HELP!!!! Question about possible rock contamination.

[dave72787]

Ok so I have no idea if my new aquascape is safe to use anymore. I built a new aquascape on a table in my gym room, been waiting for my new tank to arrive. Terminex just came by to do their spring spraying inside my house. He was walking around with my wife when it hit me , the ROCKS..... so I ran to the gym to find the spray canister resting on the table with my rocks and the nozzle dripping on the table.... meaning as he walks around little drops can leak out. So its very possible as he was placing it on the table he could have moved it over the rocks. What do I do ...... start over? I dont want to bleach cure the rocks cause I hate chemicals period.

 

[X-37B]

I would just hose off the rocks just in case some was spilled and proceed.
I would avoid spraying bug chems in the house once the system is up and running.
Also, if you hate chemicals your in the wrong hobby, lol.

 

[dave72787]

I would just hose off the rocks just in case some was spilled and proceed.
I would avoid spraying bug chems in the house once the system is up and running.
Also, if you hate chemicals your in the wrong hobby, lol.

Let's say chemicals not meant to be in my tank lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not good, IMO.

Do you know what he was using?

 

[dave72787]

Not good, IMO.

Do you know what he was using?

No clue, spraying some sort of pesticide for ants and other household insects

 

[MasterClassReefs]

Ok so I have no idea if my new aquascape is safe to use anymore. I built a new aquascape on a table in my gym room, been waiting for my new tank to arrive. Terminex just came by to do their spring spraying inside my house. He was walking around with my wife when it hit me , the ROCKS..... so I ran to the gym to find the spray canister resting on the table with my rocks and the nozzle dripping on the table.... meaning as he walks around little drops can leak out. So its very possible as he was placing it on the table he could have moved it over the rocks. What do I do ...... start over? I dont want to bleach cure the rocks cause I hate chemicals period.

Yikes. Terminex man cost more than his worth here. Imidacloprid is a usual go to for these companies. If it is on the rocks inverts will likely be doomed. Not to mention the coral. Using this rock would be a gamble with poor odds.

 

[dave72787]

Yikes. Terminex man cost more than his worth here. Imidacloprid is a usual go to for these companies. If it is on the rocks inverts will likely be doomed. Not to mention the coral. Using this rock would be a gamble with poor odds.

I mean the tank is brand new and empty , I was just wondering if there was a process like using the rocks but running carbon for a month or two and everything will be fine type of deal lol

 

[MasterClassReefs]

I would just hose off the rocks just in case some was spilled and proceed.
I would avoid spraying bug chems in the house once the system is up and running.
Also, if you hate chemicals your in the wrong hobby, lol.

Yup avoid poisons in the home all together. Spraying outside is one thing, focus on keeping things clean inside with a good barrier outside and you shouldn't have issues. I have never sprayed pesticide in my home partly due to the fact I keep things sensitive to it and also because its never been needed.

 

[dave72787]

Yup avoid poisons in the home all together. Spraying outside is one thing, focus on keeping things clean inside with a good barrier outside and you shouldn't have issues. I have never sprayed pesticide in my home partly due to the fact I keep things sensitive to it and also because its never been needed.

Yeah my tanks are upstairs , downstairs gets sprayed by my backyard door and garage area, which is my gym room where the table with rocks were

 

[MasterClassReefs]

Yikes. Terminex man cost more than his worth here. Imidacloprid is a usual go to for these companies. If it is on the rocks inverts will likely be doomed. Not to mention the coral. Using this rock would be a gamble with poor odds.

I mean the tank is brand new and empty , I was just wondering if there was a process like using the rocks but running carbon for a month or two and everything will be fine type of deal lol

I just spent over $1,000 on rock. Id be properly ticked.
I wouldnt trust carbon to make it safe if it were me. It would still be cheaper to replace rock than livestock.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I mean the tank is brand new and empty , I was just wondering if there was a process like using the rocks but running carbon for a month or two and everything will be fine type of deal lol

I’d ask them what they used. It may be on the receipt.

If it is the pesticide mentioned above, hydrogen peroxide treatment of the rocks is fairly straightforward should work:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41...elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.

 

[kboogie]

I’ve been around numerous crashes caused by chemicals (pesticides, windex, perfumes, etc). I would not use it.

 

[MasterClassReefs]

I mean the tank is brand new and empty , I was just wondering if there was a process like using the rocks but running carbon for a month or two and everything will be fine type of deal lol

I’d ask them what they used. It may be on the receipt.

If it is the pesticide mentioned above, hydrogen peroxide treatment of the rocks is fairly straightforward should work:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41...elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.

This is great to know. Thank you for sharing this.

 

[sgdnycct]

You can power wash the rocks. Then put them in buckets with carbon changing the water frequently.

I’d also have a chat with the Terminex person. They shouldn’t putting things on furniture and definitely shouldn’t be dripping. I’d be pretty ticked.

 

[dave72787]

You can power wash the rocks. Then put them in buckets with carbon changing the water frequently.

I’d also have a chat with the Terminex person. They shouldn’t putting things on furniture and definitely shouldn’t be dripping. I’d be pretty ticked.

Yeah nobody cares about anything anymore........ whatever just spent 400 bucks to do it over again , but i still love this hobby.......

 

[jeep and goose]

I would just hose off the rocks just in case some was spilled and proceed.
I would avoid spraying bug chems in the house once the system is up and running.
Also, if you hate chemicals your in the wrong hobby, lol.

Let's say chemicals not meant to be in my tank lol

Back in the 70s people would pour boiling water and bleach in their saltwater tanks to clean them off (not with fish in there obviously) that was before they knew what a nitrogen cycle or a micro fauna was though

 

[fish_collector]

Imidacloprid is a usual go to for these companies. If it is on the rocks inverts will likely be doomed. Not to mention the coral. Using this rock would be a gamble with poor odds.

Oh I dunno, it depends on the concentration of it. A lot of reefers use Bayer Complete Insect Killer (imidacloprid) as a coral dip. Seriously. Do a search for it on this forum, you'll come up with a bunch of threads about it.

IMO a few drips here and there probably won't hurt anything providing it's imidacloprid. Anything else might be a problem. You can easily find out what kind of pesticide he was using, just ask. The msds would indicate what neutralizes it as well.

How big of a tank are these rocks going in?

 

[kboogie]

It is important to note the most common insecticide used by professionals is Bifenthrin, it is branded as Talstar or Bifen. It is stable, water resistant when dry, long lasting, and potent.

 

[higher99]

My concern is the chemicals will leak into the tank and wipe out all the inverts. I've heard horror stories where copper leaked from rocks and did some heavy damage.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Honestly, if it were me, I’d be calling them for replacement of the rock. I would call out negligence on the technician for placing a container on a table he was not authorized to. I would fight that fight and seek reimbursement. But that’s just me. I don’t mean to be that person but at this point in life I don’t care. Shouldn’t have placed that sprayer there and caused this issue.