Earthquakes and Glass tanks

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NC2WA

NC2WA

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Sep 14, 2006
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Location
Bothell,WA
Since I am new to the area (live all my life on the East coast) and the West coast for that matter, I would like to know what precautions (if any) you take for earthquakes. I am going to be setting up a 125g glass tank that sits in a sturdy stand.

My manager suggested bolting the tank to the wall. I think that is alittle extreme, but I thought I would just check to see what the washingtonians think. :D

thanks
kirk
 
Herefishyfishy said:
What I do, whenever there is an earthquake, run to the tank to hold it up and scream like a little girl
Click to expand...



:lol: :eek: :lol: :eek: :lol: :eek: :lol:


On 2/28/01 we had a 6.8 earthquake that was centered just a few miles north of me.
At the time I had a 180 gallon and a 135 gallon tank setup.
Once the dust settled at work, I went home to look at the damage. By the time I got home I had convinced myself that nothing would be left, just glass and a big wet spot.
Fortunutely I was wrong, my tanks rode it out, but I bet it was wild in that house. I lost about 20+ gallons out of each tank. It came out the top through the open back canopy, hit the wall, then the ceiling and then on the floor. The tanks themselves ended up about a 1/2" off center on the stands.
I believe that if the tanks or the stands would have been attached to the wall, the glass would have shattered.
 
My tank went through the last quake a few years ago and got shook up quite a bit. Lots of rock fell down and I learned that it's best to make the towers and caves very stable by design or plastic tied together. I can imagine a large dense piece of rock blowing out a side. Many place the rock bases on stand systems or rods. If the aquarium stand is sturdy, tank should be fine. If it is a tall system, adding some very strong straps couldn't hurt. Similar to a large TV or tall bookshelf. The sloshing water can not be avoided, but the tank should move with the floor and wall for the most part.
 
What I do, whenever there is an earthquake, run to the tank to hold it up and scream like a little girl
Click to expand...

LMBO!! that's awesome :lol: .... i'd do that too :D .

I think bolting it is not a bad idea :p but your rocks better be ready for it too.
Also if a really really really hard earthquake comes like what happened in Mexico city in 1985 .... then even if you bolt it .... don't know if it'd handle it :shock: :p
 
I lived in north olympia when the last quake hit. I had a 55gal and a 29gal tank at that time and nothing happened to them except for about 3 inches of water shaken out of both
 
skyscrapers are built on special pads that allow them to move around during an earthquake. Bolting in a glass tank will probably break it.
 
I had 3 55 gallon glass tanks when the last one in 2001 hit, and i only lost a fish that got crushed from a coral falling. All my tanks themselves were fine though.
I do agee though, bolting would most likely cause it to break more or shatter.
 
jnarowe said:
skyscrapers are built on special pads that allow them to move around during an earthquake. Bolting in a glass tank will probably break it.
Click to expand...

Bolting a tank to the wall allows it to move the same as the house. Since houses are big and fairly flexible, they tend to move more slowly (than a smaller, stiffer object). By itself, a tank on a stand is relatively stiff and small. It will move more rapidly in an earthquake. (bad) And, there is relatively no damping.

My tank is bolted to the wall. I lost no water in the last big earthquake, and only had one rock fall.
 
dnjan said:
Bolting a tank to the wall allows it to move the same as the house. Since houses are big and fairly flexible, they tend to move more slowly (than a smaller, stiffer object). By itself, a tank on a stand is relatively stiff and small. It will move more rapidly in an earthquake. (bad) And, there is relatively no damping.

My tank is bolted to the wall. I lost no water in the last big earthquake, and only had one rock fall.
Click to expand...


I really have to disagree.I think that if anything were to be strapped to the tank, there would be more stress at that point where the tank was attached.
Maybe with acrylic, but not glass. I have no education to support my thought, just a gut feeling.
My tanks rode out the last big we had, just fine. I have no doubt they would have shattered if they had been somehow attached to the wall.
 
My tank weighs 14,000 lbs. so there is no way I would bolt it to anything I want to have standing after an earthquake.
 
I should have been specific - the tank isn't attached, it is the stand. The top of my stand has a rim about 3/4" high to keep the tank from sliding off.
And since I had no water sloshing out in that last earthquake a few years ago, I think the damping provided by the wall had an effect.
 
Last edited:
jnarowe said:
My tank weighs 14,000 lbs. so there is no way I would bolt it to anything I want to have standing after an earthquake.
Click to expand...

If your tank is really that large, it will take out a wall, whether attached or not.

With a tank that size, you don't really need to worry about tipping over since your tank is considerably wider in its smallest direction than the distance between the center of the tank and the floor.
 
My tank sits down in my stand about 2-3 inches, so I dont think the tank will slide out unless it breaks one of the side supports.
 
So your primary worry is the tank/stand combination tipping over. (and add secondary worries of water sloshing out and/or rocks falling over).

How big is your stand (width and height)?
 
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