# Spilt tank water!!! Help!!!!!



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

What do I do to completely and thoroughly clean the area?? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

Not sure where else to post this...


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

Sorry I got so frazzled I forgot to specify it was from a freshwater tank onto carpet! Also it was near the heater vent I believe some fell in... What should I do about that part? Will it affect my air quality??


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## weedkiller (Nov 18, 2012)

have you tried paper towels? it has probably dried by itself by now, you should be safe as ive never had any fish monsters sprout from spilt water as of yet


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

I spilt quiet a bit... I used towels immediately. Then carpet cleaner and a vacuum. It's still a tad damp though. I fear for mold and air quality


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

But good to hear about the lack if monsters  lol


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

A wet/dry shop vac works well


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Clean fish water isn't any worse than cleaning, say, bathwater. Your goal is to get it as dry as you can ASAP. I've done towels sponges, fans, cranking the heat up, cranking the AC up, & towels with weights (or me) on them, & shop vacs. I've considered renting one of the carpet cleaners like rug-doctor as it can pic up water out of the carpet. The only other thing I can suggest is to sprinkle baking soda or corn starch down and then vacuum it up. Same for dry-rite 

Wet once and dry in <24 hours is almost always no problem (you might smell algae). Repeated wettings or long-term damp are what cause issues.

Turn on the heat to dry the vent. You can usually remove the register. If you can, take it out and towel-dry it (it probably needs dusting anyway).

Hardware stores have an anti-mildew spray. Use that on anything that got wet.


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

Okay thank you!! I wish I would have read this sooner!!!! 
Is there anything to do to get rid of the smell??


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

On a side note... Do you think my tank could be negatively affecting the air quality or my room? (not talking about the spill, like just in general)


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## weedkiller (Nov 18, 2012)

if the parameters are off it could create a smell, wouldn't say it would cause bad air to breathe,


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

baking soda or febreeze or one of those sprinkle on the carpet, vacuum up "carpet fresheners" which are, I believe, baking soda and scent.

In general tanks add humidity to a room. If you live in a dry place or run the heat and AC a lot, it can be a good thing, reducing nose bleeds and making breathing easier. 

On the other hand, if you room is already too humid, additional moisture can contribute to mold/mildew issues and things like fogging window. Look at AC registers, a humid room with often have condensation on the cool metal and mold can grow on the slats (take them down, clean them, spray with anit-mildew spray and set your thermostat higher in the summer). If you are allergic to mold spores, this does hurt the air-quality of the room. If you think a tank is contributing to a humidity issue, get a tight-fitting lid and keep it closed, use glad press-n-seal to close openings, and keep it full (but not dripping down the back under the rim). You can also replace bio-wheel HOBs with canister filters.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

They sell these super-adsorbent mats on one side, with a water-proof barrier on the other. You can throw one down before you do a water change to catch drips. The ones for under a X-mas tree are the same. I got one cheap after X-mas. Its green and round, not blue and rectangular, but its the same.


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

I will look into that !!! Thank you! I'll also have to research canisters I've never heard of those..... I feel like we have very average humidity. And I think the air is fine, I think my boyfriend is just being paranoid....


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ask him flat out if he has an issue with a tank in the bedroom. Maybe the light or the filter is keeping him up.


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

I asked him long before I bought the tank. And many times since. He has a hard time admitting when he's sick and likes to blame it on other things. Lol


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Seriously? This has to be the most ridiculous thread I've ever read in my life. You actually posted this before cleaning up the spilt water for us to give you advice?? 

Here's what you do - don't just stand there - get a towel and clean it up! What's the harm in it? Geez...

What would you do if your child vomitted on the couch or floor? Would you stand there in shock with 'deer in headlights' look? No.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It was down to just damp before the first post. I did that with my first big mess. Used all the towels I could find, pulled out all the fans, then called mom and said "What do I do now?: You learn clean up by trial and error by it doesn't hurt to ask.

If someone is very allergic to dust and mold a tank can be a source of allergens, but it doesn't have to be. Vacuum all around and under, use chlorox wipes away from the fish on any thing that was wet but shouldn't be, like the stand (color test in an out of sight area, first). The place for mold is things that get wet, but don't stay under water. Take the lid to the sink and clean it. Try to keep the tank at the same water level. I think my tanks helps allergies because the moisture helps my mucus not dry up.

Is he allergic to seafood or shellfish? Most fish food has some "shrimp meal" in it.. Keep food closed and don't crumble food around him.

Don't tell someone suffering that it is "all in your head". But it is really hard to tell if sinus/sneezing issues are reacting to dust, mold, tree pollen (numbers are high now here) or one has caught a spring cold or a late flu. You'd have to test by sleeping in a room with no tank for a week and then a room with a tank to know if the fish were contributing.


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

@ice 1. I don't have children. I'm eighteen. But I would call someone to ask for advice after the initial cleaning to know the best way to get it out of my carpet... This was basically my call to people who probably found the best answer through trial and error... 2. I obviously did everything I knew to do first. I was just worried about mold and whatever is in fish water, like damage control. you don't have to be rude....

@emc thank you for giving me the time of day! We have my tank set up on 2x4s so I can even clean underneath the tank. I use clorox wipes more than twice a week everywhere around the tank. 
Funny you mentioned the one week thing though because after one week of sleeping in a different room he finally rejoined me and said its probably not that tank lol 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Usually its the dust from the vents in central air/heating. Really a pan to clean. I've tried sticking a vacuum cleaner hose up there. I've tried putting a filter media in the vent, but I took it out because the room got hot & cold it restrict the flow too much.

A room with no carpet or drapes and bedding washed weekly in hot water is best. But really, who has one of those? I have an expensive air-filter which seems to be an air-filter off a big truck with a fan inside. I can't tell if it helps, but I like the "white noise".

Benedryl is my fav antihistamine. Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec are non-drowsy, but also non-working. Chlor-Trimeton works for about a week and then starts working less and less. Brompheniramine was better but the best OTC versions are off the market.


----------



## Dreamer (Mar 15, 2013)

He usually doesn't even have allergies hopefully it's just a cold... But I supposed it's time to clean the filter things in the 'control room' any how. 


I can't even thing of one person who has a room like that lol I mean I guess he could sleep on the kitchen  lol


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

