A warning about spraying GB plants

[Ryan Garlington]

Ive always used an organic bug spray in my garden made with a variety of herb oils.

I gave most of the garden a good spraying recently, and as I walked past a growbed I gave a single spray to a cherry tomato plant growing in there. This ended up killing 4 goldfish and a small koi over the next couple of days. That oil coats the gills of the fish and blocks absorption of oxygen. My water is well oxygenated- it hardly goes 5 minutes without a growbed emptying into it. But these doomed fish were breathing from the surface like they were in dead water. Im very lucky my tilapia have shown no problems.

[Jim Fisk]

You may want to add a skimmer at the surface level of the FTs just like on a swimming pool. The oils, any oils, tend to get trapped on the surface of the FT otherwise and that can block O2. I had a trout die in one FT and the oil slick from the dead fish was amazing as I had blocked the skimmer for other reasons temporarily. Cleared it right out. The bacteria in the GBs should break such oils down (organic oils of course).

[Steve R]

Yea thats a home pest spray. It doesn't look like its made for plant application. If your trying to treat bugs that are not in the grow beds nothing works better than boric acid sprinkled around the floor. I'v used it for years to kill roaches and crickets in pet shops with out harming the cats or dogs or anything that isn't an invert. You can't use a home bug control product in your garden they are 2 entirely different products with completely different safety standards. 

[Jack Rife]

If it is an oil product it should float on top of the water. How much space do you have between the top of the GB median and the water, sounds to me that there was something else in the sprayer. I would not let the water return directly into the fish tank, pump from a sump tank into the fish tank, this water is taken from below the surface and would prevent any thing floating from entering the fish tank.

[Steve R]

I think the bigger issue is its not designed to be eaten.

Jack Rife said:

If it is an oil product it should float on top of the water. How much space do you have between the top of the GB median and the water, sounds to me that there was something else in the sprayer. I would not let the water return directly into the fish tank, pump from a sump tank into the fish tank, this water is taken from below the surface and would prevent any thing floating from entering the fish tank.

[Scott Roberts]

I think it is designed to be eaten. Peanut oil, Clove oil, Rosemary oil, Peppermint oil, Thyme oil, Water. Add a little vinegar and you've got salad dressing. 

Steve R said:

I think the bigger issue is its not designed to be eaten.