't know how effective they are I agree, wouldn't like to spend lots of time around the robocan things. I keep fly spray use to a minimum around my house, in fact I very rarely use it for flies. I save it for the spiders! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 I will keep the Robocan in an adjacent room and watch my cuties carefully and remove at any sign of distress. If you kept it in an adjacent room - i doubt it will harm your babies just keep the lids on your tank and it should be fine. Luckily I don't need to use flyspray my crazy dog is an excellent fly catcher :lol: If I didn't love her so much, i'd let you borrow her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 i see two options i wouldnt trust aerosol pesticides use a residual 1 so that bugs die shortly after contact use this outside the house too and?or get a rather large pitcher plant some varieties get really big position it near where they are getting in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 The difference with using a can of flyspray is that you can use it once then ventilate the room if you want to. The automatic ones mean you are breathing insecticide night and day and so is every other living thing in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 The difference with using a can of flyspray is that you can use it once then ventilate the room if you want to. The automatic ones mean you are breathing insecticide night and day and so is every other living thing in the house. My grandad has 1 or 2 of these in his house, Could this be contributing to his realy bad asthma? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 My husband refuses to have those robocans in the house and prefers us to use a fly swat over spraying. However, having been on the end of a swarm of mozzies tonight I will be spraying before he comes home from work. I do not however spray in the air in the room with my tank but I will spray directly on a fly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwipete Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Big fat Bluie Louie Blowflies are the one I detest the most. Is there a plant that excretes a fly repellent naturally? I thought I heard something about one many years ago???? It seems that every time we used fly spray, my fish started dropping off, so its basically banned here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 The insecticide pyrethrum comes from the pyrethrum plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwipete Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Yes, of course. How silly of me. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Dixon it is possible the automatic spray is affecting your granddad's asthma. Was it as bad before he got the sprayer? If not, it would be simple to stop the can spraying for a couple of weeks and see if the asthma improves. Asthmatics can be affected by all sorts of sprays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 There are a lot of other chemicals in those sprays other than insecticide as well and people could have an alurgic reaction to any of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 We don't use any airborne insect repellents in our house. Can't remember the last time I owned a can of fly spray. When we leave the windows open in summer I use a topical insect repellent and simply rub it on exposed skin. (Remember to wash it off before fiddling with the fish tank though!) I have a lovely smelling herbal repellent with things like citronella in a base of beeswax. Yummy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 That wouldn't work very well for killing flies unless you never shower though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 sssshhhhh :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 Dixon it is possible the automatic spray is affecting your granddad's asthma. Was it as bad before he got the sprayer? If not, it would be simple to stop the can spraying for a couple of weeks and see if the asthma improves. Asthmatics can be affected by all sorts of sprays. ITs always beena problem for him, especially since his mechanical heart valve trasplant. But they had a sprayer in their old house and their new house, his asthma is still getting worse, but i will suggest to him to stop using it for a while. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 Dixon, i know certain fly sprays, perfumes and some other aerosals play havoc with my asthma and would definetly suggest he stops using it for a month or so to see what difference it makes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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