General Care Discussion :: Tank breaking ..... emergency plan

[bradmeisel]

I had a 10 gallon tank and broke the bottom. Water went everywhere.

I was surprised the electricity didn't get messed up.

But it was only a 10 gal tank.

Now I have a 75 gallon tank. Does anyone have a plan or idea how to minimize the damage or deal with an accidental breaking.

As a side note, when I put my canister filter together it wasn't working right. So as a remedy I popped the intake hose and put a couple of gallons of water into my new wood stand. Sometimes I think my brain takes a nap :O.

[steve]

First, make sure that the tank is made to hold water! There are many vivariums and lizard tanks that look like regular aquariums but are not really made to hold water.

Second, have the right stand for it. Too many people improvise and this is not something they should.

Third, never move a tank with water or decorations in it. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

And finally, if this is a used tank, do a thorough inspection of the tank before and after filling it up. Look for loose silicone or any leaks.

[notoch351]

Steve pretty much covered everything, preventing damage is just being careful and making sure your tank and stand meet the requirements to hold water.

When lifting rocks or other decorations be careful not not drop anything.

[bradmeisel]

Thanks Steve. you made me feel better about spending 230 for the stand and I got the tank new for 130.
It has a leak guarantee for life but I'm afraid I might do something to break it like I did with my 10 gal.

Is there any advice as to what to do in case that does happen?

other than freak out like i did the first time screaming "save the turtles" thinking they were like fish (i only had them a week or so and didn't know much yet).

[steve]

Make sure nothing can bump into it (like a door swinging) but the big mistakes I think people make is moving it with water in there or having it on a poorly supported stand. Leaks are easy to fix... but cracks need immediate attention.

[AerianaEve]

"SAVE THE TURTLES!!!"

I know in a situation where you would actually need to save the turtles, that wouldn't be funny, but it is kinda funny now. Hahahaa like you'd get a batman sign except instead of a batman sign it would be a turtle and then turtles would come from everywhere to save their kin.

*cough*

Anyways, my advice would be to try not to put anything in your tank that you think would break it if it were to fall. (Or if Chimpy and/or Chompy were to get annoyed with it and shove it away.) I got a heavy decoration I thought was safe from Speedy, but no go. She was kicking it aside with ease and I took it out. Congrats on your new big tank! =)

[TheComputerGremlin]

bradmeisel - How did the tank break to begin with? First, that's a key to how to prevent it. Did it break during washing? You will NEVER move that 75 gallon, you want to use something like a Python suction tube for any water moving and you'll want to clean the tank where it is located.

Did it just break while it was sitting there? It was probably a fault in the tank. I wouldn't worry about your new tank, but every so often, check the seams to make sure it's still water tight. Unfortunately if the tank breaks, there's not much that you can do than clean up and hope for it to happen when you are home to minimize the damage.

[bradmeisel]

the first tank broke because i left a towel under it (that i used to tilt it while I was emptying it) and i pushed down on the sides and it "clicked".

The click was the bottom pane cracking and the water drained almost magically out of the bottom.

I think my filter (FX5) will pump the water out if I learn how.

I use some paver stones to weigh down caves and as patio areas for the turtles to rest on. Sometimes I knock into the side or I am afraid chimpy or chompy might move one and make it fall although I try to set it up to prevent that.

The glass on the 75 gal seems thicker than the others though so I'm hoping for the best.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Paver stones? I wouldn't use anything at all heavy in your tank. Visualize this situation: Your turtle somehow manages to push a rock off it's otherwise stable position. It falls down, crushing or trapping your turtle. Your turtle cannot breathe and if you aren't there to save him, he'll die.

There are other ways to weigh down things, but honestly, if you have to weigh things down, I would consider alternatives instead.

You can use your FX5 to remove the water or a Python.

[Doc_Moore_J]

Although it wont prevent a spill, you can get aquarium insurance for as little as like 15$ a year I think. I used to have it when I had my salt water tank set up.

[SpotsMama]

You can get an alarm that goes off in the presence of water that will alert you to a slow leak. I think you could find one by googling or maybe at an aquarium shop. My recollectio is they aren't expensive.

Also, use a GFCI plug for the electrical things attached to the tank. A GFCI (ground flow circuit interrupter) will shut off the electricity instantaneously in case a light fixture falls in the tank or something gets wet that shouldn't. Saves people, turtles and prevents fires. You can get portable ones at places like Lowes for around $20 or have an electrician install one.

[bradmeisel]

great idea. If i hadn't mounted the electricity on the wall it would've been in water from the first filter mishap.

I'm always very concerned about a light falling into the tank. This will address that. Thanks.

[Fuzzy Hamster]

Brad, for any rocks or pavers that you are worried about, just make sure that they are very stable to reduce any potential for them to fall or bump into the glass, but you could also (as we have done in our turtle tank) use clear aquarium silicone on all the edges, corners, or other protrusions to prevent damage to the glass & to your turtles plastron.

I regularly move the rocks to clean and have bumped them into the glass on several occasions with no damage because of the silicone coating. Under water, it is not even noticeable on the rocks. We have painted rigid pink foam under the pavers/rocks to prevent any damage to the bottom of the tank.

[bradmeisel]

Now that's a great idea. How do you go about applying it?

[Fuzzy Hamster]

For the couple of pavers we used, I found a latex glove that I wore and just spread some silicone from the tube using my fingers. For the rest of the rocks, we just used a popsicle stick to spread the silicone. We only coated the parts that we thought might contact the glass (or Spike's shell), so it doesn't have to be spread too perfectly. If you put on too much just wait for it to dry and trim it with a knife. Make sure it has completely cured before using it in the tank.