I Was Sleeping. Heard An Explosion. My 120G Broke Flooding Everywhere!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Sorry to hear this. Like others have said, I'd go with the rubbermaid tub, or black plastic trough from Tractor Supply Co, or similar type place, for the short term.

Then break out the credit card, make sure you get airline miles or cash back on it, and order a big massive custom acrylic tank and a sump. If you haven't already thought about it a thousand times, you need to be thinking right now--"where can I fit a 8x4 acrylic tank in this house"? "How do I break this to the wife"? "What size drains do I want Chris to drill"? "Jebao or Laguna". "Wet/Dry or filter socks". That's where your head needs to be right now.

Look at it this way. What's past is past--nothing more than an illusion in your mind--well, maybe 2-3 other people's minds, too. But, don't let your future be controlled by what is nothing more than a collective illusion, which is what memories really are if you really think about it. :)
 
My tanks have all had rims. Just this week I brought a fifty in from my barn after several years in storage and found the plastic rims had cracked in several places. I will admit I was a little apprehensive but I leveled the stand, placed the pink board and filled it up. After four days I`ve had no issues. If it was`nt for the foam I would have never tried it.

OP, I am sorry for your misfortune. Don`t allow it to ruin a great hobby for you. As others have said, this too shall pass.
 
12 Volt Man said:
from what I understand, the compression is the problem.

Glass tanks with rims are designed to sit directly on the stand, with nothing inbetween the tank and the stand.

if the foam compresses too much (and touches the bottom glass) it puts upward force on the bottom glass and rim and can cause the bottom glass to crack.

this from what I understand is why tank manufacturers (eg. Aqueon and Marineland) do not recommend foam.

there have been long debates on this on here (of which I have been a part of LOL) and people have emailed Aqueon (aka All Glass Aquariums) and their response about foam was 'it can cause an uneven edge and cause the bottom to crack'.

Marineland simply voids the warranty on their tanks if you use foam.

so you have to be carefull when using foam. It can apparently cause more harm then good.

some like yourself have used it forever and had no issues. Others have had tanks crack supposedly due to foam used in the wrong scenario (should only be used for tanks with no bottom rim or acrylic tanks).

the hard part is trying to pinpoint why a tank failed. eg. it could be a glass defect and nothing to do with tank setup at all.

so sorry to hear abou the OP's tank. worst nightmare.

but pick up the peices and continue with the hobby. its still awesome
Click to expand...

You know I was in the same discussions. LOL

Foam isn't the safety net people think it is. It has it's uses, but is not the end-all be-all of setting up a tank. I don't use foam on any tank; glass or acrylic.
 
Thank you so much for all the kind replies and support guys.

The shopkeeper gave me two options:

1) This 2nd hand blue 4 feet or so tub, (attached below) or

2) A brand new 120G glass tank with a good stand for the same price. (no picture yet)

20150305_130625.jpg
 
What a big crack! Tired from the cleaning.

20150305_193541.jpg
 
As some others have said, foam should not be used under rimmed tanks, only rimless and acrylic. The foam does not compress evenly and puts stress on the bottom glass. If you feel the need to use foam under your tank to level a stand you are in for trouble. There really is no need for it.

That said, OP, sorry for your problems! I think we all dread this day.
 
The foam is not to level the tank, it is to provide for uneven settling. What many seem to miss is that glass flexes. Look down the length of a six foot tank and you see that they bow out. My 125 bows out at least 1/2". Pink board does not vary in thickness or consistency, therefore what you are seeing is inconsistency between a metal stand and the plastic frame of the tank. After over forty years of messing with glass boxes and having two beak, both of which were not on foam and hundreds of successful setups that were I`ll stick with the foam.
 
I'm well aware glass flexes which is exactly why you should not use foam. You need a solid stand that will not flex. If the stand doesn't flex then there is no where for the tank to bow out to. As I said before, foam should not be used to correct a crap stand.
 
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