Bombing Safety

Hello everybody.

With much trepadation, we are planning on bombing our home this weekend. I've read different things on how to prepare for this over time. The basics I understand are....

1. Turn off all equipment.
2. Remove any air driven equipment from the area.
3. Cover tanks with plastcs garbage bags or sheeting and tape it all down.
4. Throw blankets over that for additional protection.
5. Remove all food, nets, hoses, etc. from the area.
6. Wait until doors are open and the place is entirely aired out, vacuumed, and ready to go before uncovering.
7. Hook everything back up and turn on.

Am I missing anything? Any ways to make this easier or to better protect my cycles?

 

If it's going to be a few hours I would possibly take you filter media and an air stone and put in a bucket

 

Should I also cover up canister filters down under tanks on shelves?

 

The aerosol sprays regular bug spray straight up. This is over in just a few seconds, just enough for a mist to fall and cover everything. Once it falls below the level of the tank the risk is pretty much over.
However in an abundance of caution I always apply my “old sayings” rule. Better safe than sorry, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so forth and so on.
I’ve done this in the past and covered everything well plus I left it covered till late that evening. It worked and wasn’t much of a hassle. I just cut black plastic lawn bags down the sides to lay flat and duct taped them together.
Where I would caution anyone is to not go near the top of your tank for 24 or so hours. Your hands will inevitably have some residue on them so skip feeding or handling anything like your nets etc.
Hope that helps. If you have time let us know how it went.

 

The aerosol sprays regular bug spray straight up. This is over in just a few seconds, just enough for a mist to fall and cover everything. Once it falls below the level of the tank the risk is pretty much over.
However in an abundance of caution I always apply my “old sayings” rule. Better safe than sorry, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so forth and so on.
I’ve done this in the past and covered everything well plus I left it covered till late that evening. It worked and wasn’t much of a hassle. I just cut black plastic lawn bags down the sides to lay flat and duct taped them together.
Where I would caution anyone is to not go near the top of your tank for 24 or so hours. Your hands will inevitably have some residue on them so skip feeding or handling anything like your nets etc.
Hope that helps. If you have time let us know how it went.

Do you leave heaters, HOB, canister filters, or anything running while covered up?

 

I shut everything down per the directions. There’s also some good advice and ideas here:
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...ank-when-using-flea-bomb.297866/#post-3084747