New 130g bursts without warning!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
What an absolute nightmare. Good luck and I hope things work out for the best.
 
shekes said:
It happenned last night. I was posting something on MFK while waiting for the bathtub to fill. Then I went to turn of the water, undressed to take a bath but heard strange noises. I went to the living room and saw water pouring out of the tank like a waterfall, wet floor and a 3' lungfish swimming around.

My livingroom has two levels, I ran down to the tank to try stop the flooding and, staying up to my anckles in water, remembered the electricity...
At this moment all lights went out.
I wanted to open the door and get flash lights and help from neighbours. But I was naked remember?
I had to run to the bedroom to put something on, than out of the apartment.

I live on the third floor of an old building. The water was flowing out my door and down the elevator shaft. By the time I got back with a light, 100+ gallons of water were gone through the floor and neigbours from all floors came up to see where the water was coming from.

The ceiling in the apartment downstairs is falling off. It will cost a fortune to fix.

I had to put a 2' black aro in a 70g with discus, the 3' lungfish in a 40g with marbled eels and the ray is still in the almost empty tank.

The tank was 6 months old. I bought it from a guy who is considered responsible.

The silicon seem somehow unglued and the water poured out though a 0.1" - 0.3" opening. OK. But why was the lungfish out of the tank? It is 3" thick.



Did it break the tank? How?

I don't know.

What have I learned? No idea.
Click to expand...
man that stinks.
:WHOA: :WHOA:
 
fishnutham said:
because you live in an old building could be possible the floor was uneven causing a twist to the tank putting stress on a tank with some age and maybe dry sealant
Click to expand...

The tank is 6 months old. I paid a higher price for it buying it from a manufacturer who does not produce oversized tanks from too thin of a glass and who was very reluctant to make it 4" higher than his standards for 10mm glass (the tank was not filled to the top the extra 4" give the SAL enough room to breath).

It is an old wooden floor and it could in fact be uneven. I did put some 2" of hard styropor underneath...

I am no engeneer but it would appear to me that the uneven floor would put more stress on the bottom seals rather than on the side, the one that uglued.
However, some "unhealthy" in combination with:

Miles said:
a 3' Lungfish is practically a 3 foot muscle...

...a bored stingray decides to chomp on the 'feelers' of the Lungfish, causing him to starting thrashing around the tank and blast into the corners, eventually jumping out on the floor and weakening the seams in the process.
Click to expand...

These ideas are not much of a consolation. Considering the possibilties, I don't even have the right to blame the manufacturer.
I would have no legal otpions there anyway. Before making the tank 4" higher, the guy warned me that he wouldn't be responsible if something happened.
I realy didn't believe something could happen: the tank being brand new and extra strong.

I don't think there is an insurance for this type of accidents in Argentina. And, if there were, I doubt they'd pay up before the end of the century.

Can I somehow have the tank reglued AND make it stronger than before?

How could I make sure the surface is even?
 
shekes said:
It is an old wooden floor and it could in fact be uneven. I did put some 2" of hard styropor underneath...

I am no engeneer but it would appear to me that the uneven floor would put more stress on the bottom seals rather than on the side, the one that uglued.
However, some "unhealthy" in combination with:

How could I make sure the surface is even?
Click to expand...

An uneven floor puts more pressure on the sides. The bottom is supported by the stand, but if you twist the stand (an uneven floor will do this) you are also twisting the tank. Even if it's only 1/8 of an inch you can cause major problems with the vertical seams in a tank. By the way, do not use foam to level a stand or tank. The side that is lowest will carry more weight and sink even more causing it to be more out of wack.

You can:
Level the floor or,
Place a piece of plywood under the stand and shime the bottom of the stand and nail it or,
Place a piece of plywood on top of the stand and shime that before you nail it to the stand.

Then put your resealed tank on the stand and fill with water.
 
fsc46 said:
> . . . snip . . . <
By the way, do not use foam to level a stand or tank. The side that is lowest will carry more weight and sink even more causing it to be more out of wack.
> . . . snip . . .<
Click to expand...
This is the first time I've seen anyone say NOT to use foam under a tank.
I've always seen it recommended!

Or are you saying to not use foam to fix a known out of true stand? Make the stand true and then use foam for the >small< irregularities.
 
so what lesson did you learn from all this..........................













































Don't keep fish and your tank won't explode :D
 
shekes said:
. I did put some 2" of hard styropor underneath...
Click to expand...


2"? I've seen recommendations for a 1/2" - 3/4" of styro or even a piece of 1/4" cork sheeting for those "minor" irregularities, but it seems like 2" would now start just amplifying an out of level stand or floor..?

Sorry for your loss..hope all goes well with the repairs and setting back up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom