What About Earthquakes??

[MrD]

Hey folks. Obviously, I'm new to this game. I have been formulating a plan for an aquarium for a long time now and I finally decided that the only way for me to go is with a discus tank, preferably Amazon Blackwater Biotope. So I keep gathering more and more information and still there is this little thing in the back of my mind that bothers me: I live in Southern California and so do fairly big earthquakes! In the past, the distant past, I have had friends who had aquariums when along came an earthquake that destroyed the tank and, in one case with a friend of mine who had a really big tank, caused thousands of dollars in damage to his humble abode!! Now, most of you will understand when I say that I am married. I love my wife. My wife loves our humble abode. So what do I do? I can't get rid of my wife! (Can I??). Of course not! All kidding aside, is there anything any of you can think of that will solve my problem? Would a tank that is 1/2 terrerium (sp???) and 1/2 aquarium work? So as to limit the amount of water that can splash out? I understand that under certain circumstances the right quake will make fish meal (sorry) out of any tank anyway. I'm just trying to come up with something that would minimize the damage by avoiding a complete spill. I really, really want a tank full of beautiful discus's. I'm getting old over here so I can't waste too much more time. I also can't afford to face the repercussions of 50 gallons of water all over any room in my house and I don't have a basement. Please forgive my rambling. Turnin' it all over to you, now.:confused:

[White Worm]

Look at the percentages, we dont have earthquakes every day here in cali. Very few and far between. Steam cleaner, wet/dry vac nearby will cure any problems you may have with extra water if it ever happens. I dont think getting rid of the wife would be such a good idea :D . Take a chance and enjoy. You are more likely to get injured in a car accident than an earthquake coming and destroying your aquarium but you drive every day right? You could always do your best to secure it to the wall somehow, maybe some kind of bracing like they use for water heaters but not as ugly. You cant let a little ole thing like an earthquake scare you away from keeping these fantastic kings of the aquarium. Live on the edge Mr D and get yourself some discus. Mike

[Dood Lee]

Glass tanks will almost always break in an earthquake, because the tank will twist and contort and shatter due to the vibrations. However, I know of many aquarists in the California area who use acrylic tanks. Acrylic tanks are much sturdier - acrylic is both stronger and clearer than glass, and acrylic won't shatter. Also, acrylic tanks weigh half as much as their glass counterparts. The downside of course is that acrylic scratches easily, and costs way more than a glass tank (up to about 100 gallons, after that acrylic gets cheaper than glass).

[Westie]

Well, I had a 55g and a 30g that made it through Loma Prieta no prob. I hear your concern though. Disneyland got rid of their hotels lagoon because it flooded the utiladors! I have a tank at work and they suggested, very strongly, that since were two blocks off the Hayward fault, that I earthquake strap the stand to the wall. Which I did but, I feel if there is a shaker, the tank will leave the stand behind. At home we will go with the flow...

[Greg Richardson]

I agree with Dood. Acrylic is the way to go in your situation.
Funny u mentioned it because myself and another discus addict was talking about it just the other day. Not a great thing to think about but doing what u can if u are able financially to buy acrylic instead of glass is the way to go.
Now if any of u win the lotto feel free to replace my glass tanks. Thanks!

[Spices]

Hello and welcome to SimplyDiscus!!

I would rather be part of the experience of owning both a sweet, comfortable abode (my dream house) with a humongous discus tank than to never have the experience. Natural disasters are unpredictable and uncontrollabe; having a discus tank as large as one's garage and having that lovely home are attainable again and again. I wouldn't be concerned too much to not have a tank in the home. You can make some careful remedies such as making sure you have outlets unused covered with plastic plug-ins, keep your electric strip cord on walls (high at eye level...this helps when having more than one tank in the home), having a large storage water tank with heater and aeration ready (this to catch fish on the floor), etc.

I mean, it really is a beauty to behold these fish. Earthquakes will be ongoing anywhere you live on this planet. I've seen acrylic tanks crack at very cold temperatures (after staying in periods of warm temps)! Nothing is a sure thing.

**Angie** :sun:

[CliffsDiscus]

Make sure there are no bricks in any glass tanks.

Cliff

[ShinShin]

I had 24 tanks, from 10gal to 100gal (all glass) survive a 7.3 quake while living in a 3rd floor codo. A wet floor is all that happened to my place. Lucky, I suppose.

Mat

[architect1]

Why don't you have your house rebuilt with a huge slap under it and put shocks under the house and the huge concret slap. Build the tank in the wall all concrete around it and a huge pain of glass with space btween the steel and wall that would be holding it so that its alowed to give. Oh suspend the tank from the roof truses with chains and when the quake comes the tank will move with the earth quake. I dont know much about eath quakes sunomiess or huricans but i do know houses down there are built with vary laxx codes. In the construction industry theres always away to do something to fix the problem. you just have to think outside of the box. Like look at the huge skyscrapers that never fall down there always standing after something so big.

[MrD]

Wow! Thanks to all of you for responding with so many creative ideas. To Architect: it's not so much the integrity of the tank that I'm concerned with, it's the amount of water that could splash out of the tank and end up on a beautiful wood floor. I'm trying to figure out a way to keep the water in the tank during an earthquake! If the d... tank breaks, I can always replace it or, for that matter, there's a good chance the house won't be left standing anyway!!! :p And, yes, my wife is a problem! She's the one pointing to the floor!! (To all of you: I love my wife dearly. I just do this to her all the time!) My wife is an :angel: Anyway, that's my predicament and I'm stickin' to it. I know that we'll all get through this together.

Keep smilin'