What are the chances of a fairly big fish tank popping?! I would like to get a fish tank but I keep getting warned it will pop and destroy my bedroom floor and the downstairs ceiling? Is this true?
2007-02-20 08:07:50 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Venice makes anexcellent and possibly the most important point. The tank can handle the water and not have a problem, but the floors in your house are NOT designed to handle heavy weight. A fish friend of mine placed a 30 gallon tank under a window for only 3 months and the wall shifted enough that the window became very difficult to open and close. A large tank such as a 180 gallon can easily weigh a ton counting the stand, gravel etc and that is far more than a home floor is designed to hold for a long period of time. You should place anything more than a 55 gallon on a slab or on the lowest floor of your home and reinforce the floor with what is called a flying joist. A web search should show you how to do this and it's quite simple. You should also have a board under the legs of the tank to disetibute the weight across as many floor joists as possible o prevent problems. Should the floor warp enough it could cause the tank to warp and leak.
MM
2007-02-20 08:42:16 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very Very Unlikeley. The glass is pretty high tensile strength stuff. It doesn't break easy at all. I've dropped rocks when setting up tanks that would break windows, but didn't even scratch my tank.
The only thing that could cause explosive tank syndrome would be what I did above with an irregular shaped object with a lot of force. Or... if its set on something not designed to evenly distribute the weight.
Tanks' don't burst in a catestrophic failure when they go bad from old age either... they just spring leaks which can be patched with fresh silicone.
More likeley than the tank bursting would be the floor boards failing, which also is quite rare. It would result from the floor boards not being able to hold the lbs per squre inch required by the tank. 55 gallon is something like 4 lbs per square inch.
If you're worried about water damage through the floor, YOU will be the most likely culprit above & beyond any physical constraint on the building materials... Human error by spilling buckets of water when trying to change the water or drain it is very real. So is failing to install a check valve on an air line & having it drain all over the place during a power outage.
If you're concerned about the building materials, buy from a higher eschelon name brand... The cheapo chinese made tanks sold at wal-mart are not the same as those sold by more expensive companies.
2007-02-20 16:32:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is a tank designed to hold water and there are no cracks in the glass and the seals are tight (and these are things you should ask about and check before you buy), then if you don't hit it, smash it, etc., it will be fine. That said, aquariums can be very heavy, and you do need to consider whether your floor, especially if you're on any floor other than the ground floor, can handle the weight. Now that could destroy your bedroom floor and downstairs ceiling. This link give your the weight for the size of tank you have. This weight is only for the aquarium and water. It does not include the gravel, which will also add another 5-50 pounds or more, depending on the size of your tank and how much gravel you use and then you need to add more for big rocks you might use as decorations.
2007-02-20 16:19:41 · answer #3 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have only had one brake on me. of course it was after I nailed it with a Bruce Lee nunchuka move. I was having a party at my house when I decided I was going to show off my mad skills. I twirlled it, passed it behind my back, over the shoulders, and rolled them across the back of my hand when they slipped through my fingers flying the necessary 10 feet to where my tank was sitting. It hit on the bottom black frame and I thought I was safe suddenly the tank split across the front as My brother roared with laughter. It didn't take long for every one there to see my brother was holding the split together while I made a mad dash to find bowls to put the fish in. Every body was very helpful, but I am yet to live this down. You know of course I never will. This really happened to me and the tank never exploded.
Hope this helps
2007-02-20 16:40:10 · answer #4 · answered by David S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have to say that only this morning a close friend of mine woke to an exploded tank in her living room accompanied by dead, much loved oscars. The tank was 4 years old on a solid base and there's no indication as to why it exploded. I have a similar sized tank and would like to know the theory behind its breakage(5ft x 2ft heated tank). Somebody suggested external humidity was a factor? Yes, as rare as it is, is does happen.
2007-02-22 05:23:18 · answer #5 · answered by mosaicduck 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Normaly tanks burst when not supported properly underneath. If your not placing your tank on a proper fish stand then its always best to place a tank mat underneath to support it properly. There has been a few bursting tanks latley Ive read on forums and it got me a bit worried lol.
Also you have to consider what fish you want to keep. Some fish are very powerful and can break the glass, get the right glass thickness if you want stronger fish.
2007-02-21 08:13:24 · answer #6 · answered by A C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do explode, but if the tank is level it doesn't happen too often. With any tank over 75 gallons, you don't want the level to even be off half an inch. Tanks weigh 10 pounds per gallon, plus stand and decor, so be careful where you put it in your home.
2007-02-20 16:49:14 · answer #7 · answered by bzzflygirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
SMASHINGEXPLODINGPOPPING is unlikely with a tank that is made for fish on a stand made to support the weight of a full fish tank. Regular furniture isn't meant for this because it can be damaged by water that you spill from maintaining the tank and can't support the weight of 8 pounds x # of gallons in the tank.
2007-02-20 16:18:05 · answer #8 · answered by succulentpope 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
some one is just trying to convince you not to get it !!! ive had a 29 gallon fish tank and a 5 1/2 gallon tank with turtles for a while and niether one are broken !!! at first its hard to maintain if you dont know what your doing but you ll get used to it and then it will be a piece of cake !!
2007-02-20 16:18:16 · answer #9 · answered by CRISTIE C 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
don't buy second hand. check it in the shop befor you by it and again befor you fill it. if there are any cracks, chips or other faults take it stright back. oter wise you will be fine. i have had sevral tanks oer the years. of 20 - 30 gallons. never has one suddly popped.
quite frankly this only happens to people dumb enough to tip or move the tank while its full.
2007-02-20 16:22:38 · answer #10 · answered by drunkredneck45 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋