safety precaution incase of earthquake

[gotfish?]

few minutes ago a mild one hit southern california. i was in a middle of chatting in the computer and water change. my mom went under the table but stupid me stayed, hugged my tank, trying to save my beloved fish LOL (i joke around during inappropriate times):D

are their any safety measures to keep fish tanks safe? my landlord suggested those safety belts that attach to the wall, is there such thing?? this is my first earthquake with fish tanks around and honestly im still abit shaken haha

[digthemlows]

My house is a 100 year old high water bungalo that shakes every time the dryer goes through a spin cycle.........you should see my tank shake and sway...........with two kids we do a few load of laundry a day........the tank is fine.............I'd compare it to a mild quake...........I think if a big one hits, a broken tank is probably going to be the least of your worries..........

[Greg Richardson]

Do a search for earthquake. I seem to remember a few years back a thread about it.

[Apistomaster]

To prevent excessive movement of an object during an earthquake requires securing any object in all three orthogonal directions. This is very difficult to do for an aquarium.
The aquarium is normally not physically monolithic with the supporting stand, that makes securing it a more difficult challenge. I don't know how I would go about it in any way that would not interfere with the aesthetics of the display tank.

My professional expertise is 27 years of the inspection of the construction of structural members of moment resistant space frames, ie: earthquake resistant designed buildings in earthquake zones III and IV, also seismic upgrades to substandard structures and making post-quake repairs, in Seattle, WA. The difference between Zone III and IV is merely the frequency but not the intensity of the quakes that may occur.
Perhaps it is more practical to insure against the resulting damage resulting from any quake that exceeds the structural limits of your aquarium and stand and literally pick up the pieces and move on.

Every aquarium has a unique harmonic resonance and not all earthquakes will sing the same tune as it were, so there is no single correct way to deal with this problem. No one builds truly earthquake proof buildings even though it is is theoretically possible to do so, the cost is prohibitive. Only critical infrastructures such as regional trauma centers, bridges and the like get extraordinary protection by design. The true purpose of earthquake resistant designs is not to save the buildings but to make the buildings hold together long enough to allow people to escape and to minimize the size of the pieces of concrete that can hit you on the head.
Otherwise, it is cheaper to pay insurance premiums so the owner can afford to rebuild or repair their building, as the case may be. I have had 125 gal plexiglas reef tank survive a magnitude 5.3 quake on the second story of a typical apartment building. The unique design of plexiglas aquariums includes a monolithic lid with access holes and equipment holes cut into the cover. This design is among the best for an aquarium in earthquake zones since sloshing water has a harder time escaping from the tank. Later on, it was necessary to drain enough water to recenter the tank on it's stand. It is an alarming experience but you can endanger yourself if you make any effort to constrain the aquarium using your body. If that tank fails or falls off the stand, you cannot stop it. Best to forget about the fish and follow the recommended guidelines that pertain to protecting your own personal safety.