I'm Nervous!

[Alasse]

Nervous....we have a flea problem (thanks Frontline! <----useless as). Capstar the cats for the week and just did the first spray of the floor....i really hate doing it because of the tanks....fingers crossed i dont lose any fish!
I had put it off for as long as i could trying less nasty methods, but the fleas are getting worse, this is a case of HAS to be done! *sigh*

 

[NickAu]

You could cover the top of your tank with some plastic drop sheet its about 2 bucks at a crazy clarks or similar, If you wanted to you could tape it tightly around the sides turn off any air pumps.
 
Kinda like this
http/i.imgur.com/LzIatjg.jpg?1

 

[Alasse]

Already sprayed....was just as careful as i could be in the rooms with tanks. Time will tell

 

[attibones]

If you are having problems with Frontline, try something like Nexguard or Trifexis (this one is expensive but effective!!). We have bad fleas and ticks too, and Frontline never works enough. 
 
Alasse, did you end up covering the tank? I've often wondered about how others handle this kind of thing. I usually use garbage bags and tape them around the tanks, but this is often not totally sealed off.

 

[Alasse]

I will buy Advocate next time and give them capstar (this stuff is absolutely brilliant, but $20 for 6 tablets - 3 days worth for my 2 cats) if i see a flea on them....
 
I didnt cover or turn off anything on the tanks....i did open every window and door in the rooms though as this stuff stinks, and i mean stinks!. All is well in the main tank room, shrimp are all still kicking so far so i think its ok. Just did the room the goldies are in, so fingers crossed it will all be good in there also.
 
The stuff i use is brilliant, kills anything bug like that sticks its pinky toes on it for around 3months....so i vacuumed before spraying, wait an hour and vacuum the carpets again, the dead fleas coming off are in appalling numbers.....so Capstar daily for 6 days for the cats and vaccum twice a day, that'll cure em!

 

[fluttermoth]

Hopefully your tanks will be okay, but do cover them and switch off any air pumps next time.

 

[Alasse]

All tanks are good....Covering them wont save them if this stuff is going to kill then it will.

My hubby sprayed last time and never gave the tanks a thought, they were covered and pumps off and still lost the 2 lowest tanks.
 
This is why i did it this time.....very mindful of over spray, and very careful, has worked brilliantly. Nothing affected, and dead fleas!

 

[frapadoodle]

Good news!
I have to agree about Frontline, it's overpriced snake oil.

 

[Baccus]

Fleas are a major pest, and I can understand the absolute need to nuke them, just keep a very close eye on your tanks, especially the shrimp tank. And maybe if you dont already put in some activated charcoal and or Purigen just to make sure any nasty chemicals stay out of your tanks.
 
Since my tanks are opened topped and one of my cats literally lives to drink out the tanks everyday I am extra careful of anything he could drop in the tanks from contaminated paws. He likes to dangle his paws in the water while he has a drink and have his tail floating on the water surface. Yes I admit it I have odd pets

  But I love them dearly.

 

[Paradise3]

Frontline is absolutely useless I agree!!

We've got a few fleas at the mo, not enough to see them but we have a cat who is suffering hair loss so took him to the vets and found out he's got a flea allergy and they found ONE flea on him. Just one. So now we're treating everyone with Advantage Flea stuff and spraying the house with Indorex as it's the only one I can find that is safe for reptiles(of which we have 18 in total). The downside is that it is extremely toxic to fish So I don't know how I'm going to spray my room where the fish tanks are because one has wire over the top for a lid and the other has a lid but not a proper fitting one... I think I'll have to take all the pumps and stuff out so there are no wires hanging out the tanks and then cover them both as much as possible with plastic sheeting or bin bags or something to stop the spray going in them. Then I have to leave it 30-45 mins to settle and I can open windows and the fish should be safe according to the vets.

 

[Liv15]

Often flea treatments don't work unless you treat the house and the animal's bedding. Otherwise, the fleas just keep coming back quickly.

 

[Alasse]

Most of my tanks are open topped, so had to be very mindful of where i was spraying thats for sure. My cats are old enough to knw better than to drink from the tanks now, that was a habit quickly nipped in the bud. They will however drink the drained water out of the bucket lol
 
Never had fleas until we started using Frontline

The house is their bedding lol hence why it needed to be treated
 

 

[jag51186]

I use seresto collars, works wonders for my dogs! I'm not sure if they have them for cats or not...can't remember. But it's eighty bucks and they last eight months, and no worries about human contact with them. Repels ticks too

 

[Akasha72]

My vet told me a good few years ago now that Frontline was no longer effective in both cats and dogs. Fleas have become immune to it's ingredients. I now get a flea treatment from my vets (it's a cheaper version of Advocate which is only available through the vet) and that seems to work okay. My dog as never had fleas in the 12 years I've had her and I hope she never does! 
 
As for spraying chemicals with fish - it certainly seems to be a problem. I'm needing to decorate my hall and I've bought water based 'gloss' for the doors and casing cos I'm worried about the fumes affecting the fish. I also won't use air fresheners or furniture polish in the same room as the fish cos I worry about the fumes affecting them

 

[Alasse]

I use air fresheners, i just spray them towards the floor not the ceiling in the rooms i have tanks