Earthquakes and Aquariums

[GarrettT3]

Hi all. I'm still fairly new here and would like to say I've been enjoying the site's information.

I was thinking about earthquakes and aquariums the other day since I live in a seismically active area. I know that others here without a doubt live in these areas as well. Have thoughts ever crossed your minds about the small glass dam in your house breaking due to a bad shaker. I sit at night sometimes looking at my meager 55 gal tank and say to myself, "If the ground starts shaking hard that is going to be one big mess!"

As I've read, some of you have aquariums that you could get in and take a swim if you wanted...several hundred gallons.

So, tell me guys and gals that live in these areas, what do you think about this? Have any of you ever had any first hand experience with loosing a tank due to an earthquake? Does anyone here take precautions of any kind to help prevent turning your house into a waterpark b/c of seismic activity ? Any ideas?? Maybe you made it through a shaker and never had a problem. What do you say?

 

[necrocanis]

bolt it down? lol, don't know, but I am sure that it would have to be a bigger quake to knock a tank over it properly balanced.

 

[DeLgAdO]

hard to say

all depends on the magnitude of the earthquake

i would have my stand make out of 4x4 or 4x6's

and some extra bracing, and my tanks made of acrylic.

but thats just me...........

 

[Bassman89]

i really wouldnt want to know what would happen to a tank after an earthquake...im glad i live in CO....dont have too worry about those lol

 

[is300zx]

If there's an earthquake big enough to topple a large tank, I'd be more worried about my own and my family's safety than what happens to the fish tank.

 

[Oddball]

When Northridge had their big one it seemed like everyone in the SDTFS had inspections done to see if owners were safe from their tanks and the tanks were prepared as best as was possible. Nearly everyone with a display (extra tall) tank was told to use 1000lb brackets to anchor tank stands to the floor or lower wall joists.
A ACOE geologist showed me a chart of the faultline directions in my neighborhood and suggested I move my 90 show tank from flat against a corner wall to 45 degrees (caddy-corner) to the 2 walls and bolt it to the floor. We did just that.
We went through a little 4.0 in '83 or '84 in Kearny Mesa, CA. The tank stood its ground through the trembler but a book case that was also flat against the original wall teetered over. My other tanks came through it just fine. They all had large footprints and low full-footed stands.