How do you secure your tanks?

[belladoula]

I am new to the hobby and by no means knowledgeable enough for reef tanks. However, I have a 56 gallon, 24 inch tall glass freshwater aquarium that I LOVE. Everything in my apartment is earthquake secure (i.e. bookshelves, tvs, etc) to the wall to prevent anything from falling on someone during an earthquake. However, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to secure my aquarium.

I use Quakehold! 4 and 7 inch steel cables everywhere in my house, but I could not get them to work on my aquarium stand. I tried, but the particle board began to split when I tried to install it. So I don't have it secured at all. I have contacted some companies with no help. I am including a couple of pictures of my set-up in hopes I get some good feedback

[photoguy]

I don't have my tank earthquake secured. I had no problem with it when the big one hit Easter down at my place it was recorded around 7 on the rictor scale. I did loose a little water that's it.

[cutterx23]

I would say if you can secure the wooden stand, that should be good. With all the water in the tank it'd take a good shake to topple over if the stand is sturdy, and any shake that strong, the fish tank would probably be the least if your worries.

[davocean]

It's a tough call sometimes, depending on how the quake rolls, the walls may pull from the floor if that makes sense, and actually can pull that stand in a way you don't want.
I don't secure my tank/stand either, and mine also made it through that Easter quake just fine.
However that tank appears a little top heavy for my taste on that stand, and I'm not keen on having those tank corners supported by ply, and not a vertical support directly underneath, JMO, but I am a contractor/carpenter, so it's a fairly educated opinion on this subject.
I also dislike any kind of MDF or particle board for marine use.
Don't expect much advice from the company's that build these, they most likely don't want to advise anything that could lead to liability issues.
A lot of company's that build these assume most stay w/ the hobby a year or two, and it's my opinion that stand may have been built w/ that longevity in mind.

[jonathan]

I think building a stand with a three inch lip around the bottom and bolting the stand to some studs would work, but for a little over kill attaching pillar like trim from the stand all the way to the canopy and attaching the canopy to the wall would enclose your tank pretty good. I'm just a newbie and definitely not a professional and I also don't have my tank earthquake safe but here is a pic of what I mean by pillar like trim. http://s1326.beta.photobucket.com/us...f6685.jpg.html

[DaveMorris]

I agree with others...don't worry about it. You'll likely lose some water over the top and that's about it. Any quake that is going to bring your tank down is going to cause more issues that are far more important to deal with than a fish tank. My 300g creaked a lot during the Easter quake, but it survived with only losing about 20g of water over the sides. An eight foot long tank makes for some pretty high waves in a quake like that one.

[belladoula]

@davocean That makes total sense. What do you mean by a vertical support under the corners?

I spent 2 months searching for a tank that was a decent size because I preferred something over 40 gallons. However, I also live in an apartment, so room is also a consideration. My son has been begging for a fish aquarium for a couple of years, so this was the year I decided to do some research and take the dive. Sadly, I am also on a college student budget since I am in nursing school. This tank is 56 gallons and taller and deeper rather than longer. It works perfect and was well within my budget. I still want to upgrade my lights, but that too is very confusing.

I want a nicer stand for it and something that doesn't look so cookie cutter I suppose. But, I am no Bob the Builder or carpenter, so until I no longer have to pay for the ridiculous cost of nursing school it will have to do. I did price a couple, but they were several hundred dollars. I did venture to Home Depot one day hoping to whip something up, but figured I was going to do more harm than good since I know nothing about carpentry. I wouldn't begin to know the types or quantity of materials to use for the weight.

[bladedrummer]

After reading this I'm scared of an earthquake cracking my tank. ^^'

[davocean]

@davocean That makes total sense. What do you mean by a vertical support under the corners?

Trimmed tanks usually need support mainly at the corners, and your stand top overhangs a little.
I would have preferred the stand walls to be right underneath those corners instead of that overhang and the walls stepped inside, but it's not much and it's probably ok, but if it were me and on a budget(as most of us are) I would just keep an eye out for a used stand that suits that footprint in the equipment forum.
I would also look for any solid wood rather than any kind of particle or MDF, they last much longer.

[belladoula]

Thanks. I will keep a look out for a new stand. It is not a traditional tank, so I will have to look hard. Or just look harder for someone to build one without killing my student wallet.

[specvjeff]

There are three types of waves to strike during an earthquake. P waves, S waves, and surface waves. During a big earthquake which is what is likely to topple your aquarium, the P waves arrive first as a jolt. The S waves arrive second and are what are likely to get the tank water moving. Surface waves are what cause the destruction. Anyways... I don't think the straps will hold the tank in place. It's going to have more momentum due to the water starting to roll. Straps on the stand wouldn't stop any momentum built up in the tank water and, combined with the shaking, the tank could fall off the stand. And as Dave said, if we have an earthquake large enough to knock your tank over, you will probably have bigger issues to worry about than the tank. Science lesson for the day complete

[specvjeff]

Did anyone feel the 4.7 this morning around 10am?

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